Microsoft’songoing acquisition of gaming goliathActivision Blizzardhas been ongoing for what feels like a millenia. Industry regulators have been understandably scrutinizing the deal at every turn, whileSonyhas constantly argued against the acquisitionover Call of Duty exclusivity concerns. The FTC has even attempted to block the dealby suing Microsoft, claiming that the acquisition could damage competition in the games industry. However, it now seems like Microsoft is planning to make the FTC’s suit a non-issue, as the company is reportedly planning to push the deal through regardless....

Minecraft’snew and eclectic update, made up ofarchaeology,cherry blossoms,armour trims, and the new Sniffer mob, finally has a name - Trails & Tales. And given how random the update is, the name has people scratching their heads. Among the aforementioned collection of unconnected additions, there are also customisable signs, bamboo crafting, bookshelves, and grumpy camels, none of which really screams Trails & Tales (unless you loosely count a camel’s tail, but that’s a different spelling)....

The Necromorphs. Reanimated corpses twisted into horrific new forms by an alien infection; genetically puppeteered by an ominous artifact called the Marker. These undead killing machines stop at nothing to end Isaac Clark’s escape in theDead Spaceremake. They were scary when they first emerged in 2008, but the remake propels these iconic foes to new, terrifying heights. RELATED:Scariest Monsters In Horror Games The remake has done a fantastic job of showing us just how gruesome the Necromorphs can be....

This week’s Direct was like the platonic ideal of a Nintendo video game showcase. It covered every base possible: we saw indies and triple-As, DLC for recent games, new entries in popular series, remakes of forgotten retro games that make your one weird friend very excited, demos to check out after the show, and even a high-calibur shadow drop, Metroid Prime Remastered. I give it the coveted Something For Everyone Award, and for the first time in a long time, Nintendo fans are satisfied....

Persona 3eventually addeda female protagonistin the Portable re-release, but neither 4 nor 5 have the option to play as a woman. Speaking aboutP5R, game director Katsura Hashino said “it’s not worth it” due to the “huge amount” of work it would require, so modders have decided to bear the weight and do it themselves. Simply titledP5R Female Protagonist, the mod adds a woman version ofJoker, but it’s not just a model swap....

Players have been dusting off their trustyPS2consoles to revisit some classics, a recentthread on Reseterahaving reignited the debate about the best games which are still found only on the platform. While modern consoles offer an abundance of options, many still feel a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for older games, including in fact myself. The PS2 produced a variety of iconic titles, many of which still hold up to this very day....

Quick Links In addition to bringing back popular in-game events annually,Pokemon Gokeeps things fresh for players by introducing brand-new events. This month, Pokemon Go is doing just that withA Mystical Hero, an event themed around the game’s Team Mystic Leader, Blanche. Related:Pokemon Go: Incarnate Forme Landorus Raid Guide This event will only be available for an extremely short duration,taking place from Thursday, April 13, at 10 am local time, to Monday, April 17, at 8 pm local time....

Need For Speed Unboundis a high-octane arcade racer with a massive open world. The game features a ton of new cars, a lot of customization options, and brand-new stylized effects. During your gameplay, you’ll place bets, unlock new vehicles, challenges, and a lot more. Related:The Best Racing Games You Can Play On PS5 The game also brings several brand-new mechanics to the table, completely overhauling the way you race. While you can ignore all of them and try playing Need For Speed Unbound like any other arcade racer, you’ll end up missing out on a lot of new stuff it offers....

If you missed it, Aloy wasrevealed to be queer in Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC, and as expected,people threw fits. They were so upset, in fact, that they proceeded toreview bomb the DLC, claiming that the entire game has been ruined because two women kissed on screen. Metacritic’s user reviews are flooded with low reviews citing “LGBT propaganda”, “woke culture”, and vague but prolific use of the word “agenda”....

It has become widely accepted that Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best video games ever created. Rockstar’s epic cowboy simulator has an immense line-up, from the wise crackin' Arthur Morgan, to mister “I have a plan” Dutch van der Linde, and the incredibly strong cast of supporting characters. The story is one for the ages while the world building is simply second to none. But another reason why the 2018 game is so adored is the inimitable sense of atmosphere and emergent moments that can occur....

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most highly rated, critically acclaimed games of all time, and its reputation has helped Rockstar sell bucketloads of the title. In fact, the game has topped 50 million copies sold and even managed to shift four million copies in the last quarter alone, a frankly astonishing feat considering its age. But while the game is over four years old, players are still searching out its nooks and testing its limits....

Resident Evil 4 Remakeplayers aren’t doing a particularly good job of looking afterAshley, as clips of the poor lass getting whacked in the face are shared online. Whether it’s her stepping in the way of an attack, orLeonducking so she takes the blow instead, Ashley isn’t having a lot of luck on many of our playthroughs. And worst of all, the much more realistic visuals are only making it funnier. Hey, no one can accuse her of having bad comedic timing at least....

Resident Evil 4addedThe Mercenariesin a free update at the end of last week, and it’s incredible. The Horde mode - which I imagine helped inspire similar offerings found inGears of Waryears later - remains largely unchanged compared to previous iterations. It still boils down to picking a character, jumping into one of three stages, and surviving for however long you can against a finite onslaught of enemies. Fixed loadouts and strict score management only serves to make it that much more fun....