Much has been made about Avowed's approach to its setting, the Living Lands, and the fact that it is not an open-world game. Instead, Avowed's world is made up of "open zones"--large geographical areas that are interconnected with other large areas, much like a previous game from developer Obsidian, The Outer Worlds.

At least in the first of Avowed's areas, that means that Obsidian has put a focus on making sure that the entire space provides interesting adventures. Whether you're chasing side quests handed out by random characters populating the Living Lands' biggest city, Paradis, or just rambling through the area to see what's there, there are plenty of rewards for exploration. There are bandit camps, ruins, half-destroyed hovels, and groups of dead soldiers surrounding the corpses of huge bears. The Living Lands is a place dense with stories and thick with secrets to uncover, and even wandering aimlessly through the wilderness feels like an adventure unto itself.

"We have these open zones, and they're expansive, they have a lot of breadth of them, but they're manageable enough for our team size to be able to handcraft every part of them and to fill them to the adequate amount of density that we want in that environment," said region director Berto Ritger in an interview with GameSpot. "So we don't want big, big, long expanses, of just grass, that has nothing going on. There are moments of serenity and calm in the environment, but there's always a little bit of something. And we try to have enough variety as well with those things where you're not finding the same corpse of the potion in his hand over and over."

Peter Stormare's popular Call of Duty character The Replacer has built his entire identity around stepping in for people at their jobs so they can play COD. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 took things a step further by lining up The Replacer as a playable in-game operator. So it's only fitting that The Replacer's finishing moves reflect himFFdoing what he does best in an over-the-top manner.

The Replacer's finishing moves have leaked early, and they've been posted on social media. The common theme between each finisher is that just when the player is about to execute their opponent, The Replacer comes in and does it for them. And unlike the player, The Replacer doesn't know the meaning of "overkill."

Since the Replacer's return during Black Ops 6's promotional push, he's subbed for The Pope, Joe Rogan, NFL mascots, and a number of other individuals. One of the more recent ads saw The Replacer appear on Jeopardy as both a contestant and as the host, much to the chagrin of Jeopardy host Ken Jennings.

As part of its ongoing overhaul, Star Wars Outlaws will be dropping forced stealth sections from "almost all" parts of the game with its new patch. In a blog post, developer Massive Entertainment outlined these changes, which will allow players to blast their way out of danger when they're discovered by enemies. Frank Reynolds would be proud.

"We know many of you enjoy the stealth approach, so it was important to us to preserve that playstyle while also giving you the freedom to decide how to tackle each mission," Star Wars Outlaws' creative director Drew Rechner wrote in a blog post. "Ultimately, you'll have the choice to sneak, go in combat-first, or--my personal favorite--sneak until you're caught and then blast your way out."

Stealth missions were one of the more divisive parts of Star Wars Outlaws, as a combination of temperamental enemy AI and poor checkpoints made it frustrating for some. Rechner added that these changes will also apply to the formerly stealth-only syndicate sections of the game and that players will be able to pick up and keep weapons they find in the field for longer.

One year after Netflix brought Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy to its growing mobile-gaming library, two of those games are set to leave the service. Netflix has warned users that they will only have until December 13 to play Grand Theft Auto 3 - The Definitive Edition and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - The Definitive Edition.

While GTA 3 and Vice City are both set to leave the service, it seems like San Andreas is staying on Netflix for a while longer, with the game not displaying the same "Leaving Soon" card as the other two. According to What's On Netflix, the GTA games were some of the most downloaded in Netflix's library, with San Andreas easily the most popular of the three.

The GTA Trilogy's exclusive Netflix mobile release was based on Grove Street Games' remasters for console and PC, but included a number of extra quality-of-life improvements, including a popular "Classic Lighting" mode. Their removal from Netflix comes just after the console and PC remasters received a major update, which added the Classic Lighting mode and other improvements from the mobile editions.

Black Ops 6 Ranked Play is live for those players who want to take on more serious competition following the rules of the Call of Duty League. The ranked competition will reward exclusive cosmetic items to those who reach certain milestones, including an exclusive champion skin that will be awarded only to the player who comes out on top at the end of the season.

Separate to Black Ops 6's Prestige ranks, Ranked Play is designed for the most dedicated players who want to play multiplayer matches with the same settings, maps, modes, and weapon restrictions as COD's official esports league. In order to qualify for Ranked Play, players first have to log 50 wins in match-made multiplayer games to unlock access to the ultra-competitive mode. All wins logged since the game was released count towards this, even if the games were played before the start of Season 1.

Ranked Play has changed a little from previous COD titles, with the ranking system being simplified. In Black Ops 6, players will work through eight ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent, and Top 250. Progress through the ranks can be made by earning Skill Rating (SR), which can also be lost by losing a match.

Creators and consumers are tangling with the use of generative AI in everything from games to TV-show opening sequences, and the sentiment on AI seems to be shifting. To help consumers make decisions about which games to buy, game storefront Itch.io now requires all creators to disclose the use of generative AI in games, Itch.io founder Leaf Corcoran announced in a forum post to the site.

The text of the post itself is fairly straightforward, directed primarily at the creators who will have to disclose this information.

"We’ve deployed a new field to project edit pages called 'Generative AI disclosure.' This field asks if your project contains the results of generative AI. If you select yes, then we also ask what kinds of generative AI you utilize, including Graphics, Sound, Text & Dialog, and Code," Corcoran wrote. Selecting Yes will give your project an "AI Generated" tag, while selecting No will give it a "No AI" tag.

Looking to add a heap of new films to your collection for cheap? Then check out these four WB 100th Anniversary 25-Film Collections, which compile some of the best Warner Bros. movies of the past several decades. Typically sold for $150, the premium collections are available for just $50 each during Black Friday. The discounted collections include Volume One: Award Winners; Volume Two: Comedy, Drama, Musicals; Volume Three: Fantasy, Action, Adventure; and Volume Four: Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and Horror.

Each box contains 25 movies on Blu-ray disc and digital download, along with commemorative packaging, collectible WB shield pins, and a booklet with original posters and production notes for each film. The full list of films in each collection can be found on their respective Amazon store pages, but here’s a look at the highlights from all four bundles.

WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol. 1: Award Winners

$50 (was $150)

Includes:

• Casablanca
• One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
• Argo
• The Departed
• The Adventures of Robin Hood
• And more.

See at Amazon

WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol. 2: Comedy, Drama, Musicals

$50 (was $150)

Includes:

• The Wizard of Oz
• Citizen Kane
• The Goonies
• The Iron Giant
• Elf
• And more.

See at Amazon

WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol. 3: Fantasy, Action, Adventure

$50 (was $150)

Includes:

• Superman
• Batman
• 300
• Ocean’s Eleven
• The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
• And more.

See at Amazon

WB 100th 25-Film Collection Vol. 4: Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Horror

$50 (was $150)

Includes:

• Dune
• Inception
• King Kong
• The Conjuring
• The Exorcist
• And more.

See at Amazon

Thanks to this Black Friday discount, you can essentially pick up three bundles for the price of one. Getting 75 movies for just $150 is a remarkable deal, so be sure to check out the offer before it disappears. These collections would make a great holiday gift, and select locations are eligible for next-day shipping.

Amazon is discounting a long list of Pokemon Blu-rays and DVDs for Black Friday, some of which are down to their best prices of the year. Surprisingly, not many Pokemon seasons have made the jump to Blu-ray, and you’ll notice that most of the offers are for simple DVDs. But if you’re looking to add to your collection, it’s hard to beat these rock-bottom prices.

Ash recently wrapped up his decades-long quest to be the very best, and you can relive the finale with Pokemon The Series: Ultimate Journeys (DVD). Amazon is slashing it to just 30 (was $60), which is its lowest price ever. The six-disc set includes 54 episodes, and while it’s light on special features, it’s still the ideal way to check out the Ash’s epic finale. And now that it’s just $30, it’s easier to recommend than ever before.

Other notable deals include Pokemon: Indigo League Season One (Blu-ray) for $25 (was $50) and the Indigo Season One Limited Edition (Blu-ray) for $30 (was $70). Both feature the first season of the show, but the Limited Edition also gets you a collectible 64-page manga sampler and a recipe card. Bonus features include the Complete Pokerap and “Who’s That Pokemon Gallery.”

It’s hard to believe, but South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and Team America: World Police released on 4K Blu-ray for the first time this June. It took nearly two decades for the hit movies to get the 4K treatment--but just months after their arrival, you’ll find both discounted for Black Friday.

Head over to Amazon to snag South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (4K UHD) for just $19 (was $26). Along with a 4K copy of the film, you’ll also get Blu-ray and digital copies. You’ll also find a sing-a-long version on the Blu-ray disc, plus special features like commentary from Matt Stone and Trey Parker, along with a music video and theatrical trailers. This is the lowest price ever for the 4K movie, but the discount is only sticking around until December 2.

It’s a similar deal for Team America: World Police (4K UHD), as it includes 4K, Blu-ray, and digital copies of the film. Special features include a variety of deleted scenes, featurettes, and a look at how the puppets for the comedy were crafted. The current Black Friday price cut brings this to its lowest price since arriving in June.

Over at Amazon, you can get a big Black Friday discount on the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series. There are three Blu-ray sets in total--Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, and Death Busters--and while each one would normally cost $80, you can get them for $30 each during Black Friday.

Sailor Moon Crystal Black Friday Deals

• Sailor Moon Crystal Volume 1: Dark Kingdom -- $30 ($80)
• Sailor Moon Crystal Volume 2: Black Moon -- $30 ($80)
• Sailor Moon Crystal Volume 3: Death Busters -- $30 ($80)

Each Blu-ray set offers a crisp transfer of the show to Blu-ray and a stack of extra content that makes it stand out from your typical anime home media release, including art cards and booklets full of concept and production art, while the Blu-ray discs feature exquisite designs.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, Sailor Moon tells the story of middle school student Usagi Tsukino, who fights against the villainous group Dark Kingdom as Sailor Moon. Joined by several other Sailor Guardians and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon's journey sees her regularly save the day and uncover more of her secret history along the way. Romance, drama, action, and a talking cat sidekick, what more could you ask for?

My Hero Academia has been massively popular for several years now, and if you're looking to dive into this anime series, several box sets are on sale for Black Friday. You can grab several full seasons at discounts, including My Hero Academia: Season One for $37.50 (was $65). This is the perfect way to check out the series if you're new, and it comes with several extras, like interviews, trailers, artist sketches, and more that long-time fans will enjoy.

Set in a world where almost everyone has a superpower--or a "Quirk" in the parlance of the anime--My Hero Academia follows Izuka Midoriya on his quest to be society's greatest hero. How does he do that? With some higher education at an academy that mentors the next generation of superheroes, that's how. While Season One is the place to start, seasons two through six are also on sale, and you can also pick up two My Hero Academia feature films during Black Friday, as these have gotten similar discounts. Here's a look at all the My Hero Academia Blu-ray deals available in Amazon's sale.

My Hero Academia Black Friday deals

• My Hero Academia: Season 1 -- $37.50 ($65)
• My Hero Academia: Season 2 -- $42.50 ($70)
• My Hero Academia - Season 3 -- $40.50 ($70)
• My Hero Academia: Season 4 -- $18.50 ($70)
• My Hero Academia: Season 5 - Part 1 -- $37 ($65)
• My Hero Academia: Season 5 - Part 2 -- $43 ($65)
• My Hero Academia: Season 6 - Part 1 -- $29.50 ($70)
• My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising -- $14.50 ($35)
• My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission -- $18.50 ($35)

Quite a few more anime shows and films are on sale for Black Friday, so if you're looking to grab a haul of binge-worthy content, there's lots to choose from. Some of our other recommendations would be the grim Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul: re series, and for something a little less dark, Mob Psycho 100 is a terrific show from the creator of One-Punch Man. We've rounded up more of our favorite anime deals in Amazon Black Friday sale below. Be sure to also check GameSpot's Black Friday deals hub for more discounts on video games, movies, manga, and more.

The Holiday Season is almost upon us, and there's no better time to sit back, relax, and lose several days by binging on anime. For Black Friday, you can save quite a few bucks on several Tokyo Ghoul Blu-rays, as these anime collections have gotten a nice discount. The first season is on sale for $28.50 at Amazon, and both parts of the sequel series Tokyo Ghoul: re are available for under $40 each.

While the second season of the original Tokyo Ghoul anime hasn't been discounted, we have included it in the list as well, just in case you want to plug any gaps in your collection. It's worth pointing out that there's also a Tokyo Ghoul Complete Series 10th Anniversary Box Set that includes every episode in one bundle. It won't be out until December 17, and like the Season 2 Blu-ray, it's not part of Amazon's Black Friday sale--but if you don't mind waiting, this is a solid option to consider.

Only a handful of film franchises have managed to stick around for decades like the Terminator movies have, and if you're looking to get them all in one go, you can grab the entire series with this Black Friday special at Amazon that discounts the Terminator: 6-Film Collection is on sale to just $24.50 (normally $45).

This bundle includes all of the Terminator movies on Blu-ray, and each one comes with several special features. Alternatively, if you're looking to just own the best film in the franchise, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, you can get the 4K Blu-ray version of it for a mere $10.

For fans of classic sci-fi, there's a great Black Friday deal on right now for the original Battlestar Galactica TV series. First released in 1978, this box set usually retails for $70, but you can get it for just $30. All the episodes have been remastered in 1080p and the aspect ratio has been switched to widescreen, plus there's quite a bit of extra content to watch as well.

Set in the far-future, the series follows a lone flagship space-cruiser, the titular Battlestar Galactica. With most of humanity wiped out by the evil Cylons following a centuries-long war that ended with the Twelve Colonies being destroyed, all hope rests on the Galactica to return to Earth and prepare the planet for an incoming invasion.

This collection also includes the 10-episode series Galactica 1980, a spin-off set 30 years after the original show, and over four hours of bonus content.

Disney Dreamlight Valley's second major expansion, The Storybook Vale, has no shortage of new content. There are three giant biomes to explore, multiple fresh faces to meet, and plenty of mechanics never before seen in the cozy game's previous updates. Among the new features in The Storybook Vale are Snippets, small origami creatures that can be found in each biome.

Snippets can be caught using the Royal Net, which you'll obtain very early in the expansion. And while they may look like companions eager to pal around with you, they're actually resources that are used at the Lorekeeper in The Library of Lore. Turning these little fellas in allows you to reorder stories and earn unique rewards.

The amount of Snippets needed to reorder each story varies, but you'll definitely need quite a lot of them if you'd like to earn every item the Lorekeeper has available for you. As such, we've compiled every Snippet location and how to catch them, as well as a list of traps you can use to slow, lure, or repel the creatures.

Disney Dreamlight Valley's second major expansion, The Storybook Vale features a few familiar faces you can befriend. One of these is Merida from the 2012 Pixar film Brave, and you'll encounter her at the very beginning of your journey. Here's how to win her over and invite her to your valley.

How to unlock Merida in Disney Dreamlight Valley

To be able to get Merida in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need to meet the following prerequisites:

• Purchase and download both A Rift in Time and The Storybook Vale expansions.
• Complete Merlin's quest "A Port of Many Worlds", which begins after you've purchased the A Rift in Time expansion.
• Access The Storybook Vale by entering the Stardust Port within the Dream Castle.

As soon as you arrive in The Storybook Vale, you'll find yourself facing a linear path forward. Walk ahead to find Merida surrounded by magical ink (which folks call "inkies" in-game). You can remove these just like night thorns and splinters of fate, so just press your interact button to clear a path to speak with Merida.

Exhaust Merida's dialogue and follow her into the library ahead. Follow her straightforward requests for a bit, including speaking to the Lorekeeper and then finding her bag next to the stairs to round up a potion.

Use the potion on your pickaxe, then clear away the hunks of wood on the large disc in the center of the library. With those removed, you can now use the two nearby levers disc to spin the two outer layers of the disc.

Spin them until the picture of Princess Aurora is aligned like the photo above.

You'll be rewarded with the Royal Net, which you'll then have to use to catch flying Snippets around the library. This is easily achieved by pressing the corresponding action button when near them.

Speak to Merida again, then follow her instructions to clear each wing of the library of Snippets. When you're done, chat with her once more, then head over to the Lorekeeper book.

Here, you'll only be able to purchase one of the stories available to you using the Snippets you've rounded up, so go ahead and buy "Once Upon A Time In Storybook Vale…"

Now you'll be tasked with flipping scraps of paper and placing them together like a puzzle. This is pretty simple compared to the ones you'll be doing later in the DLC, but use the picture above for reference if needed.

After a somewhat lengthy bit of dialogue, follow Merida outside to learn about opening the pathway to the Bind. Use 500 Story Magic (found by completing duties) to clear the ink beside Merida and provide you access to the Bind biome.

Merida will ask you to clear inkies and catch Snippets, so do that, then report back to her. You'll then have to speak with Goofy and Scrooge McDuck, who will ask you to mine and fish in the Bind. Collect everything you need, then speak to the two of them again and follow through with the remainder of their request to get their shops up and running.

Speaking to Merida again will lead you to a series of events regarding a hidden room under the nearby bridge. This is very straightforward, and when you complete the tasks, Merida will finally give you her home.

Place her home somewhere in the Bind, then interact with the sign by it to finally invite the beloved <i>Brave</i> protagonist to your valley!

For more on Disney Dreamlight Valley, take a look at our comprehensive guides hub.

It's incredible that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl even exists. In addition to weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, developer GSC Game World was faced with the Russian invasion of its native Ukraine, kicking off a war that sadly still rages on today. While many GSC staff were able to flee the country, others were unable to, and some even continue to fight for their country on the war's frontlines. Amidst the terrifying sound of air-raid sirens and frequent missile attacks, people somehow persevered, continuing to work on the game at home in between volunteer work, all while suffering the loss of beloved friends, colleagues, family members, and pets. Even those who left Ukraine and began working at a new office in Prague weren't free of turbulence. Countless Russian cyberattacks, leaked builds, and even a fire that destroyed the studio's server room have all occurred over the past couple of years.

Yet, despite all of this, Stalker 2 is here. Its release is nothing short of a miraculous achievement and a testament to the people who fought tooth and nail to reach this point in the face of unimaginable hardships. The game that emerged from such horrifying events is one that boldly sticks to the studio's vision of a seamless open-world survival shooter, which the series has always strived to be. It's rough around the edges and uncompromising in a way that is sometimes off-putting. Yet the series' emergent gameplay remains intact and is further complemented by a fascinating setting and the most accomplished combat in the series so far. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and at times it feels like you're playing a game straight out of 2010, but that's part of its charm and feeds into what makes Stalker 2 the quintessential Stalker experience.

If you're unfamiliar with GSC's post-apocalyptic world, each game takes place in an alternate version of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Following the historical reactor meltdown of 1986, several laboratories were established in the surrounding area and began conducting various experiments. This led to a fictional second disaster in 2006 that mutated local plant and animal life and created phenomena known as anomalies. These strange, almost-supernatural occurrences cause valuable artifacts to appear, each containing unique and unexplainable properties. Stalkers come to the Zone in search of personal enrichment by recovering these artifacts, but they're not the only people who inhabit this irradiated area. Various factions exist within the Zone, from paramilitary organizations to groups of scientists seeking to understand the Zone, along with myriad bandits, religious fanatics, and outlaws who prefer to shoot first and ask questions later.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is out now, and a senior developer on the project has said the game needed to embrace machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to come to market. Jorg Neumann said in an interview that it would not have been possible to create the game's map data "by hand."

"We would have spent our entire lives and then some just marking up terrain, which is not really the core of the thing. So it's just a tool that helps us," he told Rock Paper Shotgun of machine learning and AI.

One major fear is that advancements to machine learning and AI will lead to job losses, but for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, this was not the case. "The only thing we've done is grow," Neumann said.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of Half-Life 2, Valve's seminal first-person shooter and arguably one of the genre's greatest games. To celebrate the occasion, Valve released a nearly two-hour documentary on the making of the game, which included the story of how Valve's future was threatened by a lawsuit from its former publisher, Vivendi.

As related by PC Gamer and 80 Level, the story behind the lawsuit begins about one hour into the documentary, and that tale flows in and out of the background of Half-Life 2's development over the next 43 minutes of the movie. At the heart of the lawsuit was Valve's assertion that Vivendi was distributing Counter-Strike to South Korean cyber cafes without permission from Valve itself.

In response to Valve's lawsuit asserting its rights, Vivendi responded with multiple counter-claims against the former, as well as Valve COO Scott Lynch and co-founder Gabe Newell. The legal battle was such a drain on Valve's resources that the company nearly went bankrupt. Newell also revealed that he was nearly personally bankrupted as well, and he had to put up his house for sale in order to keep fighting.