Island nation dictators will get their El Presidente on with Tropico 6 in Janary 2019 on PC, and Summer 2019 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This comes after a delay of its initially vague 2018 launch window.

Tropico 6 looks like it's doing what the Tropico series has always done. Take a city builder, add palm trees, put the lime in the coconut, etc. New to the series, however, is that you've got an archipelago of islands to build across, not just one island. You've got 99 problems but a bridge ain't—well, it appears that bridges are indeed a part of your problems now. Also making a comeback from earlier in the series are election speeches. You'll make promises to your people you can't keep, and that's kind of just part of the game. Art imitates life, I guess, or vice versa.

I can't explain why this series has always failed to hook me. Is it the soundtrack's Caribbean equivalent of J-Pop music? Is it the mirrored shades and faux military outfits of the ruler, drenched in a post-Cold War cologne? Maybe. Or I could just give this series a fair shake and see why there will be as many Tropicos as Sid Meier's Civilizations made in my lifetime. 

Again, Tropico 6 coming to PC in January of 2019, with console versions arriving later that summer.

Monster Hunter: World

Germany is lifting—in certain cases—a ban on Nazi imagery that, for video games, started with Wolfenstein. Here's to hoping Red Dead Redemption 2 packs the emotional depth of its predecessor, but also reflects our troubled times. And Bethesda's lawyers argue that, no matter the condition, you can't buy a game and resell it as "new"; it's now used or pre-owned.

So, what are you playing?

Zachary Atwood
I'm gearing up for a move to a different apartment, so my time is pretty limited this week. In any downtime I get, I'll be continuing my Monster Hunter: World playthrough as I write my review. Should I manage to wrap up the main story of that game, I'm eagerly awaiting the opportunity to dive headfirst into Graveyard Keeper. I've been waiting for what feels like forever for this game, and don't want to wait any longer for some relaxing Stardew-esque gameplay to keep me occupied.

Sean Colleli
I'm sorry Randy, but I'm rapidly hitting the point of diminishing returns with No Man's Sky. I've put 15 hours into the Next update but I'm burning out much faster than before, and I think it's because the game's two biggest bugbears, economy and inventory management, which go hand in hand and produce a bunch of grind. Getting anywhere in No Man's Sky still takes hours of inane busywork. Hunting for random blueprint drops in scarce manufacturing plants, so I can work my way up the agonizingly slow and convoluted crafting tree, just so I have the ability to make trade goods that sell for a decent amount, which I must grind out and then refine raw materials to produce. All of this is so I can accrue the ludicrous quantities of Spaceballs space bucks to buy a slightly bigger ship, spacesuit or freighter to mitigate the cripplingly small inventory system that is still back-asswards two years after release. And this is if the numerous game-breaking bugs don't get in the way and everything works as it should. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm back to save-scumming and resorting to a duplication glitch that gives me an infinite supply of expensive goods and materials, but even that turns into a grind...just a slightly more profitable one than playing the game "the right way." It makes me wonder if Hello Games playtested this thing at all. They upend the entire universe, crafting system and materials set every time they release a huge update, but the same old problems persist. Sadly, my original opinion still stands: a more experienced studio needs to take No Man's Sky away from Hello Games, give it a long hard look with unbiased eyes, and perform a serious overhaul on its systems and gameplay loops. I've wanted to love No Man's Sky for a long, long time, but even after two years of free updates, fixes and incremental improvements, it's still mostly a mess. At this point I'll probably just go back to Minecraft.

Eric Hauter
I am overwhelmed with family activities this week, so I've had to reign in my game play to 10 minutes a day on Fallout Shelter. I'm currently attempting to build an army of 12 vault dwellers with perfect stats and Power Armor to send out on quests. I've also been building the Dragon's Maw (a very high powered weapon) for everyone. It's slow going, but I'll get there.

I've also been playing a bit of Phantom Doctrine, the new Cold War spy thriller that launched on Tuesday. While I am not deep enough into the game to offer a review, I can say that the combat is tense and complex. There are also systems, buried in systems, wrapped in systems. This is one complex puppy, with a lot of UI to wrap your head around. Phantom Doctrine is one of those games where I constantly feel like I'm doing something wrong or missing something, and the more I progress, the stronger that feeling gets. It is not a bad game, by any means. It's just...complicated.

Randy Kalista
I've finally returned to Kingdom Come: Deliverance for real. Time to do a DIY rebuild of the overgrown ruins of Pribyslavitz in the From the Ashes DLC. I enjoyed the darkly tinted showdown with Henry's arch-nemesis in vanilla Kingdom Come—the guy that'd killed Henry's mom, dad, fiancee, burned the rest of the town, and then (then!) stole Henry's sword? Yeah, that guy. That guy's a jerk. It took some time and training and personal growth to get there, but Henry eventually smashed homeboy's face into a bloody pulp on a church floor until dude died. To Henry's credit, he threw up after doing that.

I was hoping the VRidge phone VR software would spark an Elite Dangerous renaissance in my gaming schedule, but it hasn't. Which is a bummer. My phone doesn't have the hutzpah to make Elite fully playable, and there's just nothing to be done about that. While the concept of turning my smartphone into a very limited HTC Vive is great, my review can only serve as a gentle but cautionary tale of overestimating the capabilities of low-end smartphones. VRidge is good, but not that good.

For someone that grew up on the Rocky movies, 2015’s Creed came flying out of left field, feeling more like a long overdue trip home than a film sequel. The way the new story wedged its way into the Rocky universe was touching and revelatory. There on display were all of the amazing Rocky highpoints, without any of the cornier touches that occasionally crept into the original series. I cannot think of another film in the recent wave of sequels and reboots that hit with more emotional honesty. Everything about the film, from the amazing fight sequences to Stallone’s note-perfect reprise performance as the Italian Stallion in his winter years, struck with the power of a Drago shot to the jaw. I loved this film, and I am beyond excited for the sequel.

It seems that I am now also beyond excited for the PS VR boxing title Creed: Rise to Glory. It was announced today that the game will release on September 25^th, and is currently available for pre-order. In addition to the $29.99 digital store version, a (now rare for PS VR titles) physical version is also being released. Both version can be pre-ordered starting today, and will retail for $29.99. Fans ordering the digital version will also receive an exclusive avatar and theme pack. PlayStation Plus members will also receive an addition 10% off of the digital pre-order.

With the support of MGM and Sony, developer Survios seem to have developed one incredible title. Players step into the shoes of Adonis “Hollywood” Creed, and battle their way through seven opponents in one-on-one battles. Not only that, but players will get the chance to train with Rocky himself in Mighty Mick’s gym and the Front Street gym. It’s unclear whether Stallone is voicing Rocky Balboa in the game, but if not, the guy they got is a great ringer.

Using Servios’ new VR tech (known as “Phantom Melee Technology”, Creed allows the player’s avatar to mimic real-life boxing; throwing punches and getting hit, getting staggered or knocked out, and feeling the fatigue of a continuous match. In addition to the career and training modes, there will also be a freeplay mode that allows players to set up a custom fight with the location and opponent of their choice.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this game. With both of my teenage sons out of the house, I’m just starting a new diet, and Creed ought to help me along nicely. It is entirely possible to break a sweat playing a VR title, and I can’t imagine a game that I would rather sweat to than Creed. More details on the game can be found at the official website here.

In the land of ABBA and Ikea furniture, four friends return from an island vacation to their home country of Sweden and find it besieged by robots and devoid of people. This is Generation Zero and tonight you're going to party like it's 1989. Up to four players can drop-in/drop-out across a range of Simon Stalenhag-inspired landscapes. Too bad Stalenhag isn't collecting royalties on it. However, Austin Walker over at Waypoint brings up subtle but important differences between Generation Zero and Stalenhag's work: "Stalenhag is more than just Robot + Sweden + Scale + Fog."

Agreed. But Generation Zero still looks cool and it's pinging hard on my radar. Though I'd be more interested in this game being more of an action-adventure than a shoot 'em up. From fern-matted forest floors to postcard-perfect lakeside municipalities, you're tracking down robotic beasts that run far and wide across the map. That seems to be the premise for taking down the biggest robots. But I have to admit, from a gameplay perspective, that rarely sounds fun to me. The last thing I enjoy doing in any video game is—despite how realistic it may be—having to chase something down and shoot it in the back, or run across it again and again at a later date. I'm open to the idea of these robots owning a sense of self-preservation, though. It all makes sense. 

You're tracking robots, robots are tracking you, they've got heat-sensing capabilities, you've got weapon mods that'll at least get you some night vision. The story behind the war, which appears to already be over, unfolds in the environment. War rooms still display tactical maneuvers pinned to the map. Underground governmental structures are carved out of the rock. And every car and home is abandoned or wrecked. The robots appear to have had a certain respect for leaving homes untouched, but automobiles were fair game. The trailer may be avoiding it, but there aren't even any dead bodies lying around, so who knows? Perhaps the populace all evacuated safely (providing those wrecked cars aren't strewn with dead families). I'm just spitballing here.

Salvage parts and weaponry, hunt enemies, and figure out how deep the conspiracy goes on this plague of robots. I hope there's more to the story than just, "We made them but, whoops, they turned on us!"

Generation Zero is coming to PC in 2019.

Razer, a leading innovator in gaming hardware and accessories, has released the Nommo Pro into the wild. At it's core, the Nommo Pro is basically the bigger and better version of the Nommo Chroma.

The Nommo Pro features two satellite speakers, each with a 3-inch full-range driver and 0.8 inch silk dome tweeter. It also comes with a rather large 6-inch downward firing subwoofer. It's all controlled from a control pod that manages power, volume, and audio connections (it supports optical, bluetooth, usb, and 3.5mm). And of course, like most modern Razer hardware, it comes Chroma enabled, allowing you to customize color to your heart's content.

Pricewise, the Nommo Pro isn't cheap. The original Nommo Chroma runs you $149.99, but the Nommo Pro is priced at $499.99. That's a steep price tag, but the Nommo Pro has a lot of solid tech involved.

Overall, I think this looks like a great piece of tech. Razer has a long history of making awesome stuff that works well and lasts a long time, so it stands to reason this product should fit that mold. With that in mind, the price point is really setting this aside for those who are looking for the highest-end desktop audio experience.

First Forbes broke the embargo and retracted the article. Kotaku decided that was good enough for them to go ahead with the full news. Diablo III is going to the Nintendo handheld console for those that wan to slay demons on the go.

Called Diablo III Eternal Collection, the Switch version will have all the DLCs and updates including Reaper of Souls and the Necromancer addition. And what would a Nintendo version be without a link to a popular Nintendo title. Ganodorf's armor will be available for those who pick up the Switch version.

Kotaku also notes there will be various multiplayer options from local play with one or four Switches to full online play. 

I'm guessing the game will play like the other console versions, of course which is tailored for controller based movement and targeting. Being able to game with a few friends on the go sounds pretty awesome so this would definitely be a title I'd pick up if I had a Switch. 

Release should be sometime later this year and Kotaku reports it will be priced at $59.99

astragon Entertainment and stillalive studios announced this week that Bus Simulator will come to Xbox One and PS4 in 2019. Bus Simulator, as it will be called on console, is a port of astragon's Bus Simulator 18 that came to PC in June.

Like it's PC predecessor, Bus Simulator on console will have players taking control of a bus company in the fictional town of Seaside Valley. Players will take the role of both bus driver and company manager. This will include creating bus routes, hiring drivers, and generating income to expand the company. 

Gaming Nexus reviewed the PC version of the game, and overall it came across as a solid sim game. The micro game of driving the buses is well balanced against the macro of running the company. The game has some story building, which has you fulfilling quests to expand into different parts of the city, so there is a good amount of variety in the game-play experiences.

In terms of multiplayer, Bus Simulator gives players the option to team up with their friends and drive routes in a couple different ways. It all happens under the umbrella of one player's company, but it adds some fun and interesting moments to the game. 

Have you ever desperately wanted to be horribly outgunned and outmanned on a jungle island? Have you ever wanted to be pitted against a drug overlord and his many cronies with only a few allies by your side? Well, then you might be happy to hear that the spin-off game Jagged Alliance: Rage! is in development right now.

Set 20 years after the original Jagged Alliance, this game never puts you in a great position (by design, of course). Of course, it's not easy work organizing a few mercenaries to combat an entire legion. It's the player's responsibility to lead these individuals (with their own strong characterization) through tactical turn-based missions in order to fuel a revolution.

Features include:

• 2 Player online co-op mode
• Turn-based tactical gameplay mixed with adventure elements
• A variety of tactics ranging from stealth to brute force
• Strong character personalities with own skills, desires and personal conflicts
• Rage skills: unique character abilities that get more powerful over the course of the battle
• Powerful Commanders coordinate enemy troops on the battlefields
• Face terrifying experimental drugs and use them to manipulate your enemies

Jagged Alliance: Rage! is set for release this fall on PC, PS4, and the Xbox One/One X.

For those that didn’t know, Gaming Nexus is based partially in Columbus, Ohio. Though we have writers all across the country, many of us call Columbus home. As a result, we don’t often get major gaming events in our own backyard. So it is exciting that the Call of Duty World League Championship is taking place here in our hometown, starting today. The event is sponsored by PlayStation 4, and is the culmination of the 2018 Call of Duty: World War II season.

From August 15-19, the top Call of Duty teams in the world will be in Columbus, culminating at the Nationwide Arena (for out-of-towners, this is an enormous, 20,000-seat venue). Teams will be battling it out for a championship ring and their share of the event’s $1.5 million in prizes.

“The 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship is the culmination of an unbelievably competitive season,” said Adam Apicella, Vice President, Event Operations, Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “This year has been a record-setting season for the CWL, which has seen online and offline participation grow, while viewership has topped last year. And it all comes down to this, let’s see who is the best Call of Duty esports squad in the world.”

Today and tomorrow, teams will compete at the MLG Arena to determine the top two teams in eight different groups of four. Then this weekend, the competition moves to Nationwide, where the top 16 teams will move on to a double-elimination format before the final champ is decided on Sunday.

Tickets are still available, with general admission tickets going for $50.00, and Prestige Experience tickets (which get you guaranteed floor seats and a bunch of goodies) going for $180.00. For those that can’t make it to see the event live, the entire thing is being broadcast on MLG.com/CallofDuty, Twitch.tv/CallofDuty and via the in-game Call of Duty: WWII Theater on PlayStation 4. Championship Sunday will be broadcast on Twitter via @CODWorldLeague.

I’ve been enjoying The Exorcist: Legion VR quite a bit, and I’m dying to play the last couple of installments in the five-episode series. Unfortunately, as a PS VR player, I to wait a little longer. But PC VR players can experience the ending to the terrifying series right now, with the release of Chapter 5: The Tomb on Steam and Oculus.

The Exorcist: Legion VR is based on the third film in the Exorcist series. The series follows a Boston detective as he seeks to unravel a mystery that takes him over the line into the world of the supernatural. Each of the loosely connected episodes is a self-contained vignette, with its own setting and story-line. The fourth and fifth episodes entirely leave the U.S, taking place in Haiti and Mesopotamia, respectively.

The official description of the final episode offers little hint of what takes place, beyond the setting. “You have been summoned to the final chapter... and there is no turning back. In this tense climax, your journey takes you deep into the mountains of Upper Mesopotamia where one last confrontation will put everything that you have learned to the test.” Not a lot to go on there.

I got a great deal of fun out of the first three episodes (see my review here), so I’m excited to see how this series closes out. No release date yet for PS VR, but I will be sure to follow up when one is announced.