StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void Gets a Free Prologue and July Beta

StarCraft II is getting another expansion, titled Legacy of the Void, at some unannounced point in the future. To hold players over, developer Blizzard is making a free prologue for it.

Called Whispers of Oblivion, this prologue will have three missions, including the first focusing on Zeratul since the Wings of Liberty expansion. According to the developer, Whispers of Oblivion is meant to bridge the story gap between the last expansion, called Heart of the Swarm, and the upcoming Legacy of the Void.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 Plays On Nostalgia to Great Effect

There was a time when anyone could pick up a pad and chase high-scores in a skating game. And then the Tony Hawk titles withered away, the Skate games came along with realistic physics and complex controls, and I became sad.

I have no ill-will towards EA’s Skate series, it was an impressively authentic realisation of skating and, as a person with multiple friends “about that skate life,” I got a buzz off how much they enjoyed the series.

But it was always bittersweet, as the thrills of a realistic skating experience in a video game were lost on me. I preferred the arcadey feel of the Tony Hawk’s series. In particular, the way it was so eager to positively reinforce my pathetic attempts at tricking with points--however meagre they were.

Why Fallout 4 Is Set in Boston

This year's post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout 4 is set in Boston. But why did Bethesda Game Studios choose Beantown for its setting? During a panel presentation today at E3 2015, game director Todd Howard offered an explanation, albeit a brief one.

"We debated for a while," Howard said, though he did not name any cities that were also in the running.

Fallout 4's post-apocalyptic Fenway Park

As for why Bethesda ultimately chose Boston, Howard pointed out that Fallout 3 contained references to the New England city, so going there with a full game was a logical next step. He also said that Boston's mix of history and technology (this robot dogwas built in Boston) makes it a good fit.

"We had had some seeds in Fallout 3. And we felt that Boston has the right mix of American history and high-tech," Howard said. "It's very good for Fallout."

Fallout 4 lead designer Emil Pagliarulo, who grew up in Boston, added, "There's a richness and a flavor to the city." He went on to say that playing the game has made him feel homesick.

Fallout 4 launches in November for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, andPC. We learned a lot more about the game this week at E3; check out some of the big stories below.

Fan Tries to Preorder Fallout 4 With Bottle Caps

Now that retailers are accepting preorders for Fallout 4, one superfan has attempted to pay for the game with bottle caps, which are the in-game currency for the post-apocalyptic RPG series.

Reddit user GatorMacheteJr explains:

"Fallout 3 was my favorite game for several years, so I made the rational choice to start saving up bottle caps. Turns out 4.5 years of undergrad and three years in a Master's program leads to a lot of drinking."

Batman: Arkham Knight Batmobile Edition Canceled Due to Quality Issues

"Unforeseen circumstances" lead to the cancellation of Arkham Knight's big premium edition

Less than one week before Batman: Arkham Knight's release, developer Rocksteady Studios has announced that the $200 Batmobile edition of the game has been canceled. The developer announced the news in its forums today, saying "unforeseen circumstances" are to blame.

Darksiders II: Death-initive version could be followed by Darksiders 3 later on.

As suspected, 2012's action game Darksiders II is getting a remastered version call the "Death-initive Edition," publisher Nordic Games, which bought the franchise from THQ, announced on Thursday.

The new version, which was originally confirmed only for PlayStation 4, has now also been announced forXbox One. Both versions will launch this winter, according to Polygon.

The Darksiders II Death-initive edition, which has been updated to run in native 1080p and features better lighting, as well as improved character and environmental visuals, will come with all previously released DLC. Pricing was not announced.

The new version of Darksiders II is in development at Gunfire Games, which is reportedly staffed "almost entirely" of people who worked on the Darksiders at original developer Vigil Games.

Latest Xbox One firmware removes region lock in China

Late last year game consoles returned to the Chinese market after a 13 year hiatus. Both Microsoft and Sony took advantage, releasing the Xbox One and PS4, respectively. However, the Xbox One came with a couple of additional limiting features compared to how the console is sold elsewhere in the world. Notably, the inclusion of region locking and an online activation system for physical games.