EVO Japan is underway and Dead or Alive 6 was there in full force with a showcase of the game along with lot's of announcements. Well that was until the stream was cut off because apparently Baraka ripping Jade's face off is perfectly fine but the Dead or Alive women, oh my that goes against EVO's "Core Values" 

Anyways, the game will be getting a season pass as expected and will include tons of costumes but will also include the DLC fighter Mai Shiranui from the King of Fighters.

Season Pass 1 will include the following content...

• DOA6 Happy Wedding Costumes Vol. 1 (13 costumes)
• DOA6 Happy Wedding Costumes Vol. 2 (13 costumes)
• DOA6 New Costumes set Vol.1 (13 costumes)
• DOA6 New Costumes set Vol.2 (13 costumes)
• ?THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV?Collaboration
• DOA6 Additional Character "Mai Shiranui" (1 character)
• DOA6 "Mai Shiranui" Debut Costumes set (5 costumes)
• DOA6 New Additional Character (1 character)
• DOA6 New Additional Character Debut Costumes set (5 costumes)
• Season Pass 1 bonus contents:
• DOA6 NiCO Additional Costume
• DOA6 Nyotengu Additional Costume

The game will also be getting a "Deluxe Demo" that will be available to all PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold members starting on February 21st 2019 and will end on February 24th. 

The Demo will give you access to the following content...

• 24 Characters (Kasumi, Helena, Hayate, Hayabusa, Jann Lee, Zack, Diego, Rig, Hitomi, Leifang, Ayane, Marie Rose, Honoka, Bayman, Bass, Tina, Mila, Christie, Nico, Kokoro, La Mariposa, Brad Wong, Eliot, And Raidou)
• Story (Introduction Only)
• Training
• Tutorial
• Combo Challenge
• Command Training
• Free Training (with Throwdown Challenges ON)
• Online
• Ranked Match

Dead or Alive 6 launches on March 1st 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC. 

Pennsylvania is proposing a bill to introduce a 10 percent tax on Mature or Adults Only video games—but the ESRB says that's a first amendment violation by targeting video games based on their content. Shawn Layden, who heads Sony's 13 development studios, wants bigger games and fewer games. And with the release of Apex Legends, a game that "basically chopped in half" Fortnite's viewership on Twitch, EA's stock has caught fire.

So, what are you playing?

Kinsey Danzis
Sad, somber music echoes through the living room, punctuated by the scraping of cardboard and the ripping of tape. Bubblewrap crinkles beneath my fingertips, protecting the precious electronic cargo wrapped within. When the moment comes to seal it away, I do so quickly, trying not to think about what I’ve just trapped within the boxes—inaccessible, lonely, and unused.

That is to say, my fiancee and I are moving pretty soon, and the time has come to start packing up some of the lesser-used consoles and games. The Xbox 360, Wiis, and DS Lite/3DS were the first to go, currently sitting in boxes that we looted from ABC on recycling day. I’m clinging to my Switch (which, admittedly, is the easiest thing to transport) until the last possible moment—partially because I’m in the midst of a review for a Switch game, and partially because over my dead body will I stop playing Breath of the Wild to cope with the stress of the move. Have I beaten Calamity Ganon yet? Nope. But have I gotten a sweet motorcycle and spent 10 minutes doing donuts in front of the Dueling Peaks Stable? Yep. It’s called coping.

Dave Gamble
I'm playing "flat" this week due to an incoming non-VR racing sim in for review. There's a quirk in my PC racing sim VR setup that that precludes the use of my FFB wheel on my normal desk monitor, so I have to bring in a 2nd monitor to host the racing. That requires the unplugging of the Rift for the interim. On the plus side, I was finally able to fire up Codemaster's F1 2018, which I bought on impulse at 60% off. This is the first F1 20xx game I've bought that has decent force feedback, which is critical to this kind of driving. I still can't fathom why they still haven't added mouse support for the UI, but other than that (well, VR in 2019 please!!) it's very good. I have been working my way through the 12 Classic cars and having a lot of fun with them.

There's only so much racing I can do in a day before the force feedback begins to exacerbate the months-ago sprain I received in my left thumb after being T-boned in a terrible GT3 race, so I repair to the console for some time in Valentine, New Hanover, where I fill my days with subsistence hunting (I recently discovered that cooked meat will last in your satchel for days and days) and evenings playing poker. It's not a bad life, really. I probably have over 200 hours in Red Dead Redemption 2 by now, with the vast majority of that time dedicated to avoiding Dutch and his ridiculous plans. If it wasn't for his impervious plot armor, I'd have offed him myself a dozen times by now. Our most recent meeting ended with us in a heated gun fight with the US Army, followed by a dramatic escape lifted directly from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. At this point, I cannot see how there is any hope of a happy ending to this epic saga.

Travis Huinker
My game of the week is many at this point. Gaming on Xbox has been ranging from returning to Forza Horizon 4 to the recently released and internet's favorite, Apex Legends. At first I thought Apex Legends would simply be a couple of games that I'd try out, but it has become an ever-growing addiction. It might be my nostalgia of Titanfall 2, but Apex Legends has been a welcome surprise and my perfect combination of standard and new battle royale gameplay features. The only thing I'm worried about this week is the onslaught of new games I want to try releasing soon, including Metro: Exodus, Far Cry New Dawn, and Anthem. Well, free time is for games, I guess, right?

Randy Kalista
My coverage of Far Cry New Dawn came in hot this week. Following a progressive set of embargo lifts, streaming gameplay of this post-apocalyptic standalone sequel to Far Cry 5 started Wednesday, reviews started hitting the internet Thursday, and the game launched today, Friday.

What I can talk about is my latest love affair: Genesis Alpha One. Its NASA-white walls and red furniture are steeped in the retro-futurism of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Its terminal-font CRT computer monitors are this close to asking, "Shall we play a game?" And the larval-stage alien bugs complement the Starship Troopers propaganda posters pinned up in the crew's quarters. This is how you take Gen X nostalgia for MS-DOS prompts and upcycle that nostalgia for the 21st century. Also, giving me modular starship construction, as well as lite resource management and logistical tasks, is absolutely how you get someone like me to play a first-person shooter. Genesis Alpha One is about as far away as you can get from today's Battle Royale headlines. I'm in a happy place that FPSes haven't particularly provided me in a long time.

As with any and all open-world Ubisoft games, there's a lot to do in Far Cry New Dawn. These are big games, and not just due to the size of the map. There's hunting for wildlife, foraging for plant life, vehicular mayhem, guns and ammo shenanigans, HQ and outpost hubs—plus all of the requisite upgrades and modifications for all of those things.

This video talks about upgrading Prosperity, your headquarters in New Dawn. It started off as a lovely pine lodge, but it's in the process of turning into a 7 Days to Die-like above-ground survival bunker. It's pleasant, if not a little boring looking. Your people find ways to pluck on guitars and throw down a little BBQ from time to time, though, so it's nice. 

You'll be raiding Highwaymen (bad guys') outposts in order to rob their stockpiles of ethanol. The ethanol is used to upgrade your weapons bench, training camp, cartography shack, healing garden, infirmary, garage, explosive lab, and the expeditions helicopter landing pad. I don't know, maybe you pour the fuel over this stuff and that magically makes everything operate on a higher level. Or maybe you turn it into ethyl alcohol and really get the party started, who knows?

Far Cry New Dawn launches February 15 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. My first impressions have gone up.

The first line to 99% of all pen-and-paper role-playing games is: "You all meet in a tavern." It's as cliche as it is crucial, just so a Dungeon Master can kick things off. But at the Crossroads Inn, the tavern isn't just the starting point—it's the journey and the destination.

Crossroads Inn is a fantasy tavern simulator, where you are the innkeeper of a place located on the borders of three politically misaligned nations, and you've got to keep your supplies rolling in. Do you think Otik's Spiced Potatoes in the Dragonlance novels just magically appear in his pantry? No, he has to source, negotiate pricing, and transport those bad boys. Otik is a logistics mastermind. Further, in Crossroads Inn, you build, expand, and customize the inn itself, The Sims-style, as your business's importance and renown grows. You're managing supply lines, you're cooking up dishes, you're hosting dignitaries and mercenaries alike. You're more important than that castle up on the hill over there. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you are.

I don't take to Kickstarter often. In fact, this would be my second time, ever. But I like what I'm seeing at the Crossroads Inn, so I've supported the project. Disclaimer.

Crossroads Inn loosely aims for a 2019 launch date. 

Resident Evil 2's free DLC, "Ghost Survivors" is out today. As Nathan reported last month, this DLC takes players on three separate what-if scenarios to change the fate of the Mayor's daughter, the gunshop owner, and a soldier from Alpha team, which, if you haven't guessed by now, don't make out so great in the base game. 

Coming with a trailer, each character's story sees separate locales, weapons, and enemy types. The gunshop owner seems to be trekking through the sewers, the Mayor's daughter through the streets, and the soldier from Alpha team through the Umbrella lab. 

The DLC is out today, and as I mentioned, it's free.

Oh joy. 

Dead by Daylight, the popular horror themed game is making it's way to the Nintendo Switch later this fall. 

Dead by Daylight is a 4 v 1 asymmetrical game where four players play as Survivors and have to repair generators and escape the map before they are murdered by the fifth player who is playing as the Killer. 

All of the pallet looping, tunneling, face camping and toxicity is now is the palm of your hands! Now you can get teabagged by SWF groups on the go! 

In all seriousness I am very worried about this. The PC version is fine and that's the one I play, but this game is so poorly optimized and runs like trash on the PS4 and Xbox One. I can only imagine what it's going to be like on the Nintendo Switch. Time will tell I guess. 

After a couple weeks of speculation and inconsistent online store listings, Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin's Creed III Remastered is indeed coming to Nintendo Switch. It will arrive on May 21st, which is almost 2 months later than the game's release date on other platforms. That's a bit disappointing but I'm glad Switch is getting the game in any case. Ubisoft has had considerable success on Switch so I'm not surprised they are giving the platform more support.

Assassin's Creed III Remastered on Switch appears to have feature parity with the Xbox One, PS4 and PC ports, aside from 4K support that is. The game includes all of the original game's DLC and includes Assassin's Creed III Liberation, a story about a freed slave woman named Aveline who joins the Assassin order. The Switch version has some unique features including a touch screen interface, motion control aiming and HD rumble.

I'm really hoping this one sells well so we see the rest of the classic Assassin's Creed games on Switch. I'd love to have the Ezio Trilogy, Black Flag and maybe even Rogue on the platform. It's doubtful we'll see Unity, Syndicate, Origins or Odyssey on Switch as they require the extra muscle of the PS4 and Xbox One, but considering the middling response to those games, I personally don't feel that's much of a loss. Assassin's Creed III Remastered will run you $39.99 when it arrives on Switch on May 21st. You can check out the trailer below.

Nether Realm Studios held another Kombat Kast today and with it the announcement that another fan favorite character, Jade would be returning in Mortal Kombat 11. 

In life, Jade was a master assassin, famously known for both her loyal friendship to Princess Kitana and her iconic green attire. Now resurrected by an evil sorcerer, she serves the Netherrealm as an undead Revenant. Death hasn’t slowed Jade down, though. She still thrashes her enemies with her bo staff, razorrang, and patronizing put-downs.

Last seen in MK9 and killed off along with a bunch of other favorite characters, Jade returns and has all of the favorite moves she was known for. This time around however she seems to use her staff more than ever. 

As with Kabal, we got a glimpse of some of her skins that will be available and it looks like she will also have both Revenant and Human versions available to play as. 

Check out her reveal trailer below. As you would expect, it's very NSFW.

Mortal Kombat 11 releases on April 23rd for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. Those who pre-order will get access to Shao Khan and beta access which begins on March 29th.

Far Cry New Dawn, the standalone sequel to Far Cry 5, launches February 15. I've had some (some) time to dive into this latest Ubisoft open world action game, but not enough to fully commit to a final score. Look for the full review soon.

In the meantime, here are some of my first impressions. Keep in mind that the last Far Cry I've played was 2008's Far Cry 2 which took place in the savannahs and rain forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Interestingly, the corrugated tin and survival-chic aesthetic of Far Cry 2 is very much alive and well in New Dawn's post-apocalyptic Montana. 

That's the thought that takes lead in my first impressions. Sure, there's that video from last year doing some excellent A/B comparisons of the in-game physics of Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 5. Surprisingly, it paints the 10-year-old Far Cry 2 in a better light than its younger sibling. The Dunia engine—the Ubisoft-modified CryEngine—has shifted its priorities over the years.

Regardless, when it comes to the game's actual setup, a lot of similarities are still present and account for. There are vehicles parked around a rural landscape. Guns and ammo strewn about like a doomsday-prepper's paradise. Sectarian violence between a handful of factions. Wild animals to run over. The aforementioned survivalist look and feel of the art and architecture. This is open-world gaming as pretty much defined and refined by Ubisoft itself. The Far Cry series has traveled to a few different places in the past decade, but the setup is largely the same, no matter where it's gone. Which makes sense: These are sequels, not reboots.

But, focusing on Far Cry New Dawn, you find your lightly customizable self once again in Hope County, Montana. It's 17 years after the bomb-dropping conclusion of Far Cry 5, making New Dawn a direct sequel, but one you can play without owning or having played the previous. 

Hope County suffered a nuclear winter, but has now undergone a super-bloom of post-apocalyptic growth. Wildlife is changed, but thriving. Plant life has changed, but is likewise thriving. You'll notice a lot of fuchsia in the color palette. Flowers everywhere. And the opposition this time is black twin sisters with a penchant for dirt bike gear and rap music. You, obviously allied with the good guys, have a background in security and are surrounded by country music. Welcome to America, I guess. The archetypes of today are still the archetypes of tomorrow, apocalypse or no.

But I'm okay with the archetypes. This is a video game, not a social studies lesson. Crashing through pine-covered hills with Die Antwoord's bizarro South African rap style blaring on the AM/FM radio crafts a cultural friction that I can appreciate. It'd be a bit monotonous if it was all about traveling through the country with some country folks only listening to folk music.

The actual gameplay is all rather streamlined to be as video game-like as possible. You rummage for gear and supplies, turning that gear and supplies into weapons and vehicle upgrades. Upgrade enough weapons and gear in order to upgrade your headquarters, which in turn lets you upgrade your weapons and gear some more. Everything is done rapid fire in big but manageable menus. Nothing takes more than two or three button presses to exchange, upgrade, or acquire. It's all a little too easy, but Ubisoft would take that as a compliment. 

I've ripped across the countryside in Mad Max-lite vehicles, dipped in spray paint and wrapped with roll cages. I've grabbed guns that are recognizable at their base but modded with enough duct tape and tarp to empty out the local Ace Hardware. And I've gone up enough rappelling ropes and down enough zip lines to know that every person in Hope County is a mountain climber at heart. Everything is made to optimize rapid movement and accommodate maximum gunfire.

After being away from the Far Cry series for so long, I thought I'd be lost. But everything is easily accessible. Every concept is a cinch to grasp. Far Cry New Dawn is as video game-y as it comes. You're either excited by the open-world chaos, or your already bored with the system interactions. I can't seem to get an adrenaline rush out of any of this, aside from when those open-world systems interact to comical degrees. Like when a handful of good guys run into an outpost full of bad guys, and then a grizzly bear wanders into the middle of it but is bitten by a rattlesnake, and then a patrol rolls by just as you toss a molotov into the fracas and are suddenly attacked by a family of boars. Hope County is as country as it gets, but it's as busy as a cityscape. You're never more than a few yards away from the next clown car of action-packed nonsense to pop off. 

For the most part, it works. Again, look for our final review in the coming week.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is a pretty good subscription service, having over 200 titles for your Xbox available to play whenever you want.  When you throw in first party titles available on day 1 (like Crackdown 3 and Forza Horizon 4), and the ability to get cross play on PC for these same titles, it is an even more attractive service.

Looks like Microsoft is wanting folks to give it a whirl, as they are running a really good deal right now for those that are not subscribers.  You can get two months for $2 by purchasing one month for $2 and getting the second month free.  If you are worried about getting charged for the $9.99 monthly fee once the two promo months are up, you can easily go into your Microsoft account online under Services and Subscriptions and turn off recurring billing for the Xbox Game Pass.