By Jimmy Thang on Feb 05, 2018 11:25 pm
Valve recently released its Steam hardware and software survey for the month of January 2018. As a part of our new, regularly monthly feature, we're going to break down and analyze the latest hardware trends among Steam users. It's important to note that Steam's hardware survey is voluntary, and as a result, it is not completely indicative of real-world numbers. Table of contents - Most popular GPUs - Most popular CPUs - Most popular RAM allotments - Most popular gaming resolutions - Most popular storage amounts - Most popular VR headset - Most popular version of Windows - Most popular Mac hardware and software - Conclusion
GPUs
Nvidia owns 86.4 percent of the GPU market share according to Valve's survey. This figure actually represents a 1.6% increase from the previous month. AMD trails in a distant second with 8.1%, followed by Intel's integrated graphics solutions at 5.2%. 90.9 percent of users reported owning DirectX 12 GPUs, which indicate that most users are equipped with modern graphics cards. The most popular GPU is Nvidia's 2016-released GTX 1060 with 14.2% of the pie. The mid-range GeForce GPU is a great choice for maxing out most games at 1080p with smooth frame rates. It's followed in second place by its 2015-released predecessor, the GTX 960, which has 10.5 percent of the market share. Most users reported having graphics cards with 2GB of video memory, which is what the GTX 960 has.
CPUs
Intel dominated the CPU landscape with 91.9 percent of the market last month. This is up .7 percent despite recent news early in the month that Intel's processors are vulnerable to major security risks. 70.2% of users reported owning a quad-core CPU, which is what we recommend for most gamers. Second place went to dual-core processors with 25.1% of the pie. 30 percent of users reported having CPUs with clock speeds that fall between 3GHz and 3.29GHz. In second place with 23% are users with CPU frequencies between 3.3GHz and 3.69GHz.
RAM
Like last month, the most popular RAM allotment is 8GB, which is the minimum amount of memory we recommend to gamers. It is losing some ground to users with 12GB of RAM or more, however, which is in second place with 39.1%. 16GB is what we recommend for gamers who also like to run memory-intensive applications like Google Chrome.
Resolution
71.1 percent of Steam users reported that they use 1920x1080-resolution monitors. This is up 1.4% compared to last month. In second place at 10% is 1366x768, which is an old, popular laptop standard. In third at 3.5% is 2560x1440, which is the resolution we recommend for most gamers with a GTX 1070/RX Vega 56 or greater GPU. What about 4K? It only has .66 percent of the resolution pie, though it did gain .2 percent market share over the past month. While 1920x1080 is the most popular gaming resolution, 34.8% of Steam users reported using two 1080p panels.
Storage
63.7 percent of Steam users own a hard drive that offers at least 1TB of storage. This represents a 2.3 percent growth in this tier compared to the previous month. 26.5% of users reported having between 100 to 249GB of free space, which represents the largest piece of the available storage pie. It's important to highlight that Steam does not differentiate between SSD and HDD storage.
VR Headset
After barely taking the VR lead for the first time last month, the Oculus Rift falls back to a close second place in January. The Vive leads with 46.9 percent of the VR market, which is only .9% higher than the Rift's share. The more recently released Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets are are slowly beginning to take market share from the Rift and the Vive with 5.1%, which represents a .8% growth from the previous month. While VR is slowly growing, only .4 percent of Steam users reported owning a VR headset.
Windows
While Windows 10 used to be the most popular operating system among Steam users, it has since fallen to second place and now has a 35.4 percent handle on the OS market. The 64-bit version of Windows 7 leads with 56.6%. The rising popularity of Windows 7 most likely has to do with the large influx of Chinese users playing PUBG, which has become the most played game on Steam in recent months.
Mac
OSX only makes up 1.8 percent of the overall OS pie, but that's up .1 percent compared to last month. Among Mac users, 51.7 percent of them use a Macbook Pro. Apple's MacBook Air follows in second place with 23.6 percent.
Conclusion
If you take the most common components from the Steam survey to spec out a build, how would it look? As you'll see in the spec chart below, it represents a fairly balanced mid-range gaming PC. How does your PC stack up to the average Steam user? Let us know in the comments below! GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 CPU: Intel quad-core clocked between 3GHz to 3.29GHz System RAM: 8GB Storage space: 1TB+ OS: Windows 7 64-bit
By Dan Auty on Feb 05, 2018 10:50 pm
Star Trek: Discovery: All The Easter Eggs So Far
While Star Trek found a new lease of life on the big screen in 2009, it had been more than a decade since the last TV show in the long-running sci-fi franchise when Star Trek: Discovery premiered last September. The show's producers faced the difficult task of making a show that appealed to modern audiences and new fans, as well as satisfying die-hard, long-term Trek devotees. But while Discovery has taken the story and characters in some surprising directions, it's also very aware of its past. Every episode to date has contained at least one reference or call-back to something from the grand 52-year history of Star Trek. Sometimes these are sly jokes that only the most dedicated fan will spot, and sometimes they are crucial plot-points. So here's a look at all the Discovery Easter Eggs so far…
1. Klingon Houses (Episode 1)
A number of Klingon Houses from previous Star Trek shows are mentioned in Episode 1, including House D'Ghor (from the Deep Space Nine episode 'The House of Quark') and House Mo'Kai (Voyager's 'The Killing Game').
2. Vulcan Learning Center (Episode 1)
There are a number of flashbacks across the first two episodes to Burnham's time at the Vulcan Learning Center, which also featured in the 2009 movie Star Trek.
3. Bat'leth (Episode 1)
When Burnham encounters the Klingon warrior in deep space, he is holding a bladed weapon known as a Bat'leth, which Worf often wielded in The Next Generation.
4. Starfleet General Order 1 (Episode 2)
There is a reference to "Starfleet General Order 1", more commonly known as the Prime Directive, which prohibits interference with the internal development of alien civilizations.
5. Federation Ships (Episode 2)
A host of Federation ships arrive to help in the standoff with the Klingons. Many of them are named after elements of Star Trek canon, such as USS Nebula (from the video game Star Trek: Armada II), USS T'Plana-Hath (a Vulcan ship in Star Trek: First Contact), USS Yeager (ships in both Deep Space Nine and First Contact), and USS Clarke, which featured in the Star Trek novel The Wounded Sky.
6. Georgiou's office (Episode 2)
Captain Georgiou's office on the Shenzou contains a couple of Easter Eggs. There's a bottle of wine from Chateau Picard, which is presumably owned by the family of Next Generation's Jean-Luc Picard. And the titles of the books on the shelf are all taken from episodes of the original series, including "Mirror, Mirror," "The Deadly Years," "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Omega Glory," and "Whom Gods Destroy."
7. Tellun (Episode 3)
Burnham and the other criminals are being transferred to the Tellun system, which appeared in original series episode 'Elaan of Troyius.'
8. Suus Mahna (Episode 3)
Burnham is forced to defend herself against the criminals using Suus Mahna, the Vulcan martial art also practised by T'Pol in Enterprise.
9. Tribble! (Episode 3)
There's a tribble sitting on Captain Lorca's desk. This furry creature appeared in the classic original series episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles.'
10. Zee-Magnees Prize (Episode 3)
Straal speculates that he and Stamets will win a Zee-Magnees Prize for their research into the mycelial network. This prize was also awarded to Dr. Daystrom for his development of Duotronics in the original series episode 'The Ultimate Computer.'
11. Lorca's secret chamber (Episode 3)
Lorca keeps a variety of alien species in his secret laboratory, including the skeleton of a Gorn, which featured in the original series, as well as a mirror universe episode of Enterprise. There's also the bodies of Cardassian voles, which once caused an infestation on an episode of Deep Space Nine.
12. Spore Visions (Episode 3)
When Lorca exposes Burnham to spores to demonstrate their power to move around the galaxy, she experiences a series of visions. Among the familiar locations are Romulus, the moons of Andoria, Starbase 11, Janus VI, and a Preserver Obilisk, all of which featured in the original series.
13. Corvan II (Episode 4)
Much of Episode 4's plot revolves around the planet Corvan II, which was first mentioned in the Next Generation episode 'New Ground.'
14. Zefram Cochrane (Episode 4)
To inspire Stamets to work harder on developing the spore drive, Lorca mentions three pioneers. Two are real (Wright Brothers and Elon Musk) , but one-- Zefram Cochrane--was the man who first encountered Vulcans in the movie Star Trek: First Contact.
15. Harry Mudd (Episode 5)
Episode 5's big Easter Egg is the return of a fan favourite--Harry Mudd. This intergalactic scoundrel and conman first appeared in the original series, played by Roger C. Carmel. In Discovery, Office star Rainn Wilson takes on the role.
16. Benzar (Episode 5)
Lorca lists the Discovery's accomplishments during a briefing, including breaking Klingon supply lines at Benzar. This planet was mentioned in both Deep Space Nine and Next Generation, the latter of which also featured a Benzite character called Mordock.
17. Rura Penthe (Episode 5)
While trying to locate the captured Lorca, the Discovery crew narrow his possible location to three planets. One of these is Rura Penthe, a penal colony on which Kirk and McCoy found themselves in Star Trek V: The Undiscovered Country.
18. Captains (Episode 5)
Saru requests a list of Starfleet's most decorated captains, all of whom have appeared or been referenced in previous shows. There's Robert April (The Animated Series), Jonathan Archer (Enterprise), Matthew Decker (the original series), Philippa Georgiou (Discovery), and Christopher Pike (the original series).
19. Daystrom Institute (Episode 5)
Tilly mentions the Daystrom Institute, a Starfleet science institute mentioned in an original series episode titled 'The Ultimate Computer.'
20. Zaldan (Episode 5)
Stamets compares the DNA of the Tardigrade to that of a Zaldan. These web-handed humanoid aliens appeared in the Next Generation episode 'Coming of Age.'
21. Enterprise! (Episode 6)
Star Trek's most famous ship is mentioned by Burnham as she tells Tilly about the steps to becoming an officer.
22. Grazer (Episode 6)
Tyler tells Lorca that his mother died while travelling to the moons of Grazer. Although Grazer has never been mentioned in a Star Trek movie or show, it does feature in the Deep Space Nine novel 'Articles of Confederation.'
23. Star Map (Episode 7)
The star map in Episode 7 is packed with interplanetary locations mentioned elsewhere in the franchise. There's Rura Penthe (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Voyager), Beta Thoridor, Mempa, H'atoria, the Hromi Cluster, Ramatis III, Starbase 24, Khitomer (The Next Generation), and Narendra III, Paulson Nebula, Starbase 343, and Xaratine (Enterprise).
24. "Adieu mon capitaine!" (Episode 7)
At one point Harry Mudd yells the line made famous by Picard's omnipotent nemesis Q in The Next Generation.
25. Stella Mudd (Episode 7)
Harry Mudd's wife Stella appears at the end of Episode 7. By the original series, Stella has left Mudd, leading him to construct an older android version to keep him company. But in Discovery, she's a much younger woman, who stills has affection for her troublesome husband.
26. "The needs of the many" (Episode 8)
In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spock delivers one of the most famous lines in the whole franchise: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." This quote forms the basis of a discussion between Tyler and Burnham about what their lives hold for them once the war is over.
27. Legion of Honor (Episode 9)
Lorca is offered the Legion of Honor by Starfleet for destroying the Klingon Sarcophagus ship and saving Pahvo. This was previously awarded to Dr. McCoy in the original series and Data in Next Generation.
28. The Mirror Universe (Episode 10)
The second half of Season 1 kicks off with a classic Star Trek concept--the mirror universe. This alternative reality first appeared in the original series, and subsequently featured in five episodes of Deep Space Nine and a two-part episode of Enterprise.
29.
"Isik for your thoughts?" (Episode 10)
Burnham asks Tyler how he is, using this Vulcan proverb. An Isik is part of Vlugtan currency, first mentioned in Deep Space Nine episode "Rivals."
30. USS Defiant (Episode 10)
This classic Star Trek ship featured in both Deep Space Nine and First Contact. In Discovery it is revealed that it has also passed through to the mirror universe and holds the key to the Discovery's return to prime.
31. Lorca the Scot (Episode 10)
In order to disguise his voice, Lorca adopts an amusing Scottish accent, very similar to that of a certain Mr Scott, chief engineer from the original series.
32. Agonizer Booth (Episode 10)
The Terran torture booth has previously appeared in two mirror universe episodes--the original series' 'Mirror, Mirror' and Enterprise's 'In a Mirror, Darkly.'
33. Vulcan Beard (Episode 11)
When Burnham and Tyler encounter the mirror universe Sarek, he is sporting a little goatee beard--much as mirror Spock did in the original series.
34. Andorians and Tellarites (Episode 11)
There are a couple of classic Star Trek aliens sitting with mirror universe Voq around the table of rebellion leaders. Both Andorians and Tellarites have featured in episodes of the original series and of Enterprise.
35. Defiant Data (Episode 12)
Burnham and Lorca look over Saru's decryption of the data taken from the Defiant in an attempt to learn how that ship crossed into the mirror universe. While much of the text is redacted (and tiny!), close examination reveals that it is essentially a synopsis of the plot of the two-part Enterprise episode 'In a Mirror Darkly' from 2005.
36. No-Win Scenario (Episode 13)
When Saru gives his speech to the crew of the Discovery about the chances of survival in the upcoming fight against the Terrans, he uses the phrase "no-win scenario." This is the central concept behind the Kobayashi Maru, the famous training exercise featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and the 2009 reboot movie.
37. Ion Storm Malfunction (Episode 13)
Lorca reveals that he first entered the prime universe via a transporter malfunction in an ion storm. These magnetic space storms have occurred throughout Star Trek, but more specifically it was an identical transporter problem that first sent the crew of the Enterprise into the mirror universe in the classic original series episode 'Mirror Mirror.'
By Mat Elfring on Feb 05, 2018 10:34 pm
During Super Bowl LII, a teaser for Solo: A Star Wars Story dropped, and it gave us a look into the next Star Wars film, which takes place years before A New Hope. The solo Han Solo film has been on a rough journey the past year. The original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, were fired and then replaced by Ron Howard. It's been a roller coaster of a ride for the cast and crew. This morning, during Good Morning America, a full trailer for the upcoming spring film was released. The extended trailer had a few Easter eggs as well as a few new characters that every Star Wars fan will be able to purchase a toy of in the upcoming months. More importantly, we also learned a lot about the new film; here are the main takeaways.
The trailer kicks off with Han starting up the Millennium Falcon. Everything looks shiny and new. Afterwards Han, played by Alden Ehrenreich, says, "I've been running scams on the street since I was 10."
Han Solo and Qi'Ra, played by Emilia Clarke, are on the run in a landspeeder. If you look towards the top of the image, you can see Han's gold dice, which will eventually find a home in the Falcon.
Han and Qi'Ra are being chased by a trooper on a boxy landspeeder. Han says, "I was kicked out of the flight academy." He's referring to his time in the Imperial Naval Academy's flight school, which was brief. Han continues, "For having a mind of my own." The trooper chasing Han runs into something and his bike explodes.
Han's speeder is still on the run and slides across the ground on a watery planet. This could be Corellia, the birthplace of Han Solo. During this shot, Han is being chased by Moloch and Rebolt, which have Lego sets coming out soon. Because Moloch is played by stuntman Harley Durst, he's probably not a big part of this movie.
Han stands in the mountains, on what could also be Corellia, and says, "I'm going to be a pilot." It's possible that this movie starts with Han leaving his home planet for the first time.
Han continues, "Best in the galaxy." We see an interior shot of the Falcon, and it is brand new, not a scratch on it.
There is a quick shot of Han standing in front of the Falcon, during a dust storm, and at the top of the screen are two suns. Could this be taking place on Tatooine?
Tobia Beckett, played by Woody Harrelson, says, "Hey kid. I'm putting together a crew." Again this scene could be taking place on Corellia. Harrelson's character will be a mentor to Han, the person who teaches Han everything he knows about smuggling and being a scoundrel in the Star Wars Universe.
Qi'Ra and a droid exit the Falcon. The droid, whose name has not surfaced yet, will be voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Crashing, Broadchurch). It's very apparent from the trailer that this droid will be the C-3PO of the team, but hopefully a bit more useful.
It's the first shot of Lando, played by Donald Glover. He looks pretty awesome.
Thandie Newton, who you probably know as Maeve on Westworld, was rumored to be appearing in the film, and here's our confirmation. However, we're not sure who she is playing. There is a lot of speculation she's Sana Starros, and she claimed to be Han's wife when she appeared in Marvel's Star Wars comic series.
We have a brand-new alien, and in addition to the cool goggles, he has four arms. He's piloting a ship that has a bit of wear and tear on it.
Han stands facing a room which seems a bit seedy-looking. This could possibly be Stenness, where he first began gambling before the Galactic Civil War. This is where Han and Sana got illegitimately married.
There is a shot of a seemingly high-class bar, which Qi'Ra appears in as well. Inside the bar is a singer in a gold outfit accompanied by a head floating in a jar. It may be a throwaway moment, as the focus quickly went to Qi'Ra afterwards. Maybe she's there for a heist?
Of course, Han will be shooting people across the galaxy. We get a quick look at a shootout that's about to take place. Han is facing these guys.
We get a closer look at the person in the center of the group. His helmet has writing all over it. Do these gang members have any affiliation to the unnamed crime lord of Stenness?
There's a quick shot of someone shooting a blaster, and the outfit, while hard to make out, looks familiar.
From what we can make out, it looks similar to the outfit Lando wore in Return of the Jedi while in Jabba's palace.
In the only other shot with decent lighting, you can see the ridges on the top of the helmet, as well as the shape of it, which covers the side of the face, much like Lando's RotJ helmet.
Back on what seems like Corellia, there'a a large explosion, and the trailer leads us to believe Han is flying the ship.
TIE Fighters chase the Falcon on a gaseous planet, with an Imperial-Class Destroyer in the background.
After escaping the Empire, the crew on the Falcon finds themselves avoiding some sort of Cthulhu-type creature. Could this be a Purrgil, a giant space-whale that can travel through hyper-space? Regardless, this looks like the biggest creature we've seen in the Star Wars cinematic universe, even bigger than the Exogoth from Empire Strikes Back. We'll learn more when Solo: A Star Wars Story comes to theaters on May 25.
By Kevin Knezevic on Feb 05, 2018 08:30 pm
Thinking Outside the Box
Nintendo Labo is the name of Nintendo's new DIY "experience," which is coming to Switch this spring. What makes Labo unlike any other game the company has ever released is that it comes bundled with sheets of cardboard, strings, rubber bands, and other materials, with which you can build cardboard peripherals called Toy-Cons. Labo is being released in two separate kits, each of which comes with different materials and activities. The first package, the Variety Kit, lets you build five different Toy-Cons for use with a corresponding mini-game: RC Car, Fishing Rod, Piano, House, and Motorbike. The second Labo kit, Robot, doesn't feature the same breadth of activities, but it is much more complex. It lets players build an intricate cardboard backpack that is used to control a robot on the television screen. We got to try Labo out for ourselves at a preview event this week, assembling some of our own Toy-Cons and playing each of the activities included in the two different Labo kits. You can watch us test out the different Toy-Cons in our Labo gameplay montage, but if you want a closer look at the game, click through the gallery above to see each of the Toy-Cons you can make and learn more about their corresponding activities. Given Labo's rather unusual premise, you may still have questions as to what it is you actually do with the game. If you're still confused, we broke down exactly what Nintendo Labo is. Labo releases in the US and Australia on April 20, while it arrives in Europe on April 27.
RC Car
The RC Car is the simplest Toy-Con in the Labo Variety Kit. It can be assembled in only a couple of minutes, and unlike the other activities in the package, it doesn't interact with a specific mini-game on the Switch. Instead, the console itself functions as a remote control for the RC Car. After inserting your Joy-Cons into the sides of the car, you're able to drive it around by pressing buttons on the Switch's screen. The Variety Kit comes with enough material to create two RC Cars.
RC Car
Fishing Rod
The Fishing Rod Toy-Con is actually comprised of two separate constructions: the rod itself, and a cradle (the "Ocean") that houses the Switch console vertically. The Fishing Rod is attached to the Ocean via a string, and by rotating its reel, you can raise or lower your fishing hook on the Switch screen. This is used to play a simple game of fishing; lower your line until you spot a shoal of fish, and once one bites down on it, you must pull the rod back to hook the fish and rotate the reel to pull it up to the surface.
Fishing Rod
House
As its name suggests, the House Toy-Con resembles a tiny home. The right Joy-Con is inserted into the chimney, while the Switch console itself is slotted in the center. A fluffy creature lives inside the House, and you're able to interact with it by plugging different "keys" into the sides and bottom of the Toy-Con; one key makes a faucet appear, which you can turn to fill the House with water. Inserting two keys at once lets you play a mini-game, like a short minecart level or a bowling alley, in which you earn candy to feed to the creature.
House
Piano
The Piano is one of the most complex Toy-Cons to assemble, though it's the most straightforward in terms of what you can do with it. Once put together, the Toy-Con acts like a real piano, playing music when you press its keys. The Switch console is slotted above the keyboard and displays the notes you're pressing. The Piano also comes with three different knobs that can be inserted into the top of the Toy-Con. These change the tone of the notes; one knob, for example, turns each note into a cat meow.
Piano
Motorbike
The Motorbike Toy-Con resembles the headlight and handlebars of a dirt bike. Each Joy-Con is inserted into one of the handlebars, while the Switch console rests in the center of the Toy-Con and provides your view of the racetrack. There are several different races you can participate in against AI opponents. You press a button on the right handlebar to start your engine, then twist the handlebar to accelerate, turning the Toy-Con to steer your character around the racetrack.
Motorbike
Robot
Unquestionably the most complex Toy-Con from the two announced Labo kits, Robot has you assemble a cardboard backpack that is worn to control an on-screen robot. The right Joy-Con is inserted into the back of the Toy-Con and reads your movements when you pull the levers attached to your hands and feet. The object of the game we tried was to destroy a city by punching and stomping buildings and other objects. Kneeling down also transforms your robot into a vehicle, while spreading your arms out to the sides allows you to fly. The Toy-Con also comes with a visor; when that is pulled down over your eyes, the action on-screen shifts to a first-person viewpoint.
Robot
By Chris Pereira on Feb 05, 2018 04:42 pm
One of Destiny 2's biggest updates so far is now available, introducing new elements to the game like Masterwork armor and Raid armor perks. Its release also marks the launch of the latest Iron Banner event, which is the first one to take place since Curse of Osiris debuted in December. That DLC started the second season of in-game content, with each season bringing new gear to activities like Faction Rally and Iron Banner. Following the recent Faction Rally event's new set of items, now is your chance to acquire the just-added selection of Iron Banner gear. Iron Banner Engrams you receive from Lord Saladin can now have a variety of new items inside them, alongside those that were already available. Even more will be added during the next Iron Banner, but for now, you can expect to have a shot at a new hand cannon, scout rifle, shotgun, Ghost, Sparrow, shader, and ship. Additionally, there's a new emblem that tracks how many times you've ranked up with Iron Banner; you can earn this by completing the Iron Banner Milestone (which requires playing 30 total Iron Banner matches during Season 2). Bear in mind, the new gear requires that you own Curse of Osiris. Even without the DLC, though, you're still free to participate in the event and earn Season 1 gear. You can see all of the new gear, including the weapons and armor Ornaments (for Titan, Warlock, and Hunter), in the gallery above. One notable change for this instance of Iron Banner is how you earn rewards. In addition to the usual means of acquiring gear, you can now directly purchase select items. Saladin will sell three weapons and five pieces of armor during each event for a combination of Legendary Shards and Iron Banner Tokens. He also has five armor Ornaments that can be acquired by completing Challenges during Iron Banner matches. This Iron Banner runs from now until the weekly reset on Tuesday, February 6. The game mode this time around is Control. You can see what else is new in Destiny 2's update in our rundown on the 1.1.2 patch notes.
Titan Mark Ornament
Titan Leg Armor Ornament
Titan Guantlet Ornament
Titan Chest Armor Ornament
Titan Helmet Ornament
Warlock Bond Ornament
Warlock Chest Armor Ornament
Warlock Gauntlet Ornament
Warlock Helmet Ornament
Warlock Leg Armor Ornament
Hunter Gauntlets Ornament
Hunter Chest Armor Ornament
Hunter Cloak Ornament
Hunter Helmet Ornament
Hunter Leg Armor Ornament
By Chris Pereira on Feb 05, 2018 04:30 pm
Thanks to a variety of factors, Monster Hunter World is likely to be many people's first experience with the franchise. New gear is desirable in any RPG, but it's especially important in Monster Hunter, where your progression is tied not to experience points, but the new armor and weapons you're able to acquire and craft. Much of that gear is unattainable until you've sunk a significant number of hours into the game, honing your skills, taking down challenging enemies, and amassing the necessary resources for crafting. To give you an idea of what kind of armor sets you'll be able to use once you've progressed far enough in the game, we've compiled the gallery above. You'll find images of high-end armor for both your own character (if you're playing a male, as we were), as well as gear for your Palico companion. Monster Hunter World releases on January 26 for Xbox One and PS4, with a PC release to come later in the year. That's notable, as recent entries were limited to 3DS. The additional horsepower has allowed for a game with much larger, more beautiful environments to play in. It also does a better job of introducing newcomers to the flow of playing a Monster Hunter game. You can read more about what to expect in our Monster Hunter World review. Those playing on PS4 will be able to get their hands on some exclusive gear based on Horizon: Zero Dawn. We also know that new Mega Man-themed items are on the way, and if past games are any indications, that won't be the last crossover content that Capcom releases.
By Mat Elfring on Feb 05, 2018 02:20 pm
Westworld Season 2 is coming sooner than we thought, as the Super Bowl teaser revealed the release date for the next season of the HBO series, April 22. While the teaser was only 30 seconds long, a full trailer was posted online, and it featured a whole lot more hints for what fans can expect in Season 2. The new HBO series was renewed back in 2016, and it has been a long wait for fans. The first trailer for the new season debuted at last year's Comic Con, and the Super Bowl ad gives a much better idea of what we can expect this April. Here's what we learned about Westworld Season 2. There are Season 1 spoilers ahead.
Throughout the trailer, we hear Dolores, and her speech perfectly describes where her character, as well as the rest of the hosts, are at within the theme park Westworld. The entire trailer is set to the piano hook from Kanye West's "Runaway." "Look at this world. This beautiful world. We built this world together. A world where dreams come true. A world where you can be free. But this world is a lie. This world deserves to die. Because this is your world. We've lived by your rules long enough. We can save this world. We can burn it to the ground, and from the ashes build a new world. Our world."
There's a man from the Ghost Nation riding on a horse. We didn't see a lot of the Ghost Nation in the first season, aside from their butchering of the Confederados, but this trailer has a few scenes featuring them. It's not apparent how they fit into the new season, but they'll have a bigger part in it if the trailer is any indication.
While we only see their hands, there's a shot of Maeve grabbing onto her daughter's hand. At the end of Season 1, Maeve was on a journey to escape Westworld to search for her. However, at the last minute, she chose not to leave the theme park.
There are quite a few slow motion shots of bulls running, and at first, it looks like they're outside. It becomes apparent that they're not in the park, and these bulls are not real, they're animatronic, much like Westworld's hosts.
It turns out that behind-the-scenes, bulls are rampaging and security is attempting to put them all down.
Westworld programmer, who is secretly a host, Bernard walks towards a ledge with some security and other people in the theme park.
The group sees a bunch of bodies floating in the water and washing up on the shore. Are these hosts or guests, and what caused them to die? More than likely, since Bernard is involved, it's a problem with the hosts and their programming.
There's a quick shot of Westworld security restraining Peter Abernathy, Dolores's father. However, as you probably remember, the man above was the first host to play the part of Peter Abernathy. This host's programming was breached in Season 1 and put into cold storage.
Bernard appears with a host without skin behind him. The two are behind-the-scenes in Westworld, and the host looks incredibly menacing. What is Bernard's role in this season? The last time we saw him, he witnessed Dolores kill Ford. Is Bernard in his same position or has he risen in the ranks of Westworld?
Logan appears at a cocktail party briefly. The last time we saw Logan, William had him riding a horse, naked. William slapped the horse's rear and Logan rode off. We don't know what happened to him afterwards. What's interesting about this cocktail party scene in the trailer is that only Logan and the woman standing behind him are moving. Everyone else is frozen in time. Is he now a host or is this all a dream of the life he left behind? Does this also mean that the storyline from 30 years in the past will continue?
There is only one scene of the Man in Black in the trailer. He's standing with some other people, who aren't in focus, in the rain, and he bows his head. The biggest revelation from Season 1 was when we found out the Man in Black is actually William, and the Man in Black has been following Dolores for 30 years. The season ended with him getting shot and presumably captured by some thuggish looking hosts.
Going back to the bulls, we see Maeve walking behind them. Although she had the choice to leave Westworld, she returned, only to unleash hell on the world that created her.
The final scene of Season 1 featured Ford giving a speech to guests of the park. Dolores, who had just gained true consciousnesses, killed Ford and the guests at this party. This may well be the day after the event--or days after possibly--and things are not back to normal. The dead bodies lay across the ground, and there's no cleaning crew putting things back to normal.
A couple times within the trailer, we catch a glimpse of the bandits above with black cloth on their faces. During the final moments of the Season 1 finale, a group of bandits shot the Man in Black in the arm, a couple of them had black rags on their faces and from what we could see--it was a dark scene--they could have been the gang members above.
In a very brief moment, we see a faceless host smash someone--with incredible ease. It could be Bernard, but it's very hard to tell. Is Bernard commanding this host to hurt people or did it turn on him?
In the final scene, Dolores stands in front of the gang with the black cloth on their faces. She's achieved true consciousness by finding the center of the maze and come to the realization that she's an amalgam of Dolores and the ruthless Wyatt. She seems to be embracing her Wyatt side a bit more as she is comfortable being ruthless and killing. However, she's doing it all to reclaim Westworld for the hosts.
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