Articles by Samantha Nelson

Train to join the freelance police.

What you need to know

Developer HappyGiant released six minutes of new gameplay footage from Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual.
The action-adventure game will release in 2021.
This is the first VR game featuring the characters.

Developer HappyGiant released six minutes of new gameplay footage from Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual today as part of UploadVR’s Winter Wrap-Up, which also provided first looks at The Wizards: Dark Times and Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. Releasing on Oculus Quest sometime in 2021, the game has players help the titular duo try to deal with an alien invasion.

The dog and rabbit have built a freelance police academy in a out-of-business carnival and players must prove their skills in games including hitting beer cans with a baseball bat and using fish to train a gigantic aquatic worm. You’ll also have to figure out how to stop demons from rampaging through a supermarket by using items in the environment …

Preorder the game now for an exclusive title and PSN avatar.

What you need to know

Temtem enters early access on PS5 on December 8.
Preorders for standard and deluxe versions of the MMO are available now.
Crossplay is available between the console and PC versions.

After launching on PC in January, Temtem, a Pokémon-inspired MMO from Crema and Humble Bundle, is hitting consoles for the first time this year. The game will launch in Early Access exclusively on PS5 on December 8.

Players will explore the Airborne Archipelago taming Tems, customizing their home, fighting other players, or teaming up with friends for battles. Early Access will offer 30 hours of story and the chance to tame 100 Tems. The whole campaign can be played co-op with crossplay enabled with PC.

Preorders opened today and Early Access players will receive a discount on the launch price of the game, a PlayStation Network avatar, and an exclusive in-game title. A deluxe version of the game also provides a …

Like every other digital store, the PlayStation Store has a Gift Card program. You can buy these gift cards basically anywhere — either physical or digital — making them fantastic to gift for any occasion. Giving and receiving gift cards is the easy part though. How do you then redeem it on your console?

How to redeem your PlayStation gift card

You’ll need the code to redeem on your console. Check your email for the digital code or scratch off the back of your physical gift card to reveal the code.

From the dashboard on your PlayStation, head to the leftmost icon and go to the Store.
Scroll all of the way down to Redeem Codes.
Enter the code either provided in the email sent to you (digital) or on the back of the gift card (physical).

Other ways to redeem PlayStation gift card

Add whatever you’d like to buy into your Cart.
From your cart, select Proceed to Checkout.
Select Redeem Codes and Gift Cards when choosing a payment method.

What if the item I’m buying costs m…

The two-hour event will also showcase plenty of other new games.

What you need to know

Gamescom Opening Night Live will include a preview of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Season 2.
The two-hour show kicks off at 2 p.m. ET Aug. 27.
The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley will host the event.

Gamescom Opening Night Live host Geoff Keighley announced today that the Gamescom Opening Night Live event will feature a world premiere sneak peak of season 2 of the hit multiplayer party game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

Fall Guys is great and all….but what if I told you there is @FallGuysGame: Season 2! 👑 😮🤯Don’t miss the world premiere sneak peek from @Mediatonic during @gamescom Opening Night Live.Thursday, August 27 at 8 pm CEST / 2 pm ET / 11 am PT at https://t.co/AFycLZXKPd pic.twitter.com/WQB08qadhb— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 21, 2020

The new Fall Guys season will be among a host of new games and content previewed during the two-hour event, which serves a…

What you need to know

IO Interactive revealed the second mission location for Hitman 3 today.
The Dartmoor, England setting will be a murder mystery with Agent 47 posing as a detective.
Preorders of the game will begin later this month.

Catch the killer, be the killer.

Fans of Knives Out and Sherlock Holmes are sure to love the newest Mission Story revealed for Hitman 3. When one of the denizens of the stately Thornbridge Manor is murdered, everyone in the household is a suspect. Agent 47 poses as a famous detective to find the killer, investigate the family’s dark past, and of course assassinate his real target.

In a post on IO Interactive’s website, the developers revealed that they’ve wanted to integrate a traditional murder mystery into the series for some time. Expect a convoluted web of secrets and plots to uncover as the writers apparently have a full whiteboard at their Copenhagen office to track all the information and how it’s connected.

“Hitman missions are very…

The stock controller for the PS4 is good, but there are a lot of options out there that offer a different experience. If you can afford it, your current best bet is the Scuf Vantage 2. It’s customizable, can be used wired or wireless, and it handles well. But we have options based on your budget and what you’re looking for, whether you’re a competitive gamer, have kids who want to play, or just want something with a more comfortable grip.

Best Overall: Scuf Vantage 2

Scuf’s Vantage was already a favorite of professional gamers, and the Vantage 2 just upgrades the experience. Released in October, the new version gives players near-total control over their experience by changing both the physical layout of the controller along with programming the button configurations.

While the controller is pricey, you’re getting a bunch of extra components that make the cost more reasonable. The Vantage 2 comes with two extra thumbsticks you can swap out based on your preferred playstyle. Th…

The stock controller for the PlayStation 4 is good, but there are a lot of options out there that offer a different experience. If you can afford it, your current best bet is the Scuf Vantage 2. It’s customizable, can be used wired or wireless, and it handles well. But we have options based on your budget and what you’re looking for, whether you’re a competitive gamer, have kids who want to play, or just want something with a more comfortable grip.

Best Overall: Scuf Vantage 2

Scuf’s Vantage was already a favorite of professional gamers, and the Vantage 2 just upgrades the experience. Released in October, the new version gives players near-total control over their experience by changing both the physical layout of the controller along with programming the button configurations.

While the controller is pricey, you’re getting a bunch of extra components that make the cost more reasonable. The Vantage 2 comes with two extra thumbsticks you can swap out based on your preferred pla…

You can charge your DualShock 4 controller by attaching it to a USB cable via your PlayStation 4. However, that only works for one controller at a time, which is inefficient if you like playing multiplayer games. Having a cable sticking out can also make your setup look cluttered and your controller can disconnect if jostled. With a little extra investment you can solve all your power needs and even add some extra functions with one of these controller charging docks.

Best overall

PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station

Staff pick

The PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the only officially licensed charging dock for your PS4 controllers. It works off of AC adapters to make it easy to plug your controllers in and get a charge without any additional hassle. This dock fits easily onto an entertainment system and doesn’t take up a lot of room.

$25 at Best Buy

Fast charge

HyperX ChargePlay Duo

The HyperX ChargePlay Duo quickly charges two controllers at on…

Pro-level performance

Scuf Vantage 2

$200 at GameStop

Pros

Can swap between D-pad and control disc
Companion app lets you store preferences
Swap look with removeable faceplate
Easily adjustable volume
Better battery life

Cons

High price
Slightly heavier
Faceplates cost extra

The Scuf Vantage 2 can be pulled apart, changed up, and programmed to let you adjust it for a wide variety of games and playstyles. You have to pay a high price to get it, however.

Play with style

Scuf Impact

From $150 at Scuf

Pros

Comes in an enormous variety of styles
Adjustable triggers speed weapon firing
Cheaper
Extenders help players with larger hands

Cons

Grip can be uncomfortable
No companion app
Less customization
Weak battery life

The Scuf Impact is for players who want a controller that looks awesome and handles well, particularly when playing shooters.

Scuf is one of the best manufacturers of video game controllers, catering to esports professionals and enthusiast…