The year 2019 has been incredible for Nintendo, with many beloved game series releasing throughout the year. Iconic franchises like Mario, Pokémon, and Fire Emblem have added games that were anticipated by millions.

Nintendo has even shaped up to become our winner for Company of the Year this year, with how successful these games are critically and saleswise—not to mention the launch of the Switch Lite earlier this year.

Here, we have gathered a handful of honorable mentions, a runner up, and lastly, our pick for Nintendo’s Game of the Year. 

Honorable Mentions:

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Game Freak’s series has been loved for over 20 years. There were some ups and downs regarding Pokémon Sword and Shield, but the games have a gorgeous region to explore and unique Pokémon designs, whether they're entirely new creatures or Galarian forms, and fun activities to do with your Pokémon. Fans young and old can appreciate this generation of Pokémon with an exciting adventure to enjoy this time. 

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi’s Mansion 3 marks the continuation of Luigi’s spooky adventure, after waiting for 6 years since the release of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. With a cute and engaging story, Luigi must save the day (or the night, in this case) from King Boo’s revenge. With the choice of going in alone or playing with a friend, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is an amazing entry in the series. 

Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker was a genius concept that helped struggling Wii U sales. With its sequel of sorts, Super Mario Maker 2, it excelled critically and financially thanks to being released on the Switch. This game features a story mode to give a solid single-player experience with levels made by Nintendo. And, of course, the main draw is playing the insanity of the highly imaginative levels made by players around the world, and building your own.

Runner Up:

Astral Chain

Our pick for Nintendo’s Game of the Year runner-up is Platinum Games’ new IP Astral Chain. The idea of a hack-and-slash game taking place in a neo-modern location makes the game visually stunning and offer tons of fun. The art style, world-building, and gameplay look incredible for a Switch title, and its amazing concept lands a spot as Nintendo’s runner-up.

Nintendo Switch Game of the Year:

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The 16th installment of the Fire Emblem series takes a lot of risks to make the new game fresh but familiar. Taking place at a school, you choose which house you want to teach,training them to take on missions and challenging bosses. You can be a veteran or a newcomer to this series and still perfectly understand how the game works.

The story is a huge improvement compared to Fates and features an incredible cast of characters, with support conversations that give the players new information about each one. There are many ways to customize your units and how they’ll perform in combat, giving you hours upon hours of playtime.

With the help of previous collaborator Koei Tecmo, Intelligent Systems aimed to make Fire Emblem: Three Houses a standout entry in the series. Its wonderful, addictive gameplay and unique features makes it our pick for Nintendo Switch Game of the Year. 

For more of our Year in Review 2019 series, head to our hub page.

A new report on video game television advertising spending has gone up on iSpot.tv, providing some interesting numbers.

Per the report, the industry as a whole spent $319.6 million on TV ads, a nearly 15 percent decrease from the previous year. As a result, viewership numbers have also dropped, down about 27 percent in ad airings. That said, numbers still came up big for all companies involved.

One of them was Nintendo. The report indicates that the company spent $46 million on its advertising, highlighting both the Switch and some of its exclusive titles, such as Pokemon Sword and Shield. It was quite effective, despite the fact that both Sony and Microsoft spent over double that.

Sony contributed the most, around $108.5 million, in its advertising for the year, despite a decreased budget of around 45 percent year-over-year. And Microsoft didn’t let up on its Xbox advertising, spending around $100 million to show off both its systems and the hit sequel Gears 5.

All of these ads created more impressions overall. Over 4.8 billion, in fact, which is a nearly 187 percent jump over the previous year.

So why the change in spending? And, for that matter, how could Nintendo be as effective with half the budget? The report notes that “spend and impressions don’t always go hand-in-hand.”

Ed Tomasi, co-founder and manager for esports lifestyle company Subnation, believes this could tie into a change come next year. “While the community can still expect cyclical sports releases like NBA, FIFA, and Madden, this overall move towards the franchise model with additional transmedia experiences similar to the film industry will most likely result in a more drastic fluctuation of advertising spend on a year by year basis.”

A good chunk of TV spending was directed towards sports programs, with the NFL leading the way with an estimated $61.2 million—a nearly 15 percent boost from 2018. Surprisingly enough, Spongebob Squarepants was a good source for Nintendo’s ads, as it spent $7.08 million in advertising during that show alone.

So where does this lead going into 2020? Big titles will arrive during the first half of the year, like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Marvel’s Avengers and Doom Eternal. But how this will reflect in television advertising has yet to be seen... although we’re not too far off from possible surprises during the Super Bowl. You may recall that Nintendo left its mark during the event with its ad for the Nintendo Switch back in 2017. You can watch it below.

Escape from Tarkov is a high tension, brutally unforgiving multiplayer shooter. While the game is not out yet, it is in closed beta, and you can get access to it by pre-ordering from the Escape from Tarkov website. If you have already done so, you might be a little confused about how to get the launcher. Here are the steps you need to take.

Check Your Email

If you received an invite to the closed beta, then you can download the game via an email sent to you by developers Battlestate Games. If it has been a while since you received the email, search for Battlestate Games in your inbox. You will hopefully have received the closed beta invite email and can to download the launcher from there. 

If you recently purchased the game, it may take a short amount of time for the order to process. This time varies depending on the payment method you used. After it processes, you will receive an email inviting you to the closed beta because everyone gains access when they pre-order. Click on the install button in the email to download the launcher's install file. 

There can be a second delay here: the first to process your payment, and the second to get the closed-beta invite. You cannot gain access to the launcher until this email arrives. You need to be patient as it shouldn't take too long to come, but there will be some delay. 

Check Your Profile

If you are unable to find the email, go directly to your profile page on the Escape from Tarkov website. Your main profile page should list out if you have access to the closed beta, and there's a button on your profile you can use to download the launcher. Once again, this button only appears after gained access to the closed beta via the random draw or have gotten access by pre-ordering the game. 

If you have an invitation to the closed beta, or if you have pre-purchased the game, and cannot find the email, or a button on your profile that will allow you to download the launcher, you will need to contact Battlestate Games through their support page. 

Picking one game from any year and calling it the Game of the Year is rarely an easy task. With such broad genres, release schedules, team sizes, and budgets, it almost feels unfair to throw a full year’s worth of games into a big pile and sort through it to name one of them the best.

This is true for most years, but not this year. This year the decision was easy.

But before we get to that, we'll run through a few of the best games to arrive on our PCs this year, then reveal our pick for the best PC game of all. 

Honorable Mentions:

Apex Legends

Apex Legends shook up the battle royale genre at the beginning of the year with a surprise, free launch that seemed to come out of nowhere. The game's frenetic movement and gunplay rapidly won it a loyal fanbase, and the developers adopted a healthier attitude toward maintaining a free-to-play life service game that was, frankly, refreshing. It’s that core gameplay that gets it onto this list of standout games of the year that could, if things were just a little different, be a GOTY in their own right. 

Slay The Spire

While Slay The Spire was in early access for quite some time, it has an official release date in 2019, so it makes this list. A superbly addictive rogue-like and deck-building game, it is almost impossible to stop playing when you start. Planning your route through the titular Spire, building your deck, and weighing risk versus reward make this a superb experience. New characters to unlock, and the ever-shifting nature of the game, will keep you coming back time and time again. 

The Outer Worlds

In The Outer Worlds, Obsidian delivered an RPG that wasn’t groundbreaking in how it challenged us, but was certainly appreciated for its polish and attention to detail. With some of the best NPCs we have seen in a game in quite some time, The Outer Worlds kept in mind that the people you interact with are what make an RPG stand out. With smooth combat, colorful graphics, and some hilarious dialogue, this game was a cut above similar RPGs that we have seen over the years.

Runner Up:

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice managed to be very much a From Software game, while also doing plenty of new things. The ideas of stealth and agility were fully explored, while combat was pared down to a brutal essence. While the story lacked much of the depth that we have come to associated with something like the Dark Souls series, the game still presented us with an exciting world, and one of the most demanding combat systems we have seen in some time. 

PC Game of the Year:

Disco Elysium

While we don’t think a game of the year needs to be a flawless execution of the possibilities of the medium, we do think they should provide a singular experience that you simply will not get from any other game. Disco Elysium does this by combining elements of a pen-and-paper RPG with a noir detective story and asking you to examine how you react to self-loathing. 

You play as a cop who doesn’t remember that he is a cop—everything about your life before you wake up at the start of the game is a half-remembered blur. When a man is found hanging from a tree nearby, it is up to you to solve the case. The game centers around what your character thinks and says, and NPCs remember conversations you have with them, so you need to be careful about the questions you ask people. 

You also need to decide what kind of person you are; just because you awoke in the wreckage of what feels like another man’s life doesn’t mean you need to stay on that path. Disco Elysium is the most unique experience of the year, and is beautifully crafted and expertly thought out.

We have never played a game quite like this before, making it an easy choice for our PC Game of the Year. With some of the most beautifully crafted writing we have seen in a game in years, Disco Elysium is a gaming experience that everyone should have. 

For more of our Year in Review 2019 series, head to our hub page.

When Nintendo posts updates for the Nintendo Switch, they usually go one of two ways. Either they provide very little to simply improve technical performance, or they add features that users can truly appreciate. And that’s leaving some folks to wonder what might be on the way next month.

Twitter user Videl recently found information on a “future maintenance schedule,” suggesting that the system’s next big update could come within the first week of Jan. 2020. In it, it notes that “during the maintenance window, all network services will be unavailable.” It then lists a one-hour time period on Jan. 7, going from 4:30 to 5:30, though a time zone wasn’t given.

Videl notes that this is a pretty big deal, because this will be the “first time the Switch is getting maintenance for a console firmware update.” He’s hopeful that the update, labeled V.10, could “finally see noticeable updates,” and that it could “potentially be the Direct date/week.”

He’s referring to Nintendo’s online Direct presentations. We haven’t seen one since Sep. 2019, and a new one would be a great way to kick off 2020. It would potentially “fill in the blanks” on what’s coming for spring and possibly summer, aside from previously announced games like Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and the long-awaited Animal Crossing.

As for what the update itself will bring, some Switch owners are hopeful. Over on NintendoLife, one forum user suggested “a customizable home screen with different backgrounds and folders,” particularly on the Nintendo Switch Lite. (For those that own a lot of games, this would make a world of difference.

In a Reddit thread, Switch owners ran a little deeper with their ideas. “All I want is for all downloaded titles to auto update,” which would make starting up games way easier—even if some space management may be needed on occasion. Another said that “a search function would be a huge step,” for those looking for a specific game in their library, without having to jump through hoops to get to it.

Nintendo hasn’t commented on a future update or Direct special yet.

Players can add friends, send them gifts, and trade Pokémon in Pokémon GO. There are a few limitations to these features, but you receive valuable game benefits by raising your Friendship Level with your friends. These benefits increase the closer you become with your friends through in-game activities.

How to add a Trainer to friends

To add a friend in Pokémon GO, you need to click on your main profile picture on the lower-left portion of the screen. From there, go to the Friends section. Under the title of Friends, you should see the number of trainers already listed as your friend.

At the top of this page, click on the icon that reads Add Friend. You need to use the trainer's 12-digit Friend Code. Yours should be at the top of this section, and you can freely share it with trainers, and if another trainer gives you theirs, you can send them a friend request. You also have the option to scan a Trainer's QR code to send or receive a friend request.

After the request has been sent, you'll need to wait to accept it or the other trainer to accept. Following that, you should see the trainer added to your overall list of friends in Pokémon GO.

You cannot send or accept requests until you have reached Trainer level 10.

How to raise Friendship Levels

Every trainer on your friend list has a Friendship level. To increase this, you'll need to interact with them by doing in-game activities. There are multiple ways to do this throughout a single day of playing the game.

Participate in a Gym battle or Raid

If you’re near your friend, you can party together to challenge Gym battles or Raids. Even if you’re unsuccessful, the interaction with the other Trainer still counts for the day.

Giving or receiving gifts

The easiest way to increase Friendship Level is by providing another Trainer a Gift each day. You have a chance to obtain a Gift whenever you spin a Photo Disc at a PokéStop or Gym. Gifts can be sent to any player on your Friend List and contain numerous helpful items, including Super Potions, Poké Balls, Pinap Berries, and more. They can even include a 7KM egg that has Alolan Pokémon. You can’t open Gifts you receive from PokéStop or Gyms, only those received from Friends. Your Friendship Level will also increase by receiving and opening gifts from other Trainers.

Trading with a friend

You can also raise your Friendship Level by trading Pokémon with a friend. It doesn’t matter what Pokémon you trade. Still, it’s important to note that trading costs a significant amount of Stardust, especially in the earlier Friendship Levels, so this isn’t an optimal means of increasing the Friendship Level. It helps to complete the Pokédex, though.

Friendship levels and benefits

You receive gameplay benefits to adding friends and raising friendship ranks in Pokémon GO. As you become better friends with someone, your Pokémon gains an attack bonus during any raids and gyms you participate with that player. You also earn more Premier Balls from successful raids. You also have the chance to trade with them at lower Stardust costs.

• Trading discount: Zero percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: 3 percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: Zero

Great Friends (7 days)

• Trading discount: 20 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: Five percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raid: One

Ultra Friends (30 days)

• Trading Discount: 92 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: Seven percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: Two

Best Friends (90 days)

• Trading Discount: 96 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: 10 percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: 4

You’ll also gain some decent chunks of experience upon reaching each Friendship Level milestone:

• Good Friends (1 day): 3,000 XP
• Great Friends (7 days): 10,000 XP
• Ultra Friends (30 days): 50,000 XP
• Best Friends (90 days): 100,000 XP

Pokémon Sword and Shield’s fossil Pokémon are elegant, instead of disturbing, in this fan artist’s rendition. 

Fossil Pokémon are a staple of the game. The player finds a fossil and, eventually, a scientist restores the fossil. Your new prehistoric friend can now join you on a journey and help you climb to the top of the Pokémon League.

Most of these fossils are standard Pokémon based on real, extinct species, but Pokémon Sword and Shield took the concept one step further. Based on our history with fossils, the Pokémon restored in Sword and Shield are pieces of multiple species superglued together. Their tongue-in-cheek designs are clever, but not pretty.

One artist agreed, redesigning the fossil Pokémon to make them less... disturbing. A Reddit user found the works recently while searching for fossil training. The artist, who goes by the name Nimnimbus on Tumblr, recreated the fossil Pokémon with elegance and grace. Arctozolt is particularly stunning in this rendition. 

Nimnimbus transformed them into beautiful creatures with streamlined bodies. Instead of their odd, mismatched body sizes, they have proper proportions. This may not keep with the theme Game Freak had in mind when designing the fossils, but it looks gorgeous.

Dracovish is the most transformed here. It's still a fish head on a dinosaur tail, but it has more of a dinosaur's body instead of dropping the head on the tip of the tail and calling it done.

The original posts didn’t have a description beyond the tags. The artist commented in the tags, “Why do they need to look like someone glued them together?”

Game Freak’s designs do look glued together, and it’s very intentional. In the game, the player brings fossils to the scientist Cara Liss. Her name alone should warn the unaware player of the outcome. Cara Liss doesn’t mind what fossils belong where. As long as there’s a head and a back end, she will make it work. The results are, frankly, horrific. Tails with fish heads at the end, a fish body with a bird’s head. The Poké Dex entries even suggest they were never meant to be. 

While the reanimated fossils are more along the lines of Frankenstein's monster instead of Jurassic Park, they are intentional. Sword and Shield's fossils reference previous scientific endeavors, including intentional combinations in the name of discovery and fame. While early paleontologists made mistakes, the early 19th century saw a discovery race. Participants didn't care for accuracy, they wanted to make the discovery. Cara Liss, with her name (i.e. careless) and her disheveled appearance, may reference early Bone Wars, or simply the careless nature of early paleontologists. 

Nimnimbus's designs, on the other hand, look like actual creatures. The parts are proportional and seamless.

Nimnimbus redesigned Dracovish entirely. In the game, Dracovish’s head is stuck on the end of some creature’s tail. Nimnimbus gave the creature a chest and fixed the tail and hips. The redesigns lack the full reference in Game Freak’s original designs. One comment on the Reddit thread suggests they should have been evolutions, suggesting the creatures adapted to their conditions. 

The designs are beautiful, and the clever joke is still there. Even if Nimnimbus’ Dracovish isn’t a fish head on a tail tip, it still looks like a careless scientist sewed the two together. 

One of this year’s biggest gaming surprises was how well the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster expanded. Along with Joker from the Persona series, Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury, and Banjo-Kazooie, fans also got Hero from Dragon Quest XI in a number of variations. But a new interview indicates that it wasn’t always easy making them fit into this fighting world.

In the latest issue of Nintendo Dream, Dragon Quest XI producer Hokuto Okamoto explained how hard it is to fit characters from the saga in any other type of game. “I was quite surprised when I first heard about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” he said. “It’s nearly impossible for Dragon Quest characters to appear in other companies’ games. We discussed many ideas, including what we’re doing with DQXI S, such as making each color a hero of past games.”

But, fortunately, it all panned out in the end. “Mr. Sakurai [director of Ultimate] accepted both Nintendo’s direction as well as Square Enix branding, and then got on board. It was a very exciting experience.”

Director Takeshi Uchikawa also noted how he was "impressed with the map being very dynamic” for the game. “It fully incorporated various series staples, such as the command selection,” he said.

Development director Masato Yagi had input as well, particularly with how the characters were utilized in the game. “The things people are doing with Hero is impressive,” he said. “I’ve considered how to turn a Dragon Quest battle into an action game, but I think this was an amazing opportunity.”

Uchikawa added, “It’s spectacular what Mr. Sakurai can find to include.” 

The additional DLC has certainly paid off for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It recently became the best-selling fighting game ever, clearing 15.71 million before the holiday season. With a fifth fighter still to come sometime in early 2020—and a new season introducing even more fighters to the fray—its popularity is sure to keep going.

If you are hunting Silver Grove Spectres in Warframe, you need to get your hands on Moonlight Dragonlily. You can only find the plant on the Grineer Forest tileset at nighttime. You can find them on the ground near grassy areas or pools of water. 

Moonlight Dragonlily is a tall, green plant with a white flower that grows in small clumps around a level. To harvest the plant, you scan it with your Codex or Synthesis Scanners. When collecting this resource, you want to use the Cross-Matrix Widget upgrade you can purchase from Cephalon Simaris for your Synthesis Scanner for 50,000 standing.

The widget has a 45 percent chance of counting any successful scan as two scans, yielding twice the resources.

To harvest this plant, head to E. Prime or Mantle on Earth. Both missions occur on large tilesets with plenty of flat ground and pools of water, and you can harvest a lot of the plant in one run. 

You need the Moonlight Dragonlily to make the Nightfall Apothoic. The locations to find all of the plants you need to make the Nightfall Apothic are listed here:

• Dusklight Sarracenia - located in the swampy waters of the Grineer Shipyard Missions. (Ceres)
• Moonlight Dragonlilies - found at nighttime in Grineer Forest missions. (Earth)
• Sunlight Threshcones - found during the daytime in Grineer Forest missions. (Earth)

If you need to check what time of day it is in-game, you can use websites like Deathsnack's Stuff, or Warframe Hub. These sites are the easiest way to see what time it is on Earth in Warframe, and how long is left in the day/night cycle. 

Keep in mind that your Helios Sentinel cannot automatically scan these resources or any other plant resource in the game. You must use your Codex or Synthesis Scanner to harvest them. 

Netflix's The Witcher television show introduces several concepts from the series' books many fans may not have immediately picked up on, even if you're a fan of the games. Not everything had a full explanation, forcing viewers to tune in even more and interpret how the characters reacted to specific phrases and traditions. A particularly interesting tradition shown in the television series was the Law of Surprise, which connects our hero, Geralt, the Cirilla, best known as Ciri.

[Note: This post contains spoilers for The Witcher television show. Read at your discretion.]

We see the custom during The Witcher television show in episode four of the first season called Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials. In the episode, Geralt visits a royal ball hosted by Queen Calanthe, ruler of the Kingdom of Cintra, who attempts to have her daughter betrothed to one of the many suitors there. Geralt is only there to protect the bard, Jaskier, from one of the many jealous husbands whom he may have crossed by sleeping with their wives.

During the festivities, a cursed knight bursts into the throne room, demanding Queen Calanthe daughter's hand in marriage having invoked the Law of Surprise because he saved her father 15 years ago, and it had been his gift for his heroics. This is the first use of the Law, before it Geralt invokes it later in the episode.

Someone may use it after saving another's life. The person who performed the heroics may make one of two requests when it comes to the Law of Surprise:

• "The first thing that comes to greet you" - The person who invokes the Law may receive whatever first greets the saved party.
• "What you find at home yet don't expect" - This is what Geralt and the cursed Knight both requested. The cursed Knight received Queen Calanthe's daughter because the father did know the Queen was pregnant, 15 years before the episode took place. This immediately happens the Geralt during the party, when he requests something that the Knight does not know he has yet, which turns out to be his soon-to-be-bride's unborn child, Ciri.

For the show, the tradition of the Law of Surprise is nearly as old as humanity, making it a time-honored choice for those who use it. When someone offers it to their savior, and they make the request, every party must abide by it. Despite Geralt knowing what his payment would be, he stormed out of the party and left her to be raised by the royal family. He was attempting to escape destiny, but it would eventually catch back up with him.

The Law of Surprise was the main reason Queen Calanthe informed Ciri during the first episode she had to find Geralt of Rivia. The two became connected by destiny, and if Ciri wished to be safe from the invading Nilfgaards, she had to seek him out to reunite the two. 

While 2019 wasn’t exactly overflowing with Xbox One exclusives, the system still got a fair share of quality releases. Crackdown 3 finally arrived after years of delay and turned into a cult favorite, while Gears 5 continued to establish an already-strong franchise into something greater. Not to mention the third party games that made their way to the system.

In the end, though, there has to be a clear-cut winner when it comes to Xbox greatness. Let’s take a look back at some of the best games of 2019 before naming our top title.

Honorable Mentions:

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

No, it’s not an easy journey. But Seikro: Shadows Die Twice is an exceptionally worthy one, as you encounter many foes through an intricate battle system. With a gorgeous art style that stands out from From Software’s previous work, along with a challenge level that will test even the greatest of warriors, Sekiro stands out as a truly killer title. The mythical gorilla battle alone—in both forms—is worth the price of admission.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Just when we believed all hope was lost with EA and the Star Wars franchise, along comes Respawn Entertainment and God of War III director Stig Asmussen to remind us that magic can be made. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the best Star Wars games in years, a thrilling spectacle that focuses on single-player adventure, storytelling, and memorable encounters. Not to mention that it’ll push those looking for a true galactic fight to their very limits. Don’t let this adventure pass you by.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

Just as it did for Spider-Man games years ago, Beenox has gone and rejuvenated a racing classic to epic proportions. Crash Team Racing lives on—and is better than ever—with Nitro-Fueled, a game that packs a punch for rookies and veteran kart racers alike. With beautiful courses, a jam-packed open-world hub, gorgeous visuals, and entertaining gameplay, this game revs up kart racing to a whole new level. Not to mention the sheer addictiveness of multiplayer. 

Runner-Up:

The Outer Worlds

While Bethesda’s Fallout 76 continues to slip into laughable obscurity, Obsidian Entertainment takes the open-world ball and runs with it well beyond the end zone. The Outer Worlds is an inventive, fun delight for fans of the genre, with memorable characters, outstanding open-world design, thrilling combat, and fun situations that make this galaxy well worth revisiting. Also, we’d do anything for Parvati. We just would.

Xbox One Game of the Year:

Gears 5

Microsoft may not have done much on the first-party publishing front this year, but what it did do with Gears 5 was nothing short of significant. The Coalition truly made the franchise its own with this riveting entry, which now focuses on Kait and her plight with the Locust. The game feels like a complete experience, between a single-player campaign that actually has a story to tell and established multiplayer that feels like it’s come full circle since the series’ early days. 

Then there’s the new Escape mode, which is a lot more fun than originally expected, thanks to keeping your team more involved with tasks. This, combined with the other parts of the game, makes it feel like a true move forward with a sequel, rather than something just put together with a little slapdash. Gears 5 feels like a huge leap forward over what Gears of War 4 did, and leaves hope that Gears 6 could be even better once it surfaces on Xbox Series X. (Oh, and that Terminator: Dark Fate crossover? Genius.)

For more of our Year in Review 2019 series, head to our hub page.

While taking part in Temtem battles, your Temtem can become injured or knocked out from the exertion and damage they take. You will need to heal your Temtem and revive them for your next battle. 

You need to familiarize yourself with is the Temporium. There are large and small versions of these shops throughout the game. Some are large stores found in towns, while others are smaller structures found on roads as you explore. The smaller ones do not offer the full suite of services you get while visiting a full-sized Temporioum. 

All Temporiums have a kiosk called a HealTem Station where you to heal your Temtem. You can see what these look like in the image at the top of the article. These kiosks automatically take your cards when you interact with them, healing and reviving the Temtem in them. This only happens for the six Temtem that make up your active squad. 

You can also purchase Revives and healing items at the Temporium by talking to the shopkeeper. 

• Revive - 500 credits
• Balm (heals 25 HP) - 80 credits
• Balm+ (heals 70 HP) - 325 credits

You can use healing items, but not a revive, during battles. To use them, open your bag, scroll to the Items tab, and then select the healing item you wish to use and the Temtem you needs it. You can also find other healing items while playing the game and exploring the world, for quest rewards, or winning battles. 

You want to regularly visit Temporiums in towns you visit to heal, revive your Temtem, and stock up on important items. You can also purchase a Smoke Bomb for 120 credits, which automatically returns you to the last Temporium you visited. 

Despite the fact that we didn’t see many releases from Sony directly, 2019 was a huge year for the PlayStation 4. A number of great games mainly came from third parties, although Sony did occasionally drop a title or three, to remind gamers of their strength in developers.

But which game came out on top when it came to being the best of 2019? Let’s take a look at how the releases stacked up, and what ended up on top.

Honorable Mention:

MLB The Show 19

After last year’s edition of MLB took a stumble with strictly online features, it’s great to see Sony’s MLB squad come back for a good line drive in the park. MLB The Show 19 packs a punch with its great modes, including one that lets players relive some of the best moments in baseball history. On top of that, the visuals look better than ever; and the gameplay nails every aspect of the sport, right down to buzzing pitches past the star batter. This was one game that was worth playing from the beginning of the season to the end.

Devil May Cry 5

Not that Ninja Theory’s DmC: Devil May Cry wasn’t a great game—it clearly was—but Capcom knew that fans wanted a return to the “classic” Dante. And they got it with the thrilling Devil May Cry 5. Returning to form on the level of the first games in the series, part five comes through with awesome boss battles, unpredictably wild combat, and the kind of visuals that pop off the screen. On top of that, the characters are a peculiar bunch, adding some nice replayability to the game. After you play, you might cry.

Control

Once again, the team at Remedy Entertainment deliver with a surprise out of left field, as it did with Alan Wake and Quantum Break. While Control tells a rather cryptic story that takes a bit to unfold, it does so incredibly well, as you open up new powers for your lead character, Jesse Faden. With utmost quality in almost every ounce of its visuals and controls that open up something new around every corner, this is one game that’s well worth taking Control over.

Death Stranding

Is there any game out there like Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding? No, there is not. And that’s a good thing. While some players may complain that this is merely a glorified delivery game, there’s much more to Stranding than that. Its characterization is bizarre—and awesome—and its gameplay, while requiring a little bit of patience, has great payoff as you go along. Plus, its cast can’t be beat, and its production value is right up there with some of Kojima’s best. As weird as it is, Death Stranding is undeniably unforgettable.

Runner Up:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Some long-time fans of Call of Duty felt burned by last year’s Black Ops 4, mainly due to its lack of campaign. But they’re sure to love Modern Warfare, which not only feels like a complete package, but is probably one of the best in the series to date. The story is riveting and keeps you involved; and the multiplayer is still the best around, with a mixture of competitive and challenging co-op missions. It’s unknown where the series goes from here, but Modern Warfare brings Call of Duty back to a top-tier level—and almost to the top of our list.

PlayStation 4 Game of the Year:

Resident Evil 2

Only foolish gamers would consider Resident Evil 2 “just another remake.” This game raises the bar on how remakes should be made, and sets a new standard for Capcom in terms of survival-horror quality.

Everything that was great about the original game is here, but improved with amazing visuals, as well as gameplay that feels better than anything the older “tank controls” could deliver. On top of that, the unlockable bonuses are truly worthwhile, especially once you catch a glimpse of Tofu in HD.

If Capcom continues to make remakes on this level, we’ll never complain about playing the “same old thing." Like, ever.

For more of our Year in Review 2019 series, head to our hub page.

When you have friends in Pokémon GO, you have the opportunity to receive gifts from them and send some back to increase your overall Friendship level with them. Gifts are a great way to receive several different consumable items in the game, and you can reap other benefits from increasing your Friendship level with other trainers.

How to Get Gifts

To get gifts to give out to friends, you need to visit any of the PokéStops in your surrounding area. Visit one, spin the dial, and you should receive a gift attached to that location in your inventory. You won't always receive them because they are a random drop. You may need to visit multiple PokéStops to receive one. You can only hold 10 gifts at a time.

How to Send Gifts

You can now send that to one of the trainers on your Friends list at any time, but you are limited to sending one gift per trainer every day. To send the gift, you need to tap on your profile picture on the lower-left hand section of your screen, and then go to the Friend list on the right side of your profile. You'll have the list of available Friends you can send a gift.

Click on any of the available trainers to bring up their profile. You should see their Trainer avatar and Buddy Pokémon. Underneath their avatar, to the left, you'll see you can send them a gift with a present icon above it. Click on it, and then choose from the 10 available gifts to send them. The trainer should receive a notification shortly after that.

If their name is grey, but you have not sent them a gift today, it's because they did not open the first gift you sent them. You need to wait until they open that one before sending more.

How to Open Gifts

When you receive a gift from another trainer, your Pokémon GO application has a notification about the event. Open up your application click on the red dot over your avatar icon. When you open it, you receive a postcard about the location the friend received the gift and several items.

What Can You Get From a Gift

There are multiple items you can get when opening a gift. They include:

• Stardust
• Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls
• Regular, Super, Hyper, and Max Potions
• Regular and Max Revives 
• Pinap Berries
• King's Rock
• Sun Stone
• 7km Eggs (you need egg slots to acquire these eggs)

These are all randomized in the gift. You do not have any guarantees for anything.

Nathan Drake may have no trouble conquering the video game world, but the silver screen is an entirely different story.

According to a report posted by Deadline, Sony’s movie adaptation of the hit PlayStation game series from Naughty Dog has lost yet another director. Travis Knight, who previously helmed the Transformers reboot Bumblebee, will apparently exit the project, mainly due to scheduling conflicts with its star, Tom Holland.

Per the report, the actor, set to portray a younger version of Drake, will soon begin work on the latest Spider-Man film as part of a deal with Marvel Studios. As a result, Uncharted won’t make its previously announced late 2020 release window, and Knight will step away from the project.

This is the latest directorial shift for the troubled big-screen adaptation. Originally announced in 2008 by producer Avi Arad, it’s seen a number of directors depart. At one point, Shawn Levy was on board to direct, but left to work with Ryan Reynolds on the video game film Free Guy, which releases next summer. The project also saw the departure of others, including David Tractenberg, David O. Russell, and Seth Gordon.

Sony noted that Holland is still on board for the project, along with Mark Wahlberg, who will play a younger version of his partner, Sully. It’s looking into bringing on a new director, along with setting up a revised release date. Sony Pictures will still work directly with PlayStation Productions to assure that the film retains the spirit of the games that preceded it.

But now the real question is which director will be willing step up to this seemingly cursed project, and, more importantly for fans, when it will finally release.

Fortnite has had some cool crossover content with recently released Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The crossover has included characters from the film, starships from the series, and you have the chance to use a lightsaber. You can use it to block bullets, deal damage to enemies, and destroy structures.

The lightsabers are likely to leave the game soon, but there's been no official announcement. We do have an idea when they may leave, though.

When are lightsabers leaving Fortnite?

The Twitter account named HYPEX — Fortnite Leaks & News posted that lightsabers “are scheduled to be removed from default modes” on Jan. 7, 2020. 

As of now the Lightsabers are scheduled to be removed from default modes on January 7!

— HYPEX - Fortnite Leaks & News (@HYPEX) December 29, 2019

Epic Games has made no official comment about this date. If the items do leave, there's a chance it may return to players in the future.

For instance, John Wick’s Bounty LTM, which debuted earlier this year, recently made a comeback this month, along with its respective character skin.

So when could it come back? More than likely, with the potential home release of the film, which could happen in late March or April. The content could temporarily leave and then make its return at that time to build up hype, possibly with more lightsaber Challenges. That’s not confirmed, but that would make the most sense considering the partnership.

You've Still Got Time To Get a Saber

You still have the chance to obtain a lightsaber.

They are Mythic items and only drop from special Star Wars-themed chests. You have an assortment to choose from, such as a red, green, blue, and purple colored saber. You can find a step-by-step breakdown of where to find these weapons in our helpful guide here, and how to use them.

After acquiring one, you’ll want to check out all its specific Challenges within the game. Fortunately, we have a breakdown of where to find these as well, along with the rewards that you can get.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was a big hit for fans when it initially debuted on the Wii U back in 2016. And soon, it’ll make its prominent return, with a Nintendo Switch release set to arrive early next year.

But with it, some fans are wondering what to expect with the port. Will the original game’s content be restored from its Japanese release? What new features and songs are coming? Let’s see what’s in store for Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE’s return.

It’s based on the Western version, and not the original

Following its debut in Japan back in late 2015, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE went through several changes to make the game less racy to the U.S. market. This includes changing some of the skimpier outfits, to the point that they seemed a bit oddball.

One example includes Kiria, who originally wore panties with a halter top in the Japanese version of the game. This was later modified with a more connected outfit, with pants.

Censored Gaming released a video following the game’s debut on Wii U, detailing several of the changes that took place. You can check it out below.

The Switch’s worldwide release will be based on the Western edition, with no sign of the original content from the original Wii U game from Japan. Nintendo issued the following response when Game Informer inquired about using this particular version of Sessions:

“Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was localized by Atlus in a way that is consistent with the localization work they do on games they publish. It was a priority to ensure the game feels familiar and appeals to longtime Atlus fans. Any changes made to the in-game content were due to varying requirements and regulations in the many different territories Nintendo distributes its products.”

These changes also include modifying ages of some characters to make them older (instead of, say, 16); and the removal of the Hot Springs DLC, which features various characters in swimsuits, taking a break from the action. (You can see an example of this mode in the video below.)

While a few fans may be sore by what’s missing, let’s take a look at what’s being added.

There Will Still Be Some Great New Content

Though specifics weren’t revealed just yet (we’ll know more as the game gets closer to release), the Switch version of Sessions will include several new songs and music videos, featuring Kiria Kurono and Tsubasa Oribe. Some new costumes will also be included, though they’ll probably follow the preset guidelines from the U.S. version.

Players will also have the chance to take control of the president of Fortuna Entertainment, Maiko Shimazaki during Sessions, and not as an entirely new playable character. Tiki will also be a part of Sessions, with “additional story elements,” according to the press release.

Finally, there’s Encore, which will introduce “a new adventure for the protagonists, with an additional dungeon.”

It sounds like Atlus will cater to fans of the original game, despite changing things in the initial release. We’ll see how these changes stack up when the Switch version of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE arrives on Jan. 17, 2020. Check out the Switch trailer below.

There are few games throughout history as iconic as Tetris. The Russian puzzle game first debuted in the 1980s and held the spot for the best-selling title until Minecraft took over in 2019. Name any console, and there is likely a Tetris game made for it. Not only is it everywhere, but the simple gameplay means anyone can grasp the idea of the game. The classic gameplay of tetrominoes falling and arranging them to clear lines still is one of the best feelings in all video games. The formula mostly stays the same throughout the years for Tetris, some games in the series stand out from the others. With that in mind, here are the best Tetris games ever.

Tetris (Game Boy)

Most likely, the most iconic Tetris, the Game Boy iteration, helped make a name for the Nintendo handheld console. Originally, Nintendo planned to package Super Mario Land with the Game Boy. Still, then President of Nintendo of America, Minoru Arakawa, was talked into packaging the puzzle game to sell the console to everyone rather than only young boys. The tactic worked. While there was a complicated struggle for who owned the rights to Tetris, the game was a bonafide success. It sold over 35 million copies for the Game Boy and later received a remake on the Game Boy Color called Tetris DX.

Alexey Pajitnov, the designer of the original Tetris, calls the Game Boy game his personal favorite. It is also widely regarded as one of the essential handheld games of all time. From the iconic music to the link cable multiplayer, Tetris on the Game Boy is a piece of gaming history that still holds up today.

Tetris 99

The battle royale genre took over gaming in the second half of the 2010s. The phenomenon started with PUBG before spreading to games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops IV, and Apex Legends. While battle royales tend to stick to shooting games, they are not exclusive. Tetris 99 entered the fray in February 2019 as a free download for Nintendo Switch Online members bringing the genre to puzzle games.

As the name suggests, you play a regular game of Tetris at the same time as 98 other players, the last player standing wins. As you play, you can set the junk you clear from your board to go to players that are attacking you, are closest to defeat, or randomly. A great deal of strategy is put into Tetris 99 and holds that special addictive gameplay of other battle royale games.

As with other online games, Tetris 99 receives consistent updates and additions. Since its release, it has received Team Battles, Two-Player Battle, local arena, CPU Battle, Marathon, as well as challenges and new themes that change the background and music as you play. If you have a Nintendo Switch, this is one of the must-play games available on the console.

Tetris DS

Tetris DS was another Nintendo developed and published the game in the series that saw universal success. The game was released in 2006, and it featured local wireless for up to ten players and online multiplayer, each mode with a different theme based on classic Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and more.

Each mode in Tetris DS changes up the formula in a fun way. Standard, as you would expect, is the normal Tetris gameplay that features Mario progressing through classic levels on the upper screen as you complete lines. Mission mode gives you missions to complete before your Legend of Zelda's hearts run out. Push is a competitive mode with a Donkey Kong backdrop that has both players sending blocks towards the other player to “push" them towards a fire. Other modes include Touch Mode, Catch Mode, and Puzzle Mode. Tetris DS deserves to be on this list. If you still have a DS (or 3DS), it remains one of the greatest mobile games of all time, not just exclusively Tetris games.

Tetris Effect

As Tetris 99 works surprisingly well with battle royale, Tetris Effect is a great virtual reality game. Released in 2018 for the PS4 (and later for Oculus Quest and HTC Vive), the game instantly received praise from critics and fans alike, earning an 89 on Metacritic.

The part of the Tetris Effect that stands out the most from games is the visuals and music. When Co-producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi finally got his chance to make Tetris Effect, he wanted it to be based around music. The different boards blend the music and gameplay brilliantly to create a therapeutic experience that will calm any stressed mind. The environment Tetris Effect puts you in is perfect for anyone who needs a quick release from the hardships of daily life. It is one of the most relaxing games you can play today.

The 2020s are here, and Pokémon Go is celebrating the new decade with the announcement of a bunch of new events. Get your walking shoes ready players, and be prepared to go outside to take part in the first events for the year.

The first significant new event for January is a new Team Go Rocket Special Research. Activating this new Special Research will allow players to fight against Giovanni again, and receive a new Legendary Shadow Pokémon – Shadow Moltres.

On Jan. 1, players will be able to participate in the first Research Breakthrough of the year. The Gen. 1 Pokémon Lapras will be the focus of the Research Breakthrough for January. Lapras is water and ice-type Pokémon that looks similar to classical imagery of the Loch Ness Monster. The Lapras that will be available in the Research Breakthrough will know the moves Ice Shard and Ice Beam. This will be the first time that a Lapras that knows those moves will be available since 2018.

The Lapras Research Breakthrough will begin on Jan. 1, at 1pm, and end on February 1, at 1pm PST.

Related: 10 Best Video Game Quotes of All Time

The next event is a new Adventure Sync Hatchathon. By walking a certain distance, players will be able to receive special rewards. Players who take part in January’s Hatchathon may be rewarded with extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and an Unova Stone. Pokémon wearing party hats can also be encountered by hatching eggs or meeting them in the wild.

The Adventure Syn Hatchathon will start on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 1pm PST. The event will end on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 1pm.

UPDATE: Serebii will later report that players will be rewarded with two times amount of Hatch Stardust and Hatch Candy during the Hatchathon. Wurmple with party hats will spawn more commonly in 2K eggs during the event, and Pichu with party hats will also spawn more common in 7K eggs. Party hat Pikachu can be encountered in the wild, while party hat Raticate and Wobbuffet can be appear in two-star raids.

Serebii Update: Further details for the upcoming Hatchathon event in Pokémon GO have been detailed. Details @ https://t.co/gDbXkHSvkTpic.twitter.com/otU3ISQKIf

— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) December 31, 2019

The Legendary Pokémon Heatran will also be returning to five-star Raids in January. Heatran was first introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and it is a fire and steel-type. Players could potentially encounter a shiny Heatran if they find it in the raids.

Heatran will begin appearing in raids on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 1pm PST. The Legendary will stop spawning in raids on Feb. 4, at 1pm.

The Pokémon Go Blog also teased that more Unova Pokémon will be coming soon, though it is unknown if January is when players can expect to encounter these new Pokémon.

Everyone’s favorite useless fish Pokémon is the star of the newest Wild Area Event in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

Magikarp is one of the most notoriously pointless Pokémon in the entire franchise. Its main move is Splash, which does nothing. Players have put up with its uselessness because it evolves into Gyarados, one of the best Pokémon in the games.

Despite how utterly inefficient Magikarp is, it has become one of the infamous Pokémon in the franchise mostly because players have grown to like it in an ironic sense.

Fortunately for the ‘karp-man, it will be the focus of a new event in Sword and Shield. Serebii reports that Dynamax Magikarp will begin spawning in Max Raid Battles in the Wild Area. The publication also points out that there will be a higher chance of encountering a Shiny Magikarp during this event.

Serebii Update: A new Wild Area event has begun. Magikarp raids are more common with there being a higher chance of encountering a shiny Magikarp https://t.co/gDbXkHSvkTpic.twitter.com/6hDTqM9T9C

— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) December 31, 2019

Related: Top 10 Worst Pokémon in Sword and Shield

While Magikarp is normally red, shiny Magikarp is pure gold. A shiny Magikarp can then evolve into a Shiny Gyarados. Normal Gyarados is a blue serpent-like Pokémon, whereas shiny Gyarados is red.

Players who defeat the Dynamax Magikarp in the Raids will be rewarded with golden Nuggets which they can sell at shops for a high price. Nuggets come in two sizes, normal or big. Dynamax Magikarp will reward players both for beating it.

The Magikarp-focused Wild Area event is available now in Sword and Shield. It will last until Jan. 3, at 11:59 pm UTC.