In 2017, Redeemer, a top-down shooter, was released for PC to some mixed reviews. Critics said the game had heart, but there was a lot of room for improvement that could make this game a great one. 

Sobaka, the developer of Redeemer, listened and two years later, they are releasing Redeemer Enhanced Edition which is coming to PC, and for the first time ever, consoles.

During E3, I was able to talk to Sobaka and discuss their present, their past, and what is to come in the near future. 

Redeemer: Enhanced Edition

If you have played Redeemer or have seen gameplay of it, you know the combat is a bit intense and brutal. The people over at Sobaka had to do some research in order to get the action in Redeemer just the way they wanted. 

"We had played a lot and we had watched a lot of action movies so we didn’t really need a rehearsal. Just like in any good action movie – it is cool to smash faces! Games could be really cool without a bloodshed for sure – at the end it is all about fun!"

When Redeemer first hit the PC market in August of 2017, they not only listened to the critical reception but also the response from the players. Over time Sobaka was able to release some patches, added new languages, and even a Russian voiceover which was made by the community.

However, in order to give the fans the updates they wanted to see in the game, they had to find a new publisher. 

"At some point we were talking to BUKA and then we realized that we should release our game on consoles. Our PC publisher, Gambitions, didn’t see that this way. They figured it won’t be profitable. BUKA figured it the other way. Thus, we’ve reached an agreement with BUKA to port Redeemer to the consoles."

Now with BUKA controlling the publishing rights to Redeemer, Sobaka can bring the best possible version of the game to PC and introduce it to a whole new audience on consoles. 

While it could be difficult to satisfy gamers nowadays, Sobaka listened to what their core audience wanted to see brought to the Enhanced Edition of Redeemer and tried to deliver as much as they possibly could.

"Leveling system is the core part of this update and it was highly requested by community. Certain skills now improve as player uses them, for example, if you fire an assault rifle a lot, then by the end of the game you deal much more damage with it. On top of that, there is a plenty of perks now so player can choose whether to go for a shotgun or for exploding bullets."

Sobaka believes that this is the progress Redeemer lacked in its previous iteration. They knew that something in the game was missing, but didn't know how important it actually was to the player base until after it was released. 

Life of an Indie Game Developer

Mobile games have a bigger audience than any other style of gaming. Just think about it: everyone has a phone, right? 

Developing a game for mobile, and loading it full of microtransactions sounds like a great and easy way to make a lot of money over time. It's that easy!

Well, it isn't. 

Early in Sobaka's history, they were approached and offered a deal to make mobile games. This would've been great exposure for an indie developer and could put them on a great path to success, but Sobaka turned it down so they could focus on their dream game.

"The point is that mobile games are not that profitable as one might assume. For a steady income you should integrate a lot of ads and in-game purchases into your game to pullthe money out of users’ pockets - we believe there’s no creative component in such kind of work."

Not all heroes wear capes.

In addition to just wanting to get more money from the players, the mobile market isn't as easy to succeed in, especially as an indie developer.

"Beside of that, the competition on the mobile games market is pretty tough and a lot of major companies with a plenty of experience, huge budgets and numerous successful projects can easily “suppress” newbies."

When the newest generations of consoles launched (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), the people over at PlayStation wanted to make their new console the go-to place for indie devs to release their newest projects. 

That's winded down over the past couple years, hugely in part due to the release of the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies Program has helped plenty of smaller developers bring their projects to the front row so they could get more exposure in a sea of games that is always very crowded.

Or so we thought.

"There used to be less video games in general so it was easier for a decent projects to make it to the audience. On the other hand, the gaming audience is much bigger nowadays and I guess overall it would be roughly the same in percentage."

Being an Indie dev is pretty hard nowadays. There are a lot of people and smaller developers all competing to have their place on your gaming platforms.

"Millions of the talented indie developers are working on a games of their dreams just like we are. Eventually everyone is trying to win the attention of the more or less the same audience. It’s because of the responsibility why being an indie-developer is not that easy. If you have a steady job at a major company you don't bother yourself with anything apart from your task but if you’re an indie developer you have to deal with a millions of various issues swamping you."

Besides bugs in the game, competition is the biggest obstacle that all indie developers have to struggle with. 

Future of Sobaka

With Redeemer Enhanced Edition coming to PC and consoles, what is up next for Sobaka?

They are currently working on their next game, 9 Monkeys of Shaolin, which is what they call a "true rebirth of the iconic beat 'em up genre in vein of old-school video games."

The idea for their next project started a few months before they first released Redeemer for PC back in 2017.

"A few months before releasing Redeemer we started to plan our next move. We didn’t know how Redeemer was going to perform but we already had quite a bold idea to develop a third- person game remotely similar to Hellblade. It would have been an expensive and pretty complicated project to sell it to publishers. Then we started toying with the top-down camera, and ended up getting a side view. We set it up a bit and it started to look exactly like beat’em up game players would instantly recognize."

When it comes to certain games, players already know what to do and there is no need to guide them. That is exactly the case for 9 Monkeys of Shaolin. It is reminiscent of a brawler that you would play as kids, but modernized with a cool art style. 

While they had the idea for 9 Monkeys, you still need to make some money in order to start the next project. They were hoping that Redeemer would help finance their next game.

"Before making any next moves we have to earn some money. Redeemer didn’t make it quite well. It made some but you can’t even hire anybody else for this money. We’re going to release 9 Monkeys of Shaolin on consoles so we might have a better shot this time. If we still don’t make enough money… well we’ll just start it over with a new game and another concept. As soon as we make money we will see what to do next."

`

Both 9 Monkeys and Redeemer have plots that are based around the main character avenging deaths of their loved ones. Sobaka prefers to keep the story simple. 

"Revenge is a classic and clear plot idea. Although we want to come up with something trickier, let's agree that a simple story about relentless revenge has its own charisma in it."

While you might have to wait until Q3 2019 to get your hands on 9 Monkeys of Shaolin, you don't have to wait any longer to play Redeemer Enhanced Edition because it is available NOW! 

Redeemer Enhanced Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch!

I would like to thank Sobaka for taking the time during their busy week of E3 to talk to me.

In one of many surprises to come out of the 2017 Game Awards yesterday, Nintendo has announced that Bayonetta 3 is officially in development and that it will be an exclusive title for the Switch. They also made the announcement that the former Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2, as well as the original Bayonetta, will be coming to the Switch on top of that this February.

A brief teaser trailer was shown off, doing little else but establishing that the game is in fact real and in development, but also potentially hinting at some sort of narrative conflict as well. A sharp eye picking through the footage can spot streaks of blood running down Bayonetta's face, as well as her seemingly falling apart after being split in half by a mysterious ghostly entity. The Umbran Witch Seal towards the end of the trailer being purple may also hint at the game's color scheme, as was the case with the first Bayonetta being heavy on red and Bayonetta 2 being heavy on blue.

As for the Switch re-releases of both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2, it seems that Bayonetta 2 will be receiving both a physical and digital release, while the first game may only be getting digital. Additionally, similar to how the initial edition of Bayonetta 2 on Wii U came with a disc copy of the first Bayonetta for the sake of those in Nintendo's audience who might not have played it, each physical copy of Bayonetta 2 will also come with a download code for the full game of Bayonetta.

No dates or major details have yet been revealed for Bayonetta 3, though the game is confirmed to be in development, and the Switch ports of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 will be available for purchase on February 16th, 2018. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more details on Bayonetta 3 as they develop.

You can watch the teaser trailer for Bayonetta 3 as well as the ports of the first two games below. Here's Bayo 3's trailer:

And here's the ports' trailer:

On February 9, Team Ninja will release their newest game Nioh. And it seems that while watching gameplay, people can’t help but draw comparisons to the Dark Souls franchise created by FromSoftware.

While this seems like good news for Team Ninja, it really isn’t. They should be looking to distance themselves from the Dark Souls comparison trying to forge a reputation independently of the punishing RPG franchise. It’s hard to be looked at positively when you are seen as a ‘poor mans Dark Souls’.

I have played both Nioh and Dark Souls. They are similar in the sense that they are challenging and filled with boss fights that punish the gamer. The environments are lush with mystery and danger, and everything makes you want to check every little corner of each area.

The games really are very alike, but when you play them both you can just tell that Dark Souls (specifically Dark Souls 3) is just smoother and more of a pleasure to play. Nioh is more on the frustrating side and seems to be in need of some minor changes. I've only played the earliest demo available of Nioh so those changes may have been made, but we’ll wait for release day to see if they truly improved the gameplay. 

To put it most simply, Nioh shouldn’t be compared to Dark Souls because holding a new IP up to such a long-standing franchise is setting the game up for failure.

There is no possible way Nioh can compare to Dark Souls. Dark Souls is on its third installment (5th if you actually include Bloodborne and Demon’s Souls) and has found the correct formula to make a nearly flawless action-role playing game. Meanwhile, Nioh is the first major foray into the genre for Team Ninja. Sure, they have been around since 1995....but they have been more known for the hack-and-slash Ninja Gaiden series and the Dead or Alive fighter series. 

I’m not saying Nioh will be bad. In fact, I think the game is really well made and should even scratch the itch for those who love the Souls franchise. And like any game, it'll be loved by some and hated by others. But the ones who expect a carbon copy of Dark Souls will be the most disappointed.

Let Nioh be its own game without the comparisons, and you will truly see how great it can be.

Many of us are counting the days to Final Fantasy XV's world wide release, trying not to get too hyped and failing miserably. But do not worry! We will get World of Final Fantasy in the meantime -- which is probably the best Final Fantasy spin-off Square Enix has created in years.

Do not get disappointed by its looks: World of Final Fantasy is a respectful entry in the Final Fantasy universe, worthy of our time and praise. Here you will find some of the reasons why this game is a must-play for JRPG lovers, specially FF fans.

Traditional, yet innovative combat system

The gameplay is a return to the series' roots, very similar to the active time battle system seen in most of the Final Fantasy main games, looking to please both old and new fans. How? By adding new systems very reminiscent of another great JRPG franchise: Pokémon.

World of Final Fantasy is full of monsters called Mirages, creatures you can catch with devices known as Prismariums if you meet certain requirements. Players can use them later in combat as allies, level them up and make them learn new abilities in their own skill tree.

Mirages come in three different sizes: S, M and L. Lann and Reyn, our twin protagonists, can change their height and style from chibi to Kingdom Heart-ish. They can use them in conjunction with Mirages to build towers, stacking them in formations of three to combine properties, magics, and skills... but also weaknesses.

The additions to the classic turn-based combat makes World of Final Fantasy a modern JRPG, while maintaining the strength and identity of its legacy.

Fanservice: Lots of FF Characters and Localizations

World of Final Fantasy serves as celebration of Final Fantasy's 30th anniversary. And what is the greatest way to celebrate this incredible event? To add lots and lots of characters from the previous games.

The game includes a wider cast than Dissidia: Final Fantasy. We will meet Cloud, Squall, Tidus, Vivi, Lightning, Tifa, Yuna... Many of the characters we know and love, with a little twist: they will appear in a chibi form, blending with the style of World of Final Fantasy.

We will also be able to visit familiar places like Midgar or Balamb Garden, where we will spend a great time dealing with the main story, side quests, farming, capturing Mirages, and more!

Tetsuya Nomura and Yasuhisa Izumisawa

The art style of World of Final Fantasy is both its strength and weakness. Some won't like its chibi style, but others will be captivated by it. It is a new look for the franchise, different from everything we have seen before.

The one responsible for this peculiar look is Yasuhisa Izumisawa, who worked on the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series. He is a very talented artist who is working with none other than Tetsuya Nomura. Tetsuya Nomura is in charge of the Kindgom Hearts franchise design, which is very obvious in World of Final Fantasy and its aesthetic.

Both Nomura and Izumisawa have worked together to bring this stylish game to life with unique visuals and original designs, differentiating itself from other spin-offs.

Available on PS Vita!

An AAA game for PS Vita in 2016? Hell yes! All PS Vita owners (including myself) will be able to enjoy this game for Sony's handheld system.

What is the latest great turn-based Final Fantasy portable game? Probably Final Fantasy IV remake for Nintendo DS, back in 2007! It has been too many years without a proper FF to play on handheld, something many of us have missed.

Sadly, the PlayStation 4 version of the game has been brought down to Vita's level in terms graphics, so that the two ports aren't too different from each other. This makes the portable version my biggest recommendation.

World of Final Fantasy is one of the best spin-offs Final Fantasy has to offer. Its gameplay, founded in Final Fantasy's core, is both modern and respectful. It also packs an absolutely adorable art style, some pretty funny writing and lots of fanservice, all of which merges into a game that can only be described as a letter of sheer love to every fan who has stood by Square for the past twenty-nine years.

World of Final Fantasy is already available in North America and will be released on October 28th in Europe.

It would appear that PC players may not get the chance to play the highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2 next fall.

According to Rockstar Games' website, the game is releasing in fall of 2017 on PS4 and Xbox One, with no sort of indication that the game is coming to PC. Needless to say PC gamers are none too thrilled. 

While this does not mean that the game will never make its way to PC, it certainly does not appear that Rockstar intends to deliver its upcoming AAA title to PC players, at least not initially. 

It should be noted Grand Theft Auto V took roughly a year and a half to make it onto PC after the console versions came out in September 2013, so PC gamers might just have to be patient. 

Rockstar will of course continue to make announcements on Red Dead Redemption 2, and GameSkinny will let you know if there is any word on the game coming to PC.

Are you a PC gamer? If so, sound off in the comments and let us know what you think of the possibility that Rockstar's next monolithic title won't come to PC!

Ever since the release of several teaser trailers in 2008 and 2009, fans of Ubisoft's Beyond Good and Evil have been waiting for any news relating to the game's sequel. It was recently revealed that a new game in the series was in pre-production, and the project was being helmed by Michael Ancel. However, it turns out that this game will not be a sequel, but rather, a semi-reboot.

While long-time fans of the game may criticize Ubisoft for not making a direct continuation -- especially since the original game ended on a cliffhanger -- the truth of the matter is that Beyond Good and Evil came out in 2003, 13 years ago. By modernizing and fleshing out the original title, new life could be breathed into the franchise. And if it sells well, we will continue to see more of series' protagonists Jade and Pey'j.

Regarding the desire for resolution on the game's cliffhanger, reports say that in addition to retelling the first game's story and exploring Pey'j's back story, this game will grant closure to the plot of the first Beyond Good and Evil. A different source has revealed that a CG teaser trailer similar to the one released in 2008 will be shown alongside the reveal of the Nintendo NX.

Currently, the game is set to come out in the Summer of 2018, and it will be exclusive to the NX.

What do you think about this design decision and the NX-exclusive plan? Be sure to let me know in the comments what your thoughts are, and what direction you hope the series goes from here.

Recently, I had a unique opportunity to interview the wonderfully charismatic CEO of Project Whitecard Inc., Khaled Shariff. To say he is a visionary would be an understatement. His company is pioneering new ground in the gaming world with what are called serious games. These are games designed to be more than just entertainment -- they also teach.

Mr. Shariff is the brains behind Star Rangers, a near future space exploration game that was released on Steam last week. The game is in an early alpha state at the moment, but is receiving regular patches and updates. Mr. Shariff is hoping that community input from the alpha and beta stages will help to improve the game over the course of its development.

The Origins

Mr. Shariff left a career as a Senior Web Developer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to start his own company and design games that would change the industry. He believes games are not only for entertainment, but also as tools to inspire us to learn and grow. Here is what he had to say:

GS: Hello and thank you for taking a few moments out of your busy schedule to speak with me. Congratulations on the release of Star Rangers. How has the release been so far?

KS: "Thank you. It has been great, it's been very busy, but sales are great and we are getting some very positive reviews. So, yeah it's been good."

GS: Can you tell me a little about Project Whitecard and how you got involved with developing games?

KS: "Project Whitecard Was founded about 9 years ago. I was working at the news in Toronto before that as a senior web developer and made it to what I consider to be the top of that profession. [I] really wanted to do something that was good for mankind, if you will, you know, because I spent a lot of time posting news stories on the war, you know Afghanistan and Iraq.

I felt like people weren't getting smarter. There was a disservice being done, not at CBC, but you know I'd rather have the kids grow up smarter. So, I decided about ten years ago to leave and decided to start a game company. What I really wanted to do was work with NASA, with astronauts, and with the space program."

The Mission

While most of the player's time in Star Rangers is spent in a vacuum, it was definitely not designed in one. Mr. Shariff invested a lot of his own money and worked hard to obtain funding and support from groups like NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the Canada Media Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, The University of California Irvine, and the California Academy of Science. That is quite an impressive pedigree for a video game.

Before Star Rangers, Project Whitecard developed a game called Robomath for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The game was designed for 5th - 10th grade children and reached nearly 1.5 million kids in Canada. Astronaut Julie Payette took the starring role in the game and gave it a real connection to the space program.

They also developed a game called Project Moonwalk which was a space simulator designed around the original Apollo missions. Astronaut Chris Hadfield played a role in the development of this mobile title. Starlite: Astronaut Rescue was another small, but expensive game project that really helped pave the way for Star Rangers.

One of the meetings Mr. Shariff had with NASA also garnered a thumbs up from renowned scientist and educator Bill Nye, who told Mr. Shariff: “Khal, build the game you want to, not what other people think you should build”. I was curious about how this all came about. 

GS: How did your relationship with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency evolve and how has that helped the development of Star Rangers?

KS: "When I got back to my home town [Winnipeg] I created the company and I first set my sights on a game. [I] got it crystal clear in my sights on the Apollo program and decided to create a game around that. It was called Project Moonwalk.

So, I started working on that and let the Canadian Space Agency know what I was doing because, you know, we have quite a nice space program with some nice astronauts, Chris Hadfield being an important, recent, and very visible one [resource]. When I let Marylin Steinberg at the CSA know that I was really interested in working on this Project Moonwalk, she said "Well I'm interested in this kind of thing too, but you're going to have to hold on."

A year later I got a phone call saying: "By the way Khal, heads up we issued a RFP (Request For Proposal)". I had done quite a bit of work already on Project Moonwalk, had already been invited to speak at NASA by Bruce Damer on a couple of occasions. On one of those I had that famous meeting with Bill Nye."

The Design

"Designing a game is not an easy thing to do, but I would encourage anyone to try. You certainly become a new person." - Khaled Shariff

One of the great things about serious games is that they offer a chance to learn something new while having fun at the same time. The science in Star Rangers is real, and to prove it players can earn Mozilla Open Badges for scientific achievements made within the game. These awards, once earned, will be with the player for the rest of their lives and can have far reaching effects on their careers.

Despite the retro, pulp sci-fi appearance of the game, Star Rangers is actually a very sophisticated simulation of space exploration. Mr. Shariff and his team of developers has invested a great deal of thought, effort, and capital into its development. It is the culmination of nearly a decade of dedication and hard work.

GS: I've noticed that there is some pretty serious science in the game. I created a moon base where I built an Applied Science Lab. When I tried to upgrade the lab the game asked me to answer a fairly complex mathematical equation involving the coefficient of drag. Can you tell me a little more about that mechanic and what your plans are going forward?

KS: It requires a lot of meditation to come up with ways to introduce learning. One of the things Bill and Melinda Gates were interested in was to show evidence that this [the game] is evidentiary of the things that you have in the game and that becomes your evidence of learning.

I had to really think hard because we had done games in the past where it asks you a question and stops you and then you go on. It really would break the immersion. In Astronaut Rescue we did do some questions that help you triangulate a lost astronaut and that seemed to work okay, but we wanted to make it a little more interesting. 

To have a sense of immersion that there is science going on you can only do that right now in a video game or in VR. We are going to do it in VR as well and make it even more seamless. Then you're immersed in science, not just watching it on a screen. 

We have data caches that are spread throughout the game. You collect the data caches and that becomes part of your player inventory stored on your computer. Then when you try to upgrade certain items you can try to use different ,science based, data caches to upgrade. 

It's important to be able to demonstrate, at some point, that we actually did teach people something. That's the mandate.

GS: Can you talk a little about the Mozilla Open Badges and how that feature was added to the game?

KS: "I had started applying for a project that had initially thought to be a mobile project and had competed with NASA in something called the Digital Media Learning Competition 2011 (DML4). We won that to work with NASA to come up with a system of badges to recognize learning. But of course my idea was to put the badges in a game, right of course. I mean that's what I'm all about.

I got to pitch, both through the University of California Irvine, and at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco as well as the MacArthur Foundation. Then I was invited to speak at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and we won that [grant], so that got us on our way."

GS: The music in the game is quite beautiful. Can you tell me who did the soundtrack and how that came about?

KS: "We were given a grant by FACTOR [Canada] to come up with original music which was done by Joe Silva, Ali Khan, and Marty Famine. So that original album is available on iTunes and also on the front of our website. We've added some other space themed music in there too just to mix it up, but the core music was done by those three musicians. That was funded by a $50K grant." 

The Future

Project Whitecard is all about the future, especially the future of our youth. In addition to Star Rangers and the learning games developed for the CSP, the Winnipeg based company offers a program in game development at the University of Winnipeg.

They are also doing something completely unprecedented in the gaming industry. They are working with a program called Project PoSSUM and it is pretty amazing. 10% of the proceeds from the sales of Star Rangers is earmarked for this program and will send a few of the game's most active players to astronaut training at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Students will learn how to become astronauts and help with sub-orbital science. One of those lucky few will even get to hitch a ride on a rocket and become a genuine Star Ranger in real life! That is quite an incentive to play.

So, how can Project Whitecard possibly top all of this? How about curing Alzheimer's? That's one of the company's new goals. They are currently experimenting with the medical applications of Virtual Reality. Alzheimer's is just one of several diseases and conditions that may, one day, be cured or prevented by this ground breaking research. 

Khaled Shariff is a man who believes in a better future for all of us. He sees games and the gaming industry as a stepping stone on the path to bigger and better things. He believes in our future generations and is literally doing everything he can to put the future in their hands. 

In order to promote Kid Icarus: Uprising -- the first new entry for the Kid Icarus series in 21 years -- Nintendo has decided to release anime shorts through the Nintendo Video App on the 3DS.

Nintendo contacted three studios (Studio °4c, Shaft and Production I.G.) to create these shorts, with great success. Each short has its own unique storyline and art style that highlights aspects of gameplay, plot, and characters. 

Once these shorts disappeared from the app, there was no way to watch them in a higher quality outside the blurry videos on YouTube. However, Nintendo just announced that these shorts will be available only in Japan as a rewards on Japan's My Nintendo. 

The shorts will be 80 platinum coins each, and include: Medusa's Revenge (Studio °4c), Palutena's Revolting Dinner parts 1 and 2 (Shaft) and Thanatos Rising parts 1, 2 and 3 (Production I.G.).

There is no word on if these rewards will be coming to other countries outside of Japan. 

(Image Courtesy of Perfectly Nintendo)

Way back in November of 2007, developer Naughty Dog released Uncharted. The action adventure game brought new credentials to the developer that until then was only known for the Crash Bandicoot series and the Jak and Daxter series. They are now well known for their ability to create iconic characters along with telling a story capable of being sold as a billion dollar movie franchise.

Now, with one week left until the conclusion of Nathan Drake’s story, we have to wonder what’s next for Naughty Dog? Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will give Nathan Drake the proper sendoff an iconic video game character deserves. While the game itself is surely enough for some fans, others will want more. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has quite a few different pre-order options that you will find below:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Limited Edition Bundle

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• PlayStation 4 500GB system
• Dualshock 4 Wireless Controller
• AC Power Cord
• HDMI Cable
• Mono headset
• USB 2.0 cable

Offered at: Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop

Price: $399.99

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Libertalia Collector’s Edition

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• 12” Premium Drake Statue
• Collectible Steelbook case
• 48-page Hard cover Art Book by Dark Horse
• Naughty Dog and Pirate Sigil Sticker Sheet
• Two exclusive multiplayer unlocks, 5 addition multiplayer unlocks and Uncharted Multiplayer Points

Offered at: Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop

Price: $119.99

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Special Edition

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Collectible Steelbook Case
• 48-Page Hard Cover Art Book by Dark Horse
• Naughty Dog and Pirate Sigil Sticker Sheet
• Uncharted Points

Offered at: Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop

Price: $79.99

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Digital Deluxe Edition

• Instantly unlock three multiplayer items
• Uncharted Points
• PS4 Dynamic Theme
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Triple Pack: includes single-player add-on and two multiplayer packs
• Instant unlock to two multiplayer items

Offered at: PlayStation Store

Price: $79.99

You can pre-order online through the Uncharted website or at your local retailer with the exception of the Digital Deluxe Edition obviously. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will release on May 10^th, 2016 exclusively for PS4.

Note: Some of the suggestions listed here may violate the terms and agreements for some games. They may also be considered illegal in some countries. So continue at your own risk. GameSkinny does not condone illegal activity of any sort.

If you clicked on this article, you're interested in turning video games into a source of income. If you have played MMOs, then you probably have also seen your share of bots or gold farmers. While there are entire businesses made out of this, from forcing prison labor in China to play World of Warcraft, to gold selling websites, what I'm going to be going over focuses on the legal and not-so-legal ways you can make money.

How to make Money while Gaming

Now while some games take an active stance against selling digital currency or items for cash, you have moments and games that allow it. Take for instance the Auction House in Diablo 3. Until March 18^th, 2014, players could sell items for up to $250 in cash. Or, you could sell things for gold at a higher price and exchange that gold for cash. However, seeing how the game was transformed into an income, Blizzard removed it from the game.

But lets face it. For every person who is willing to use their free-time to grind their character's gear and experience, there is going to be another person who has less time but as much motivation to reach the same goal. With this in mind, Become a Dark Gamer by reading these 4 crucial lessons.

Revenue Streams

So before we go through to the lessons, the best thing might be to look at a four ways to make money. and go into detail on how to use them later. Also it is something you can keep in mind while going over setting up your goals, doing your market research, coming up with a value for your time, and knowing how you should stay fit.

Streaming

Now, why should you consider streaming your gameplay if what you might be doing can get pretty boring? Because there might be someone interested in just that. Just like how you are reading this article now, another person may be interested in watching it live themselves. Plus, you're basically making money from something you will be doing already, which is playing games.

If you are still not convinced, think of it as applying for financial aid. Even if it is just $20, that's 20 less bucks you don't have to worry about. So check out our guide for getting started with Twitch. If you are going to be playing mobile games and want to stream them, Google released something pretty cool that lets you upload your gameplay to YouTube here, which is big for mobile gamers.

Game Guides

Another way you can make money is through selling game guides. A lot of people might feel hesitant about doing that, because they feel like they are giving away the secrets of their trade. However, there isn't something that states that you should be giving away a guide for what you are doing at the moment, unless you plan on pulling out and switching to another game.

So, lets say that you are level 60, which is the cap level of your game. A guide that could do well is a level 1 to 40 leveling guide. If you focus on how the new content can help with leveling up and include tips and tricks, then you have a more updated competitive edge versus a pre-existing level 1 to 40 leveling guide when level 40 is the cap.

However, if you are going to be pulling out of the game, then by all means create a guide on how to farm the in-game currency or how to game the system. But since you are already building up the experience in the meantime, and since you already did your research about the game at this point, why not make some money from it?

Playing the Auction House

Another thing that can make you rich in-game is learning how to play the Auction House, if it exists. For this, we should split it up into three different main branches.

The first, and easiest way is you get a trade (Gathering skills tend to almost always give you revenue. Specialized trades are more specific in demand, but can give you more currency if not so regularly). If you focus on a specific good, and sell that good, then you can keep a decent revenue stream for yourself.

The second way to play the auction house is to buy from crafters & gatherers and resell it for a profit margin. A good tip if you are going to go this way is to create a secondary character that would handle selling for you. If people notice that you are immediately reselling what you buy from them, then they will get annoyed and maybe refuse service.

The third way involves keeping up with the news and press releases from the game developers. For instance, if a game is releasing a new race of characters, then there will be a need for fresh, entry level crafting goods. Or if there is a new level cap increase, then there would be an increase in demand for potions to power level the characters without rest. If you found out that certain drop rates for an in-game item is going to be nerfed, then you might want to bulk purchase everything and resell it a week later for a profit.

Knowledge is important as a Dark Gamer, so return to Lesson 3 and remember to do your research. Also, check out ways to sell gold at various websites in order to cash out. 

Power-leveling

Power-Leveling means helping someone else level their character much faster. In order to monetize this, you can either charge per hour, or per level. In order to keep it on the legal side, you aren't taking control of the other person's account. Instead, you are leveling their character with them there. To be able to do this efficiently, you need to make sure that you are at the max level and sufficiently geared. This way, if you were to drag them to a zone where they are at the lower bracket of the safe levels, then you would be able to efficiently boost them through repetitive rare or elite mob killing.

In-Game Items

Remember that episode of The Big Bang Theory where they were playing World of Warcraft? Yeah, that's possible. Not all games allow you to directly sell between players. For instance, in some MMOs there are "bind on equip" items, and then there are some that are "binds to account". Take for instance Rift's mounts with some reaching around 17,000 plat (in game currency). 17k plat is roughly equivalent to $85 per mount. While it's safer to sell for the in-game currency then trade that currency for cash, this is something that could be done.

Another example of item trading would be the now defunct auction house in Diablo 3. This is no longer available, due to a decision from Blizzard, but players could trade items for up to $250 for their characters. While another game may do this in the future, it's wise to keep an eye out for games that will allow this. (Sell 4 items and make the monthly rent, it's not a bad deal.)

Another game that allows selling items for money is Team Fortress by Valve. In it, you can trade craftable or loot you get for cash with Valve getting a bit of the profit. It isn't just Team Fortress though. You can search the list of games that you can sell from in the community market. Just be prepared to make your spreadsheets.

Gold Selling

Another way to make money from playing games is selling the currency directly to other players. This currency could be made through playing the auction house, selling items, or through grinding the gold as discussed earlier. Think of it as a way to cash out. Just make sure you have a Paypal account so that you can get your hard-earned money.

There are a few ways you can go about it. One is by selling through a third party website, like Player Auctions, where they can assist you with selling and take a cut. Another way is selling peer to peer to your friends or friends of friends. If you decide on using a website, make sure you do your research to find the best fit.

If you want to sell directly, there are a couple of steps you should complete in advance. One is to have another account that you use to trade that is separate from your main one. This is to prevent repercussions from other players. Two is to choose between selling directly in person (if you can), or in-game. You can also do something like buy an item at a crazy price to transfer gold over.

Keep in mind that while this may be in the legal grey zone of making money from games, it is still pretty common. You may have heard of people trading gold for their WoW subscriptions. Personally, I have some friends who do it for extra drinking money. Just make sure you read the EULA of the game you are playing if you decide to go down this path.

***

Keep these things in mind while going through the rest of the steps. Anyways let us move on to the first lesson, "Time is Money".

[Source: Dorkly]

Keep in mind some people would be willing to pay to skip ahead.

Lesson 1: Time is Money

This might be the simplest lesson, but it is also one of the most important ones. Not everyone is a workaholic, so you might argue that if you are done with work, the value on your free time is less since you are not trying to make money. While we would usually set up the time value in a minimum wage comparison (if I were to work $15 an hour, I would expect this as a return for my time), we will still need to borrow from the start-up stratosphere to understand cashing out.

Like creating a start-up, you need to find a market that you can step into. While you may think you have an amazing idea, or in this case found an amazing game, if there isn't an existing market for it then it would become harder to be able to step out of it when the time is right. If we were to look at the gold farmers, they are going through an endless loop of farming, moving, farming, and returning to point A after the stuff respawns.

Now while this can make you some in-game currency, it probably wouldn't be the most effective way to take advantage of the market. The most effective way to do this is to set a goal. 

Lesson 2: Set a Goal

[Source: xkcd]

Just as it is important to realize that the time you are spending has a value, in order to decide on efficiency, you need to have a goal. These goals should be split up into short term and long term. For instance, I want to build a cash cow that I can save resources on and sell for quick cash, but to reach that point, I need to reach the cap level, get a certain level of gear, and start building habits.

Realistic goals are easier to reach than non-realistic goals. For instance, a non-realistic goal could be creating a character and thinking that you will be getting one hundred rare drops a day. As a Dark Gamer, you should not leave things up to the RNG, or Random Number Generator Goddess. While she is fickle, you should accept rewards but leave it up to chance. However if there is a niche market within the game, then taking advantage of it isn't leaving things up to chance and instead can help raise your gold making skills to new heights.

Lesson 3: Do your Research

It is important to go through these steps to avoid something like this.

Not all games are created equal. While there are some games that have much more hype, there is always going to be another that has little to no following. If you are going to be investing your time to play a game, then there are a few things you need to find out first.

1. What is the median player age for the game?

   If the player base is young, then that means you will have trouble finding and selling to people later. This is because the other players either don't have access to a disposable income or they have enough time on their hands to do it themselves.

2. Is there a following? Are the general reviews positive or negative?

   Is there a player-base behind the game, and does it feel like they are going to stick around in the foreseeable future? While some games create a massive hype in the beginning, lack of end-game content can lead to players quitting in the beginning, like with Tera.

3. Is it easy to break into the game?

   Some games have a much steeper slope to climb in order to start making money, with baits in game to encourage players to pay money before they start earning money, like in Entropia.

4. Is it fun?

   Are you going to enjoy playing the game on a personal level? If the answer is no, then no matter how positive the other things are, you don't want to force yourself to play something that you will end up hating.

5. Does the game allow micro-transactions?

   You will have some games, like Entropia or Second Life, which actively allow you to trade in game currency for cash. You also have other games, like Rift, where people can purchase REX from Trion, and exchange that REX in game for platinum.

Going through these things can help you do your research, but it doesn't end there. If you are going to be spending your time on a project, to borrow again from the start-up field, you will want to do all the research you can before you pitch it to the investor [read as yourself].

For Lesson 4, we will go over how to keep costs down from the start. Your latter self will thank you later.

Lesson 4 - Keep down costs (Staying Healthy)

If you want to make money from playing games, then at the same time you have to make sure you don't let your health go to waste. You will be cooped up at home playing working, so it is important to make sure you eat healthy and get proper exercise.

While I'm not saying sign up for a gym membership (we are talking about saving money here), set up time to exercise every day. Also, while you can eat fast cheap food, in the long term the costs are higher. Don't fall into this trap. It doesn't help anyone if the money you are using is going to pay doctors for your failing health.

Build a habit of walking each day, and keep eating fast food to a bare minimum!

****

From setting up a goal, to doing your research, to methods of making money, we went over the different steps necessary to survive in this business. Try to keep this as a way for you to make money on the side instead of your main source of income. If anything, job security is pretty bad as a Dark Gamer.

But it is a whole lot of fun.

Fire up your Arwings for a new journey in space -- Star Fox Zero lands in stores today. 

Co-developed with Bayonetta creators Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero sees you take control of Fox McCloud, commander of Star Fox. Fight for peace in the galaxy alongside his teammates Falco, Slippy, and Peppy in this exclusive Wii U adventure.

Using his legendary Arwing, Fox can fly through sky and space shooting down his enemies in sections akin to the popular Star Fox 64. Fox can also shift his ship into different forms to tackle a variety of situations, such as the Walker for on-terrain battles from the cancelled Star Fox 2.

Using the GamePad, players can switch between a first-person view of the action, while the TV displays a more traditional third-person view. Motion controls are also supported for improved shooting accuracy and new Gyrowing flight drone sections. 

Physical copies of the game will come bundled with a digital version of the spin-off game Star Fox Guard, a tower defense strategy title starring Slippy Toad and his uncle, Grippy Toad. If you prefer your games digital, you'll receive a $4.99 discount toward Star Fox Guard on the eShop when purchasing Star Fox Zero.

Star Fox Zero debuts in Japan today, and the rest of the world tomorrow, April 22nd. First Print Editions will be available for early adopters, bundled with a physical copy of Star Fox Guard and an exclusive steelbook.

A crafty reddit user has figured out how to make two games exclusive to the Oculus platform playable on the HTC Vive. Lucky's Tale and Oculus Dreamdeck are available for free on the Oculus store, and by downloading some files and following some fairly simple installation instructions, both games can be played using the Vive VR headset.

CrossVR, the Reddit user behind the workaround, which has been dubbed Revive, suggests that similar steps may also work with other games on the Oculus store, but notes they haven't tested any others as of yet. He wrote:

"It's still early days for this project, since it's only been in development for a few weeks. In the future more games will be supported, but I'm glad to see such swift progress already."

But Oculus caught wind of the project, and released the following statement:

This is a hack, and we don't condone it. Users should expect that hacked games won't work indefinitely, as regular software updates to games, apps, and our platform are likely to break hacked software.

While the company clearly doesn't support CrossVR's efforts, it doesn't seem like they actively condemn them either, something the user notes in a follow up post:

Seems like a perfectly fine reaction to me. Of course they can't condone it, that would mean they'd have to actively support the Revive project, which is completely outside of their control. But from that reaction, it doesn't seem they'll actively try to prohibit it either.

They're worried people may buy games expecting them to work on the Vive and they may get disappointed. Especially if I can't keep feature parity with the Oculus SDK, which is what the comment about future updates is about.

It begs the question: is exclusivity really the way to go for such a fledgling hardware as VR? Oculus might be about to find out.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Are you in support of the project or do you think Oculus should clamp down on it? Should the platform be more open? Or do you think exclusivity drives competition and will benefit the hardware in the long run? Let us know in the comments below.

The newest game in the Ratchet & Clank series is now available for PlayStation 4 in the US, with a European launch following on April 22nd. 

The game, which has launched at a discounted price of $39.99, was announced in 2014 as a tie in to the upcoming feature film of the same name. Billed as the re-imagining of the original title with all new features, players can expect an expanded story, new bosses to fight and a variety of new and returning weapons.

The game currently stands at 86 on Metacritic out of 53 critic reviews. Reviewers have praised the game as "beautiful" and "charming", with welcome new gameplay additions. The Sixth Axis said:

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a game as much as Ratchet & Clank.

The movie, which will debut April 29th in cinemas, will show the story of how our heroes met. It features direct involvement with many of the team from Insomniac Games - including Future saga writer T.J. Fixman. 

Have you picked up the latest Ratchet & Clank? Let us know in the comments below.

Sony is partnering with TT games for some exclusive goodies. LEGO Marvel's Avengers will be getting free DLC exclusively for PS4 and PS3. The news comes from the game's director, Arthur Parsons. PlayStation gamers will be able to access two additional movies of content. 

"LEGO Marvel's Avengers is getting some free DLC content exclusively for all PS4 and PS3 players. What's even more awesome is that the content is based on the brilliant Marvel's Ant-Man movie and also one of my most anticipated films of 2016, Marvel's Captain America: Civil War."

-Arthur Parsons

The Captain America: Civil War Character Pack will include nine characters from the upcoming film. This list includes: Captain America, Iron Man (Mark 46 armor), Black Panther, Winter Soldier, Falcon, War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Crossbones, and Agent 13.

These characters will be available to take into the main game as well. The DLC will be released at launch on January 26th. 

Meanwhile, the Ant-Man character and level pack will include a new level (no further details were given as to what specific scene). Eleven characters will be playable, including: Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Ant-Man (Hank Pym), Ant-Thony (Flying Ant), Cassie Lang, Darren Cross, Luis, The Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), and Yellow Jacket. This DLC content will not be available until spring of 2016.

How big of a deal this is may depend on when this content will be released for the other platforms, and what the price will be. Console-exclusive DLC has been common practice over the years. Titles like Call of Duty would offer early map access on Xbox platforms, while Sony would get exclusive side missions in the Assassin's Creed series. 

Does this sway you to purchase the game instead of the weekend rental route? Normally I rent LEGO titles, but being a Marvel nerd, the DLC release in the spring may warrant a purchase for me. Share your thoughts in the comments!

For those of you waiting to play The Division beta, you'll be waiting a little longer than originally anticipated. Today on Ubisoft's blog, an announcement was made regarding the change of date for the game's beta, and an all new alpha testing phase was brought to light. 

We know many of you have been patiently awaiting the arrival of The Division Beta, and we appreciate your patience as the team remains committed to delivering an open-world action-RPG experience that exceeds your expectations on March 8, 2016. With that in mind, we’re changing some of our beta plans to reach that goal, and your participation plays an important part.

-UbiBlog on The Division beta

The beta, which was originally scheduled for a December release will now take place in "early 2016" while an Xbox One pre-order exclusive alpha testing phase will be conducted between December 9th - 12th. 

Players participating in the alpha will be forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement promising that they will not record game footage, take snapshots of the game, or discuss the game anywhere but the exclusive developer forums. 

Head's up: the alpha is a hefty file, clocking in at 23.2 GB. Make sure the space is cleared on your Xbox One before attempting a download. 

Despite the new alpha testing stage and the beta being pushed into 2016, The Division's release date remains unmoved. The game will be released on March 8th, 2016 unless some game breaking bug is revealed in the testing.

If you're a fan of Destiny and want some exclusive new gear, then all you need to do is get your hands on a friend. Bungie's new Refer-a-Friend will get Destiny vets a handful of cool rewards. Adventure, earn rewards, and become legends together, just the two of you. 

To get yourself and at least one other friend involved, all you need to do is sign into Bungie.net and refer-a-friend. This friend must have an activated version of Destiny: The Taken King on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. You and your friend must be linked on the same platform to earn rewards.

Once you're linked, you'll be able to earn additional XP through the Link of Friendship. The only thing left to do is complete the exclusive Speaker's Quest (below) with your Linked Friend and then reap in the rewards.

The complete list of cool rewards you'll earn by referring a friend to your Link of Friendship consists of the following:

• Exclusive Speaker's Quest: The Hunt for Loot
• Link of Friendship XP Bonus Buff
• Infinite Link shader
• Sign of the Infinite emblem
• Elemental Kindblades (three legendary swords)
• EV-34 Vector Infinite sparrow
• Duo Dance emote
• High Five emote

Destiny is available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3. This offer is only available for later generation consoles. The game underwent a special November update recently, and is set for a year-two item upgrade come December.

Last week Sony held its first ever press conference at Paris Games Week. It was a great conference where we got to see more of exciting games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, No Man's Sky and Dreams, as well as new game announcements in Detroit: Become Human and Gran Turismo Sport. One announcement that caught my attention, but could easily have slipped under the radar, was Boundless.

Boundless was shown as part of three indie games coming to PS4 in 2016 as console exclusives, the other two being No Man's Sky and Avicii: Vector. I can't say I'm even remotely a fan of Avicii, and I've seen more than my fair share of No Man's Sky (I just want to play it at this point), so Boundless was the game that stood out to me in that trio. Much like Media Molecule's Dreams, Boundless is likely to be a very hard game to market or show off at trade shows. Regardless, take a look at the trailer Sony showcased at PGW:

So, if you're anything like me, you likely got a real Minecraft vibe from the trailer. The good news is that vibe could give it mass appeal. The bad news is, it's unoriginal and I personally don't like Minecraft. However the deeper I dug, the more I realized I was selling Boundless short. Sure it definitely has some Minecraftian elements but it is very much its own game.

Cross Platform Universe

Boundless is coming to both PS4 and PC in 2016, and everyone will be playing together in the same, giant, seamless universe! Each player will have their own, unique homeworld that is procedurally generated. However that's just your homeworld, your base of operations as it were. From there you can open portals and jump to other worlds.

One world may be desolate and barren, with dangerous weather even, so you may wanna get out of there on the double. The next world might be a beautiful haven full of creatures that can be farmed.

Each world is unique and alive. It's a giant universe with disparate worlds where you never know what you might find.

No Man's...Land

Developer Wonderstruck has written a blog post on the PlayStation Blog, explaining it in much greater detail. In the blog the team describe the game in a way that will inevitably evoke No Man's Sky:

When you find that world you really like (you know, the one with that amazing waterfall), why not make if your official home and claim some land using a Beacon? Any land you claim will become yours, and yours alone to change.

The concept of emerging on an alien world, finding a beacon, claiming it as your own, and farming resources sure does sound a lot like No Man's Sky. However, the difference with Boundless is that you can choose to stay on said planet and make it your own. Wonderstruck said more about colonizing worlds, and it sounds like a ton of fun (carrying on from previous quote):

That is, of course, unless you want some neighbors, in which case invite your friends and form a guild. Share land, resources, build amazing things, and go on some adventures together. Compete with other guilds and become the most loved, or feared, group in the universe.

One description of the game said you could go around worlds, collect various species, bring them back to your world and start a zoo. Yes a zoo! You can even charge other players to come to your zoo and see the species, the more rare they are the more you should charge. Boundless, as per the name, offers a lot of options for gamers, it's one of the more literal sandboxes we've seen.

Attack on Titan

Search each new world to discover the location of its ancient Titan. Once activated, these huge sentient fortresses menacingly stalk the landscape searching for anything they perceive as a threat. These apex predators are filled with traps and swarming with deadly Protectors. Attempted alone, your only hope is to explore, survive, and escape with a handful of valuable resources. If you’re feeling brave, call together all the citizens of your adopted world and attempt the impossible — defeat the Titan.

This quote from Wonderstruck is definitely one of the more interesting ones. Each world has its own Titan, which you can search for and fight, or steal from and run. This makes each world sound unique and as though it has a purpose - like individual restaurants with dynamic menus, rather than a chain drive-through. Even the Titans can be used in fascinating ways:

Harvest Titan’s mechanical guts and repurpose them to make your own floating airships and ingenious contraptions.

Decisions, Decisions

In case you haven't realized it by now, Boundless aims to be every bit as open and rife with potential as it the name suggests. The game really does sound like a mixture between Minecraft and No Man's Sky - joining together the creativity and aesthetic of the former with the exploration and scale of the latter.

For one last idea of how big and option-filled Boundless is, Wonderstuck offered up a bullet-point list of things you can do, check it out:

• Hunt for creatures in dangerous areas and sell the rare loot and materials you find to non-combative citizens.
• Offer your services as a master-builder to other citizens and do honest work for coin.
• Collect the weirdest creatures from across the universe and open a space zoo(!), then charge citizens coin to visit.
• Create amazing sandbox contraptions like people cannons and hyper-efficient crafting machines, and then sell copies of the blueprints to other players so they can create them too.
• Collect the most valuable and rarest resources from across the universe and open a shop that citizens will flock to.
• Open a Portal hub, connecting your world to distant worlds across the universe and allow citizens to travel, for a fee of course!
• Become a Boundless real estate agent, by searching for and claiming the coolest plots of land and then selling them to other players for coin.
• Craft the coolest wearables, the tint them to perfection and open a boutique fashion store.

I can say in all earnest that this game did very little to appeal to me with the trailer shown at Paris Games Week. But I was intrigued enough to investigate it further, and I'm glad I did. The information I found and presented to you here is enough to make Boundless leap into my most anticipated games list. I'm very excited for No Man's Sky, but Minecraft never grabbed me - maybe Boundless is the perfect combination of the two.

Boundless has a 2016 release window for PS4 and PC, but a beta for the latter will happen sometime between now and the eventual release. For everything else that was shown at Paris Games Week, check out our recap. Until next time, stay tuned to GameSkinny!

With Halo 5: Guardians officially launching last week, gamers are finding all the goodies that came along with the highly anticipated game. One of the most remarkable discoveries is the limited edition coin that came along with copies of the game purchased from a U.S. military base.

To acquire this game coin, Halo 5: Guardians had to be purchased from a military base as either a veteran, active service member, or a dependent of military personnel.

Details on the Fabled Coin

The Halo 5: Guardians coin is twice the size of the U.S. quarter, and has the image of Spartan Locke and Master Chief on one side. The opposite side of the coin features the emblems of the five armed services of the United States. 

Microsoft has confirmed that this coin is legit and that they worked together with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to bring this to their gamers.

"Our U.S. retail team worked with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service on this,"

"We've done this in the past for big title launches as a gift with purchase (while supplies last)."

-Microsoft Spokesperson

This isn't the first time these game coins, commonly known as "challenge coins", have shown up from military bases. Other games have included similar special coins, like:

• Dead Rising 3
• Sunset Overdrive
• Destiny
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Halo 5: Guardians and these military coins launched on October 27th, 2015 exclusively for the Xbox One. For more Halo, check out our review of the game and our beginner's guide. 

What do you think of these challenge coins? Did you get one? Share your thoughts with me below!

And boom goes the dynamite! That's the 10 (plus honorable mentions) best PSP games. Some of the games in the list were launch titles for the system, and some were right at the tail end of the systems life - meaning the PSP had amazing games from 2005 right through to 2010, few systems can say it had such great launch games.

The PSP had a remarkable 6-10 years on the market, depending on whether or not you see the release of the Vita as the end of its cycle. It faired better than I imagine many critics would have pegged it to and produced some very memorable games. The same can be said of the PS Vita, but that's a list for another time (soon though).

I loved my time with the PSP, and I wasn't one of the many who hacked it (I didn't even know that was possible until this year). I had to put some of my personal favorites into the honourable mention list, including MediEvil Resurrection, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, and Resistance: Retribution among many others.

I have very fond memories of the system and Sony obviously made some missteps with it, including the UMD discs, but that's not what we think of when we look back. Thankfully, we look back on the PSP as one of the best handheld devices ever made and one that left a truly great legacy.

1. God of War: Chains of Olympus

This is as epic, beautiful and jaw-dropping as PSP games get, and that's why it ranks above all else. Epic is a word that has become synonymous with the God of War series because, quite frankly, it's the only word that truly encapsulates it. And amazingly, Ready At Dawn (Daxter, The Order: 1886), managed to translate that onto the PSP.

Even though it isn't quite as huge as its console brethren, Chains of Olympus is a prequel that weaves a narrative more subtle and emotional than any other instalment. Anyone who says Kratos is a bland character or one with no personality has clearly not played Chains of Olympus. That's not to say he doesn't do his fair share of screaming and smashing in the PSP title, it just means you learn to love the man underneath the ash.

As alluded to, Chains of Olympus is a pretty stunning game. It looks almost, almost, as good as the PS2 versions of the game, which cannot be understated. Which makes me sad we haven't gotten a GOW game on the Vita. Regardless, this game is a testament to the power of the PSP and the sheer quality of games on the system.

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The PSP hasn’t yet seen a game with this much polish, this much visual punch, or this much bloody satisfaction. Everything feels meaty, be it the clash of weapon on flesh or the substantial amount of gameplay depth and environmental design. Not only is Chains of Olympus a worthy addition to the God of War franchise, it also stands on its own as a triple-A title in the PSP library.

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- G4 TV

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Honorable Mentions:

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• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
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• Ridge Racer
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• Resistance Retribution
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• Patapon
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• MediEvil: Resurrection 
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• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
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• Little Big Planet
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• Burnout Legends
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• Ratchet & Clank Size Matters
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• God of War: Ghost of Sparta
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• Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
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• Daxter
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• Valkyria Chronicles II
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• Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
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2. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Like I said earlier, these lists always feature at least one GTA game, usually two, and so here we are with Chinatown Wars. While I might have personally picked Vice City Stories over this particular installment, there's no denying that Rockstar's return to the top-down perspective was a smash-hit. However, comparing it to Rockstar's humble beginnings is a bit harsh, this game is a great combination of the retro and modern GTA.

The basic formula is there; steal cars, shoot people, blow stuff up, and generally cause chaos while making money. The fact that Rockstar managed to squeeze a 3D Liberty City onto the PSP in Liberty City Stories means that this game is just a little less technically impressive, but still a very big world with attention to detail and fairly smooth graphics.

Everything you'd expect to find in a GTA game can be found in Chinatown Wars: 6-star police chases, Ammu-Nation's filled with guns, races, and a ton of missions. As a first for the series you can lower your wanted level by smashing cop cars (without killing them inside), you can also replay missions and get better scores, as well as skip the journey to the mission should you fail it - small but welcome additions. Basically, this is Grand Theft Auto on a handheld with tight controls, funny characters, and, most importantly, awesome gameplay.

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Chinatown Wars is a beautiful blend of the modern 3D games with the pick-up-and-play appeal of the '90s original.

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                                                          - PlayStation: The Official Magazine

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3. Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 Portable

If you're a PlayStation fan, or a JRPG fan, I'm sure you've heard of the Persona series. Or at least Persona 4 Golden - largely considered the best PS Vita game - but you might not be as acutely aware of it's phenomenal predecessor, Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 Portable.

As is always the case in the series, you play as a teenager in school and must work with your secret club to rid the school of impending doom and evil things, using your Persona. The Persona series has become increasingly popular over the years and it fits perfectly on Sony's handhelds. Persona 3 is a port of the PS2 game, but it contained plenty of new features, most notably the ability to choose a male or female protagonist.

These games somehow marry teenage drama and relationships with grand deception and murder, and wrap it all in a charming, wacky Japanese bow.

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Persona 3 Portable is one of the strongest games in the PSP catalogue, and a shining example of a role-playing game done right.

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                                                                                             - Gamervision

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4. Lumines

This is pretty much the kind of game many of you are playing on Facebook or on your phone these days. However, rewind to 2005 and neither of those things were even remotely common. Games like Lumines were perfect on the PSP then.

Lumines was a launch game on the PSP and the first title from developer Q Entertainment. It's an evolution of Tetris and it has that same relaxing quality that allows you to switch your brain off and just play something challenging but enjoyable. Lumines is also accompanied by a hypnotic soundtrack and equally trippy backgrounds that assault your senses, furthering the experience. It's the perfect blend of a difficult puzzle game that is fun and addictive, a hard blend to find.

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Like waves crashing onto a white sandy beach, it's a spectacular elemental fusion that lulls you into a zen-like state, a type of serenity that relaxes your body as well as your mind as you peacefully walk its shores. An artistic achievement and a must buy, Lumines is therapy for the soul.

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                                                                                                     - Modojo

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5. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Are you currently obsessed with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain? Well, this is where it came from. This was literally the last game Kojima worked on before starting production on MGS V and a ton of the ideas put forth in Peace Walker are evident in V. This isn't just conjecture of educated guessing, the game literally started out as MGS V, as outed in 2010 by Kotaku.

Peace Walker took many people by surprise. Releasing 2 years after MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots, Peace Walker emphasized gameplay and resource management over story and cutscenes, much the same way The Phantom Pain does.

Additionally, Peace Walker had a great single-player campaign, which laid the groundwork for the story in MGS V. On top of that, it also had a deep multiplayer component with 6 modes. Basically, the standard Metal Gear game would not have worked on a handheld, largely due to the cutscenes and slow gameplay, Peace Walker was built around resource-management and quick missions, perfect for a handheld.

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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is as ambitious PSP game, and a worthy follow-up to previous entries. Snake is back, and with Hideo Kojima exploiting our political apprehension and love for espionage thrillers, Peace Walker easily offers one of the best experiences on Sony's handheld.

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                                                                               - PlayStation Universe

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6. WipeOut Pure

Not only is WipeOut Pure one of the best looking games on the PSP but it perfectly distills the fast-paced, arcade action of the classic PlayStation series onto a handheld.

Pure introduced new vehicle types, an awesome soundtrack, and lots of new levels that reintroduced the series and reminded us why we loved it as much as we did. WipeOut has always been an assault on the senses and this iteration managed to convey that on a much smaller screen.

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A handful of new gameplay tweaks, new hovercraft racing classes and a PSP-worthy visual overhaul make WipeOut Pure the best installment in the series since 1996's WipeOut XL.

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                                                                                             - PSX Nation

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7. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lion

Even though it was originally released in 1997, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lion was updated and ported to the PSP and fit perfectly on the handheld.

This classic game was brought to the PSP but brought with it a whole host of new features, such as new CG cutscenes, a pretty 16:9 widescreen display, new jobs, story tweaks, and a multiplayer mode.

War of the Lion, much like every other FF Tactics game, was an intense, grinding experience that took a lot of time and dedication to properly get into and master. But once you mastered the systems and were able to play against others in multiplayer modes, this version really shined and overtook the original.

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Combine its lengthy single-player experience with the new co-op and head-to-head modes, and you can’t help but love this classic reborn.

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                                                                                         - Game Informer

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8. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Any list of PlayStation games would be far from complete if it didn't have at least one Grand Theft Auto among the ranks. Without doubt, GTA: Liberty City Stories is well worth a place on the list.

It's still baffling to me how this thing even fit on the PSP, I mean, it's a giant game and it looks really good, too. Rockstar could have easily ported GTA III to the handheld but they made a brand new game that looked every bit as good -maybe better- and created a whole new story. It's a technical marvel and a pure joy to play.

This game highlighted Sony's dedication to making the PSP a great platform with some highly impressive games. Getting one of the world's biggest developer, Rockstar, to make an original game that was only on its handheld showed belief and support that made gamers believe in the system. It's a pity such intense support never occurred on the PS Vita; a Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Stories, or Grand Theft Auto: Roman Belic Stories could have been a literal game changer for the handheld.

Regardless of all that, Liberty City Stories is an amazing game that is still fun today. It was eventually surpassed by its predecessor which, sadly, does not make the list. Go figure.

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One of the best handheld games I have ever played, hands down... This is the type of game that changes the definition of a handheld.
                                                                                  - Next Level Gaming

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9. OMG-Z

Even though it was just a PSN Mini, OMG-Z was a devilishly clever and addictive game that was perfect on the PSP.

Created by Laughing Jackal, OMG-Z is a game in which you cause mass bloodbaths by shooting a particular zombie and setting off a chain reaction. Different zombies offer different rewards so each shot counts and makes each level feel fairly different.

The gameplay is simple yet effective, and the black and white art makes the blood all the more vibrant, creating a game that is as stylish as it is addictive.

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All of this adds up to a monstrously addictive quick-fire affair that utterly nails what on-the-go handheld gaming should be about.

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                                                                                                -Eurogamer

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10. Tekken Dark Resurrection

While it might look pretty darn rough around the edges, literally, I recall being blown away by the graphic fidelity of Tekken Dark Resurrection on the PSP. Basically a port of Tekken 5, Dark Resurrection was an amazing PSP game that somehow effortlessly translated arcade action onto a handheld.

Tekken Dark Resurrection brought all of the great fighting action to the PSP and also some mini-games and a surprisingly great multiplayer. While being basically a straight a port, the PSP version added some new moves, new music, a cleaner interface and every character is available from the outset. It's what we now call a "Definitive Edition."

Yes, this game has a host of awesome features and it looks good but ultimately the basic fighting mechanics are what make it great. Tekken has always been one of the very best fighting games, mechanically a personal favorite, and it's represented stunningly well here.

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New modes, new characters (the slow-but-powerful Dragunov and the speedier mash-friendly Lili), incredible graphics, and plenty of other add-ons not only make Tekken a fantastic fighting experience, but one hell of a great PSP game as well.                                                                                          -IGN

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It feels like the success of the PSP has been somewhat forgotten. Maybe it's because the PS Vita has been out for several years now and sadly never found itself in the hands of enough gamers. However, that shouldn't detract from the amazing history of the PSP.

Sony's first handheld was released in 2004 in Japan, then a year later in North America, and a few months later in Europe. Without overstating it, the PSP was a runaway success. Sony has a history of supporting its devices long after they've been succeeded, or at least had their day in the sun, and the PSP was no exception. There are still some PSP games coming out in Japan.

The PlayStation Portable sold somewhere around 82 million units. 82 MILLION UNITS. To put that into perspective, the PS3 and Xbox 360 clocked in at around 84, the NES at 63 million, the SNES 49 million, the Xbox 24 million, and the Wii U 10 million. The PSP was a massive success for Sony, and rightfully so.

One of the major reasons why it was a success is actually something Sony didn't plan for and actively tried to counteract: emulation. The PSP is an incredibly easy system to emulate games on and so once this fact was realized and shared, millions of people began buying the handheld so that they could play Nintendo games, as well as PS One classics.

That's not to take away from the genuinely phenomenal library of games on the PSP. And, as we all know, games are the primary reason anyone buys a console. If you were to pick up a PSP today, which I don't recommend (cause PS Vita is 10X better), you would have about 1000 games to play. And quite a few UMD movies to watch as well.

Anyway, let's get on with the show. Hit next and find out what 10 games made the list, as well as some honorable mentions, and learn what made them so special!

During a live stream interview with GamesRadar, 343 Industries Franchise Director Frank O'Connor said Halo 5: Guardians has a good chance of being ported to PC in the future.

There is plenty chance that Halo 5 could appear on the PC...We developed the game on an Intel platform. It wouldn't be the hardest thing in the world to move it to PC and take advantage of PC stuff.

Halo 5 would not be the first upcoming Microsoft exclusive title to be made available on both Xbox and PC; back in June, Microsoft announced at their E3 press conference that both Gigantic and Fable Legends will be coming to both Xbox One and Windows 10. With the perpetual push from Microsoft to get Windows 10 on all PCs, tablets, and Xbox Ones alike, it would seem like a logical move to make their flagship Xbox title available on both platforms.

This would also not be the first Halo game to go PC. Halo: CE had originally released on both the Xbox and PC, and Halo 2 was later ported to Windows as Halo 2 Vista. There was also a Free to Play shooter called Halo Online announced for PC earlier this year, though it was only made available in Russia.

Halo 5: Guardians comes to the Xbox One on October 27th, and with it a 9GB day one patch. Until then, check out the full GamesRadar interview below, and sound off in the comments on why you think Halo on PC would be great!

Watch live video from GamesRadar on Twitch