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Blizzard’s hero-based shooter Overwatch is unique in that much of its lore and character development occurs in animated shorts and comic books that are not accessible in the game itself. This means that many players miss out on learning interesting details about their favorite characters in the game, especially those that don’t realize these world-building materials exist. For those that have missed out on Overwatch’s world-building, we have compiled the 10 most interesting things you may not have known about Overwatch and its characters....

By this point, it should go without saying, but Sega’s Yakuza games are the bomb. Looking for an engrossing crime drama packed with raw emotion and countless twists and turns? Yakuza is perfect. Feel like engaging in a few wacky antics that would not look out of place in a particularly weird anime? Yakuza is perfect. Want a fantastic central storyline, dozens upon dozens of memorable side-quests, and even a host of mini-games?...

Some see Geralt of Rivia as an anti-hero and whilst his actions are at times in keeping with this idea, by definition, at least, it’s a position that he just doesn’t quite fit. Unlike a traditional anti-hero, Geralt possesses all of the qualities required to be a hero, but simply chooses to suppress them as and when he sees fit. Things are further complicated, of course, by the addition of player choice....

While many gamers are excited to see the Assassin’s Creed franchise once again take to the high seas with Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, one animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is none too pleased with this new direction. Specifically, PETA is not happy with developer Ubisoft’s depiction of whaling in the game. Whaling is only one part (and likely a small one at that) of the Assassin’s Creed 4 experience, but still PETA calls the game’s inclusion of it “disgraceful....

Ubisoft may be treading some new ground (water?) with their pirate adventure Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but the core gameplay that made the series a success isn’t going anywhere. The newly released first look at gameplay highlights the Caribbean setting and historic landmarks, while also giving a better idea of what dangers lie both above ground and underwater for new hero Edward Kenway. Jungle exploration, the assassination of British forces (those guys can’t catch a break) and high seas sailing are all featured in the new trailer....

Not to be outdone by British bat-fans, US, Aussie & Kiwi gamers can now look forward to their very own Batman: Arkham Origins Collector’s Edition this October. Bursting with Batman memorabilia, the limited-time run will run for a suggested retail price of $119.99 — a comparatively hefty chunk of change for those of us not named Bruce Wayne. Put together by Warner Bros. Interactive, the special edition set is the first in the celebrated Batman: Akrham series to differ depending on region....

The question on every active Battlefield player’s mind is how publisher Electronic Arts will avoid the issues of BF4 with the next series installment, Battlefield Hardline. The last game launched infamously to an overwhelming number of bugs, glitches and online netcode issues that plagued the game for some players for a year. It took a year of updates to get Battlefield 4 to where it should have been at launch - a launch that EA’s bosses forced and later called “unacceptable....

Part of what made BioShock such a resounding success was its ingenuous ability to take dreamlike science fiction aspects (underwater dystopias, Ayn Rand philosophizing, plasmids, and the maybe-not-so-great Vita-chambers) and blend them seamlessly with aspects that were downright nightmarish - like the Little Sisters and Big Daddys, human harvesting, and the gruesome acts of Rapture’s deranged citizens. BioShock Infinite strikes that same chord with its Heavy Hitters. The politics and the science behind the magnificent city of Columbia and its warring citizens is fascinating, to be sure....

At last year’s E3 event, fans of Rare’s Conker the Squirrel were at once amazed and irritated when the iconic character made a surprising appearance during Microsoft’s conference. Waddling on screen with a chainsaw in hand, Conker sawed the Project Spark logo in half, declaring that if no one else was going to make him a new game, then it was up to the fans. This was in reference to Conker being added to Project Spark as a playable character, included in the upcoming DLC called Conker’s Big Reunion....

Now that the floodgates are open for Dead Space 3 rumors, after a news station unknowingly caught a glimpse of a logo, it seems like we have moved beyond the game’s existence into the discussion of the game’s storyline and setting. This newest rumor proclaims that not only will players be encountering an entirely new location, one that rivals the temperature of space, but a new big bad. According to the rumor, Dead Space 3 would see hero Isaac Clarke crash landing on a planet called Tau Volantis that is mostly covered with ice — think Hoth from Empire Strikes Back....

Fresh gameplay from the campaign of Gears of War 3 has been made available online, giving a minor glimpse into the kind of action players will find themselves in in the last part of the Gears of War trilogy. Short answer, yes, it’s still pretty awesome. The video, made available by GearsCon, mainly focuses on some of the new enemy types the player will be encountering throughout the Gears 3 campaign, both small and big....

Gears of War 3 is quickly nearing its long anticipated September release date, and fans of the franchise couldn’t be more excited. Many wish that they could get their chainsaw on right now, but the sad fact is that once gamers tear through the game’s campaign, the story that the previous two games built up to is officially over. Gears of War 3 is the last game planned in the series’ current trilogy, and even though there will be more Gears of War games in the future, it could be the last time that we see Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad....

In the world of video games, there are a lot of what if and hypothetical scenarios, where calculated decisions ultimately inform the success or failure of a retail product. It’s also a business where partnerships can be everything. One such partnership that has been huge for developer/publisher Valve is the one between their library of games and the Source engine. Without Source there would be no Half-Life, there would be no Portal, and there would be no Left 4 Dead....

Hotline Miami earned a reputation for being an addictive, retro-styled title hit worthy of a followup. The fast-paced, ultra-violent action lends itself to quick play sessions that turn into hours of fiendish fun. Those after more of a fix than Devolver Digital and Dennaton Games can provide will be in for a treat with Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. The upcoming title will come complete with a full level editor....

Where last week Ubisoft took on Deep Silver in the Splinter Cell: Blacklist vs. Saints Row IV head-to-head, this week Ubisoft battles Capcom with Rayman Legends vs. Lost Planet 3. Let’s compare. After months of videos, announcements, and other marketing materials, the launch trailer is the publisher’s final pre-release effort to help excite gamers about a new game’s arrival, and this week, players can celebrate the long-awaited arrival of Ubisoft’s Rayman Legends and Capcom’s Lost Planet 3 after delays held back each sequel....

Mass Effect 3 is, without a doubt, one of the most highly-anticipated titles of the year - easily earning a spot on our 25 Most Anticipated Games of 2012 list. However, over the last week, news broke that the action-RPG title would see paid campaign DLC on day one. It was a revelation that undercut some of the excitement for the title - given that certain players felt as though BioWare was withholding content just to milk customers for even more cash money....

That’s right, the largest-scale MMOFPS yet is back in the form of PlanetSide 2. Fans of the original game will recall a diverse, intense action game following three different factions as they fought for control over the planet Auraxis. While the first game was famous for having thousands of people playing on the same server (with individual battles often featuring hundreds of players), it wouldn’t be surprising if PlanetSide 2 tried to push the barrier even more, though, aside from the reveal trailer that dropped today, nothing has been shown....

As one of Sony’s major announcements during the company’s E3 2015 press conference, Shenmue 3 quickly became one of the most exciting prospects for dedicated gamers. Fans have been awaiting another installment in the series for years, and the possibility to make that happen finally became a reality thanks to the fan funding domain Kickstarter. Still, some may have initially been concerned that the title wouldn’t hit its $2,000,000 USD goal....

With only a handful of exciting titles left before talk of the next-gen significantly ramps up, and even fewer console exclusives, there was bound to be some camaraderie amongst specific publisher’s games. Games that are unique to a platform or publisher, for example, want to ensure the success of each other in the same way that a Medal of Honor usually includes entry into a Battlefield beta. In this case, the cooperation is between two Sony exclusives — God of War: Ascension and The Last of Us — both slated for release before the first half of the year....

At the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards members of the games industry gathered in glitzy Las Vegas to recognize the achievements of their own. The awards show was not without its fair share of unexpected winners, but ultimately the big award winner(s) came as no surprise. As expected, The Last of Us dominated the D.I.C.E. Awards, snagging 10 trophies in total. Considering the game was nominated for 13 categories (out of a possible 24), most expected Naughty Dog’s latest to be well represented, but few saw it winning this many awards....