BLADES OF HADES (GOD OF WAR)

As compared to God of War 2 and 3, the very first God of War game had a lot more sections that put emphasis on pure platforming (or something close to platforming anyway). One such section was the Blades of Hades, and as anyone who’s played the game would tell you, it was a nightmare. Walking over thin wooden logs while trying to avoid all manner of massive axe heads and saw blades was even worse in practice than it sounds, and countless players died more than just a few times trying to get through this part.

Rayman is one of Ubisoft’s forgotten titles, it feels like. The quirky platformer was one of the company’s first big mascots, but now doesn’t fit so much with the direction the company has gone in. However, you can revisit it via one of the series best titles, Rayman Origins, if you can make time for a speedrun watchalong next week.

The record for fastest playthrough of Rayman 2 was broken recently by a streamer named Darno_PL. The previous record holder, Glackum, will try to reclaim the record live. Those who watch along live for at least thirty minutes will get a free copy of Rayman Origins for Uplay. The event is hosted by Ubisoft themselves at their official Twitch channel.

The run will occur June 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET. To get your copy of the game, you will need to link your Uplay and Twitch account, which you can check out how to do here. You can also find out more details about the event at Ubisoft’s website.

Please note that there might be slight spoilers ahead, so stop watching if we start talking about a game you don’t want spoiled. In case you have any suggestions that we may have failed to mention, drop a comment down below.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

DEVIL’S HOUSE (METAL GEAR SOLID 5: THE PHANTOM PAIN)

Hideo Kojima and his Metal Gear games have had a long history of featuring some truly frightening sequences, and The Phantom Pain was obviously no different (in this regard, at least). One of the more disturbing scenes in the entire game comes in the location known as the Devil’s House. Seeing the dozens upon dozens of people who’re being experimented on by XOF in this dingy location can seriously give you the creeps, while the mere presence of Psycho Mantis and the Man on Fire also presents a tough challenge. Hell, there’s even a P.T. easter egg in here.

Xbox Live Gold members will have quite the line-up of games to play in January 2017. Microsoft has announced next month’s free Games With Gold which begins with World of Van Helsing: Deathtrap for Xbox One and Double Fine’s The Cave on Xbox 360 from January 1st onwards.

On January 16th, Killer Instinct Season 2 will be the next free title on Xbox One along with Rayman Origins on Xbox 360. Thanks to backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games on Xbox One, you effectively gain double the number of games to play each month. Make sure you pick up December’s free games before the month is out if you haven’t already.

It should also be noted that Microsoft will be hosting its largest sale yet on Xbox Live to celebrate the New Year. More than 350 deals will be on offer starting from December 22nd so stay tuned for more updates on which games you should be picking up.

Rejoice for Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed Rayman Origins is now available for free. Of course, the catch is it’s only free for PC users and that too through Uplay. Simply head over to the Ubi 30 site to obtain the game, sign into Uplay and add it to your library.

As part of Ubisoft’s 30 year anniversary celebration, Rayman Origins is available completely for free. It replaces Splinter Cell which was the free game for July and will be available for 30 days. You don’t even have to play it right away if you’re not interested – simply download Rayman Origins and it remains in your library till the end of time or Ubisoft (whichever comes first).

Four more Ubisoft titles will be provided in the coming months completely for free till the end of 2016. We’re still waiting for more information on next month’s free game but it has some pretty big shoes to fill considering how great Rayman Origins is.

What are your thoughts on Rayman Origins being offered for free? Let us know in the comments.

Continuing its free games promotion, Ubisoft has revealed that Uplay members can add another free game to their libraries with Rayman Origins. The critically acclaimed platformer debuted the UbiArt Framework engine which has been used in a number of Ubisoft games like Valiant Hearts, Rayman Legends and Child of Light to great effect. It was also a return to the limbless wonder’s roots with the addition of some awesome co-op.

Last month’s free game was the first Splinter Cell to celebrate 30 years of Ubisoft’s existence. If you’re keen on picking up Splinter Cell right now and then Rayman Origins later this month, you’ll need Uplay. Alternatively, you can head to this page (which still shows Splinter Cell as this month’s game).

What are your thoughts on Rayman Origins as this month’s free game for Uplay? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for updates when it finally goes live.

Rayman Fiesta Run, the smartphone optimized Rayman experience that follows last year’s Rayman: Jungle Run, will be available on iOS and Android via the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore on November 7, for just £1.99.

Rayman Fiesta Run is greatly expanded from Jungle Run, featuring a much more agile and equipped protagonist, as Rayman can now swim, shrink, and access a full range of power ups as he takes on over 75 new levels.

The new game has, as the name suggests, a fiesta theme: it is set amongst maracas, hot pepper disco balls and a festive fiesta backdrop, and it will see Rayman lunging for cocktail umbrellas, leaping on limes, punching piñatas and facing new epic bosses. There will also be Invasion levels, raising the level of challenge in the game.

The game uses the same UbiART Framework engine that powered last year’s breakthrough hit Rayman Origins, and this year’s lauded follow up, Rayman Legends, along with the upcoming, breathtaking, Child of Light. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage.

In the wake of the release of Rayman: Legends by Ubisoft, Sony has confirmed that its predecessor, Rayman: Origins will be listed on the PlayStation store as free for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Rayman: Origins will enter the Instant Game Collection tomorrow.

Rayman Origins was released back in 2011 and received excellent reviews from several publications including a brilliant 9/10 from us. You can read our full review here.

Other than Rayman Origins, Sony are running discounts on the following games:

• Limbo – PS Plus Price: $11.99, Regular Price: $14.99
• Worms Revolution – PS Plus Price: $7.50, Regular Price: $14.99
• Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut – PS Plus Price: $11.69, Regular Price: $12.99
• Pinballistik: Alien Tycoon Bundle – PS Plus Price: $3.99, Regular Price: $4.99
• Pinballistik + DLC Bundle – PS Plus Price: $3.99, Regular Price: $4.99

Do you plan to download Rayman Origins from the PlayStation Network? Or furthermore, do you think PS Plus is a great service? Sound off in the comments section below.

Source: PlayStation Blog

It’s like seeing a 2D, side scrolling, platforming version of Gran Turismo 5. Without cars. Yeah.

So, Rayman Origins on the 3DS got delayed. Again. The game was originally announced for a March 20 release date, then got published to June 5.

And now, Ubisoft’s senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key confirmed to IGN during E3 that the game won’t be released on the 3DS until November, so that it would better coincide with the Wii U version’s launch.

However, he reassured everyone that the game will release- in fact, it’s already been developed. They’re just waiting on it for a few more months.

“Rayman 3DS is coming out in November,” Key said. “It will probably be coinciding with the Wii U version. It’s absolutely going to ship. They already made the game.”

“We decided it wasn’t the right window,” he said when asked why the firm wouldn’t just launch the game already. “We want to better align it with the communication around the next Rayman.”

Rayman Legends was confirmed as a Wii U exclusive at E3. Read the full story here.

When the Glade of Dreams is overrun by “nefurrious” Darktoons, the Fairy Council hastily invokes Rayman to save the day; but the hero of light isn’t quite all there…To help him, Rayman teams up with his best friend, Globox. Together, the world’s most hilarious team of heroes will need to restore peace to the Glade or watch as their beloved home vanishes like a bad dream…

The launch trailer for Rayman Origins on 3DS looks awesome. It launches in North America on 5th June and in Europe on 8th June.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.