While there are a number of X-Men films in various stages of development and production, including Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and Kitty Pryde, 20th Century Fox isn't done playing with the Fantastic Four universe. In fact, it seems as though a Silver Surfer movie is secretly in the works at this very moment.
That news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which says Silver Surfer is one of several projects being developed under wraps by the studio. The only time the character was previously seen on the big screen was in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The project is being scripted by comics writer Brian K. Vaughan, who has plenty of Marvel and DC credits to his name--including Ultimate X-Men, Runaways, and Young Justice.
However, just because a movie is in development doesn't mean it will ever see the light of day. After all, The Walt Disney Company is currently working to acquire the studio behind the X-Men and Fantastic Four film franchises. Who's to say once the deal goes through, any of the films in question will end up getting made?
According to THR, there are some on the Fox side that are wondering what will happen to these franchises once Disney is in charge. After all, though the Marvel Studios films are filled with comic book violence, they never go beyond a PG-13 rating, while movies like Deadpool and Logan found success as R-rated fare. Disney boss Bob Iger previously said that there might be room in the Marvel portfolio for R-rated movies like Deadpool, but it remains to be seen how likely that is once the acquisition is complete.
As one agent tells THR, though, "They have to proceed as business as usual in case the merger doesn't go through." So it's full steam ahead on a number of projects. In addition to the Silver Surfer standalone movie, Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley is working on developing a Doctor Doom standalone movie.
Regardless of what happens with the possible merger, there's still plenty of Marvel movies on the way from 20th Century Fox. Deadpool 2 arrives on May 18, Dark Phoenix hits theaters on November 2, and New Mutants premieres on February 22, 2019. Meanwhile, the Gambit standalone movie is still out there somewhere in the ether waiting to find a director that doesn't quit.
Recent years have seen Square Enix release more and more of its classic catalog on PC. The results have in some cases been mixed, with players taking issue with the visual overhauls that some games have seen. Out of nowhere, the company has surprise-launched one of its most acclaimed games of all-time, Chrono Trigger, which is now available on Steam.
Square Enix describes this as the "definitive version" of the RPG. "[N]ot only have the controls been updated, the graphics and sound have also been revamped to make your adventure even more fun and enjoyable to play," the Steam description states. And before you worry about the visual makeovers that have plagued some other RPG re-releases, this one mostly maintains the original look. Alongside higher-resolution graphics, composer Yasunori Mitsuda has supervised updates to "all songs" to make for an "even more immersive gameplay experience."
Also included are the Dimension Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons from the DS release, which is widely considered to be the best version of the game available. This Steam edition also features support for keyboard or gamepad controls, as well as an autosave function that activates as you roam the map. Despite all of this, it appears this version is based on the mobile release, much to the chagrin of fans.
As you'd expect for a game originally released on SNES in 1995, the system requirements are quite modest. It's Windows-only, at least for now, and requires only an Intel Core i3, 4 GB of RAM, an Intel HD Graphics 530, and 2 GB of space. Resolutions range from 800x600 up to 1080p.
This version is available on Steam now for $15/£12. A limited edition is available from now until April 2. Those who purchase it will be entitled to some bonus content, including downloadable music, Mitsuda's digital liner notes, and six PC wallpapers.
Chrono Trigger is still heralded as one of the great RPGs of all time, thanks to its excellent combat system, time-travel mechanics, and great soundtrack, among other things. Its development was led by Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii and Final Fantasy's Hironobu Sakaguchi, who at the time worked for the competing RPG developers Square and Enix (before the two companies joined to form Square Enix). The game has now been enhanced and re-released on a number of platforms, though it's still never received a full remake.
Marvel and Star Wars are such huge franchises that it's inevitable that they share some of the same actors. Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Serkis have had notable roles in both series, and they might soon be joined by Luke Skywalker himself--Mark Hamill. Hamill was drawn into a conversation on Twitter with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn about potentially appearing in the next film in Marvel's sci-fi series.
It all started with a tweet from a fan @ianfee, who asked Gunn if he would cast Hamill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn replied by commenting that Hamill lived nearby in Malibu, and he could "just come over and talk about it over a cup of coffee."
At this point Hamill himself entered the conversation and told Gunn that "as a good neighbor and an unemployed actor" he would love to pop over for a coffee and a chat. The exchange ended with Gunn saying "let's do it" and Hamill asking him to DM him for his contact details if he was "serious and a good neighbor."
I would be happy to do so, both as a good neighbor & an unemployed actor. All the best, mh
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters in 2020. Gunn has confirmed that this will be his final movie in the series, and last year explained that he wanted to ensure that Vol. 3 ended the trilogy properly. "There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn't want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn't exist," he said.
"My love for [the characters] goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine. I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit."
Following last year's breaking point with loot boxes and recent moves by lawmakers to take action against them, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has announced a new label that will be affixed to select games. The overall goal is to inform consumers--and in particular, parents--about which games offer a way to spend additional real-world money from right within the game itself, but whether it will be effective is unclear.
The ESRB's new label, which will read "In-Game Purchases," will be located near the rating category (E for Everyone, M for Mature, etc.) but will not be housed inside the same box as content descriptors (Sexual Content, Comic Mischief, etc.). The ESRB expects games to begin arriving in stores with the new label in the "near future." This will coincide with the launch of a new website intended to inform parents about the ESRB's ratings system, how in-game purchases work, and how to use parental tools to control what and how children play games. The new label will offer no specifics about the type of in-game purchases available so as to avoid overwhelming parents with too much information.
Despite loot boxes being perceived as the most contentious element, ESRB president Patricia Vance says parents are not specifically concerned with those, but the broader potential for their children to spend money in general. As such, this label will cover not just loot boxes, but other forms of DLC like maps or purchases of in-game currency. This of course raises an obvious question: Isn't that every game these days?
During a conference call with the ESRB attended by GameSpot, Vance drew a distinction between things that are offered "in-game" versus a traditional expansion pack or "large DLC." However, she did say that if such content is offered in-game, it would necessitate the label. This would seemingly include the vast majority of games; as publishers increasingly focus on post-launch microtransactions, there are certainly few big-name games that don't offer players some way to spend more money on them. Vance would only say, "There are games that do not have in-game purchases."
This move by the ESRB comes not long after United States Senator Maggie Hassan called on the group to look into loot boxes and their effects on players. She also requested that the ESRB label games that contain loot boxes. Vance believes the new In-Game Purchases label is an "effective response," but it's not necessarily the last step the ESRB will take.
"We believe that this is an effective response," she says. "If you care about parents, if you care about their concerns, this is an effective response. ... This is just a first step. We are going to continue to look at this issue, we're going to continue to determine if there are additional measures that we can take, additional guidelines that we can put in place. We are always evolving our system and this is obviously an issue of concern to the gamer community. We're going to continue to take a look at what more we can do."
Vance also says that the ESRB doesn't plan to use its Simulated Gambling or Real Gambling content descriptors because a game includes loot boxes. She reaffirms that the ESRB doesn't consider loot boxes to be gambling, in part because they are typically optional and can sometimes be acquired by playing: "We think it's a fun way to acquire virtual items for use within the game and to enhance your experience or personalize your experience. Obviously, there's an element of surprise, just like baseball trading cards, but you always get something, there's no way to cash out, players can complete a game without ever buying a loot box if they choose not to... There are a lot of different factors where we just don't think it would qualify for either of our gambling descriptors."
The ESRB also plans to issue a response to Senator Hassan's recent letter, in which it highlights the new label and website. It also cites its research into how few children are allowed to make in-game purchases without permission (91% are not allowed, it claims) and says the problem is primarily one of awareness. It remains to be seen whether any of the proposed loot box legislation--either in the US or abroad--goes anywhere, but it seems unlikely that this new measure by the ESRB alone will quell lawmakers' interest in pursuing the issue.
Blizzard continues to release teasers for what is widely assumed to be a reveal of Overwatch's next hero. This latest piece of the puzzle still doesn't confirm who the character is, though it does feature what appears to be an Easter egg for those who are familiar with behind-the-scenes news involving the game.
Once again, Blizzard has published an image on Twitter along with a brief quote; this time, it's "Last minute check! Everyone squared away?" That urgency may suggest an actual reveal is imminent--Blizzard learned its lesson about excessively long teases with Sombra--or it might mean nothing. Either way, we do have an image to dissect.
Much like the previous tease, this include schematics for something. It looks as if it could be a shield with a Reinhardt-like lion face on it. Many players believe these are schematics being drawn by Torbjorn's daughter, Brigitte, and that she'll be the new character.
That all remains educated guesswork. However, there is what is presumably a joking tease for a jetpack-wearing cat, as can be glimpsed in a drawing hidden just behind the main schematic in the new picture. The so-called Jetpack Cat was at one point a hero considered by Blizzard before the studio decided it would be too outrageous to include.
As for the new character, we know it was in playtesting at least as early as January. Game director Jeff Kaplan has described he or she as "very needed," but it's anyone's guess just which of the roster's holes this hero is meant to fill.
The real March madness is how much binging you'll be doing with everything new coming to Netflix. The streaming service is going all out with its March additions, including a ton of new originals, along with more movies, TV shows, and specials.
While there are over 50 originals being added to the streamer in March, there are two you need to pay very special attention to. Firstly, the new season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is back as the whiskey-drinking hero, along with co-stars Rachael Taylor (Trish) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth). Notably, David Tennant will also reprise his role as the evil Killgrave in a guest appearance. The new season of Jessica Jones arrives on March 8--International Women's Day.
The other major original to keep an eye out for is the return of Santa Clarita Diet--the horror comedy zombie series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The first photos from the new season were released recently, showing new characters moving into the neighborhood and more undead insanity. New episodes of Santa Clarita Diet arrive on March 23.
As for movies, the Cruel Intentions trilogy--yes, it's actually a trilogy--will begin streaming in March. Other new titles include Adventureland, Jackass: Number Two, Wet Hot American Summer, and Let Me In.
It's not all good news, though. With the arrivals come the departures. March will see all four Jaws films leave Netflix, as well as three seasons of Brickleberry and the Santa Clause trilogy.
New Releases is something of a bridge this week. This episode's games are crossing from February to March with debuts and a few ports. If you're a Nintendo Switch owner who hasn't played Payday 2 yet, it's a good week to give it a go. Bridge Constructor Portal is also headed to Nintendo's new system, as well as PS4 and Xbox One. Same goes for the shaman adventure Mulaka, which is also headed to PC. Meanwhile, strategy fans can save the world with Into the Breach, and racing fans can rev up with Gravel.
Payday 2 -- February 27
Available on: Switch
The crime-spree continues on Nintendo's hybrid console. Thanks to the Switch's connectivity, this version offers local co-op, and the Joy-Cons' HD rumble means you'll feel the firing of every weapon. The Switch also gets an exclusive fifth playable crew member, named Joy.
The next game from the duo behind FTL: Faster Than Light is all about saving the world from giant monsters. It's a minimalist strategy game where you'll command and upgrade mechs, but watch out: failing even one mission resets the timeline and sends you back to square one.
This racing game offers four different ways to compete: Cross Country races are long and sprawling, Wild Rush has you take multiple laps in crazy locations, Speed Cross sets you down on real-world tracks, and Stadium lets you go crazy with jumps and stunts. You can see all four modes in action in the video above.
The goofy crossover game is making its way to consoles. Now, a whole new group of players can build around turrets and sentries using the classic orange and blue portals, repulsion gel, and everything else Aperture Science has come up with.
Mulaka is set in a place you don't usually visit in games: the Sierra Tarahumara in northern Mexico. You'll take control of a shaman who must restore beauty to the blighted land--and part of every purchase of the game goes toward non-profit organizations working to preserve the real-world location that inspired it.
Season 3 of Fortnite's free-to-play Battle Royale mode is underway, and developer Epic has now kicked off the first limited-time mode of the season. Right now, players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One can participate in the Solid Gold event, which will only be around in the game for the next few days.
The Solid Gold mode is only available to play with Squads, with the theme of this particular event being Legendary weapons. For the duration of the mode, every weapon that players find in chests or around the map will be of the Legendary variety. Among those are the Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle, Minigun, and the recently introduced Hand Cannon.
Epic recently teased that it plans to hold roughy five limited-time modes in Fortnite: Battle Royale "in the next month or so." The developer didn't provide a time table for when the modes will roll out, but one will be a modified version of the 50v50 event that ran back in December, while another, called Blitz Mode, will feature shorter matches than usual. Epic has also teased that jetpacks will be coming "soon" to Battle Royale.
Season 3 of Battle Royale began last week with the release of Fortnite's 3.0.0 patch. That update introduced a new Battle Pass, which can be purchased for 950 V-Bucks and features 30 more rewards tiers than previous Battle Passes. Among the new items that can be unlocked in Battle Royale are Back Bling cosmetics, which allow players to customize their avatars' backs. You can take a look at all of the Season 3 Battle Pass rewards in our gallery.
With Disney owning some of the biggest franchises in cinema, it was inevitable that the company would want to incorporate them into its theme park business. Two massive Star Wars parks have been under construction in the US for several years, and it has now been announced that Disneyland Paris will undergo a $2.5 billion expansion to incorporate areas based on Star Wars, Marvel, and the animated hit Frozen.
The plans were revealed by Disney boss Bob Iger, following a meeting in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron. In a statement, Iger said: "We're very excited about the future of Disneyland Paris and continue to invest in its long-term success. The resort is already the leading tourist destination in Europe, and the transformative expansion we announced today will add even more of our beloved characters and unparalleled storytelling to create new lands, attractions and entertainment that further elevate the guest experience and drive new opportunities for tourism in this dynamic region."
The Star Wars, Marvel, and Frozen areas will be rolled out in stages, starting in 2021. While the company's specific plans are unknown, Disneyland Paris will start to introduce a Marvel element from this summer with characters appearing at the park and a Marvel-themed hotel opening in 2020. In addition, Iger hinted earlier this week that Black Panther could play a part in the company's future theme park plans.
The two Star Wars lands in Florida and California are set to open in 2019. Last summer, a scale model of the park design was revealed at the company's annual D23 convention. According to the company, "both Star Wars-inspired lands will transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before Wild Space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." Iger previously explained that they would be "largest single-themed land expansions ever," covering 14 acres of land.
March is right around the corner, and with it comes a new selection of titles for Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft is expanding its game subscription service with eight more games next month, including Rare's highly anticipated pirate adventure, Sea of Thieves.
The open-world pirate game makes its Xbox One and PC debut next month, and it serves as the flagship title for Microsoft's new initiative to bring all of its future first-party Xbox One exclusives to Game Pass at launch. Subscribers will be able to play Sea of Thieves beginning March 20, the same day that it releases in retail and digital stores.
Xbox Game Pass is a Netflix-style service for Xbox One. It features a library of more than 100 of Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles, with a new batch arriving to the service every month. A Game Pass subscription costs $10 per month, but those who are curious about sampling the service can sign up for a 14-day free trial. You can see the full list of Xbox Game Pass titles here.
The download code can be redeemed in any seventh generation Pokemon title, and the Legendary you'll get depends on which version you're playing. Those with a copy of Ultra Sun or Sun will receive Palkia, while Ultra Moon and Moon players will get Dialga. Each Pokemon also comes at a different level and knows a slightly different moveset depending on your version. You can see what moves they'll know in each game at the bottom of this story.
As usual, you'll need to redeem the download code through the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting Mystery Gift, choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password, and input the code you picked up from GameStop when prompted. After your Pokemon is downloaded into the game, you'll be able to claim it from the deliveryman waiting inside any of Alola's Pokemon Centers. You need to redeem your download code by May 28.
The Pokemon Company is giving away a different Legendary Pokemon every month in 2018 as part of its Year of Legendary Pokemon celebration. Next month, players will be able to receive another pair of Legendaries from Diamond and Pearl, Regigigas and Heatran, in the seventh generation titles. Unlike February's distribution, the code for those Pokemon will be given away in March's Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter, which you'll only receive if you create a free Trainer Club account on the Pokemon website and opt-in for the newsletter by March 1. You can create a Trainer Club account here.
The second Pokemon Go Community Day event may have only recently concluded, but Niantic has already revealed details for next month's event. The third Pokemon Go Community Day takes place on March 25, and this time it'll feature one of the original three starting Pokemon from Red and Blue.
Like the previous two Community Days, next month's event is scheduled to run for three hours, beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and ending at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. As before, players will be able to obtain a rare Pokemon that knows a special move it cannot typically learn during the event hours. Niantic hasn't revealed what the exclusive move will be for March's Community Day, but the featured Pokemon will be the Grass-type starter Bulbasaur.
On top of increased Bulbasaur spawns, players will earn triple XP for catching Pokemon during the event hours. Lure modules will also last for three hours. More details about the Community Day will be revealed closer to the event.
The first Pokemon Go Community Day event took place back in January and gave players a chance to capture a Pikachu that could use Surf, just like the one that was featured in the classic Pokemon Yellow version. The second Community Day took was held this past weekend, on February 24. It featured increased spawns of the rare Dragon-type Pokemon Dratini. Players who were able to evolve Dratini's evolution, Dragonair, into a Dragonite during the event hours, the Pokemon would learn the powerful Dragon-type attack Draco Meteor.
February 27 is Pokemon Day, and like last year, Niantic is celebrating the occasion by giving players a chance to capture a rare Pokemon in Pokemon Go. For the next few days, players will be able to encounter a special Pikachu, which will come with an exclusive move it cannot typically learn in the mobile game.
From now until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on February 28, players will have a chance to capture a Pikachu wearing a party hat, similar to the one available during last year's Pokemon Day celebration. This time around, however, the party hat Pikachu will know the move Present.
In addition to that, players will earn triple the usual amount of Stardust they receive for each special Pikachu they capture, and new Trainer items based on the ones worn by the heroes of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are now available to purchase from the in-game shop. You can take a look at the new outfits below.
Pokemon Day coincides with the anniversary of the original Pokemon Red and Green versions, which first released in Japan on February 27, 1996. In addition to the special Pikachu in Pokemon Go, The Pokemon Company is commemorating the occasion by releasing a new Pikachu Talk app for Amazon Alexa and Google Home, which allows users to ask Pikachu questions and hear it respond in its signature voice.
Additionally, The Pokemon Company is releasing Snapchat filters based on the three starter Pokemon from the Kanto region. Special merchandise is also being added to the Pokemon Center online store, including Legendary Pokemon pin sets and a new Charizard gallery figure that will kick off a special line of larger Pokemon figures.
At first glance, Kingdom Come: Deliverance bears more than a passing resemblance to other medieval RPGs, particularly the Elder Scrolls series. Both share a first-person viewpoint and take place in a sprawling, European-inspired world inhabited by an extensive cast of characters going about their daily lives. Beyond those superficial similarities, however, Kingdom Come is an entirely different experience, carving out its own identity by removing fantasy elements entirely in favor of a historically accurate setting and gameplay.
Where most other medieval RPGs populate their worlds with magic and dragons, Kingdom Come eschews all of the fantasy trappings typically associated with the genre for a story that's firmly rooted in history. The game takes place in 15th century Bohemia, with players assuming the role of a lowly blacksmith's son as the country becomes embroiled in a brutal civil war. This emphasis on realism extends into the gameplay systems; combat has a steep learning curve, and you must learn how to bandage up wounds to keep from bleeding out if you happen to get struck by an arrow.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with such ambitious titles, Kingdom Come is also burdened by its share of bugs, which will undoubtedly turn some players away. In the video above, GameSpot's Peter Brown, Jean-Luc Seipke, and Rob Handlery discuss their experience with the title, particularly their initial impressions and how, despite its many technical issues, they eventually came around on the game after spending more time with it.
Kingdom Come is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Critic Brett Todd called it "a rewarding, one-of-a-kind game" in GameSpot's Kingdom Come review. "It's an impressive and unflinching look at the medieval era that transports you inside the compelling story of a real person caught in the middle of a civil war. As such, this is one of those rare, memorable games that stays with you long after you stop playing," he wrote.
Since the launch of its Battle Royale mode last year, Fortnite's popularity has exploded. That's no doubt thanks in part to being free-to-play, but while it follows the same basic format as other games in the increasingly popular sub-genre, it does offer a unique twist with its building mechanics. At the press of a button, you can build walls, floors, and stairs, and that ability is key to success.
However, with no tutorial and players eager to kill you, actually getting the hang of building is not especially easy. Building can generate a lot of noise, which invariably attracts unwanted attention. To help you get started, we've put together the video above in which we run through the basics of gathering materials and building. We cover both the small so-called "panic forts" that you'll build during the course of a match to protect yourself, as well as the towers that are frequently used at the end of a game.
In the video, you'll also get a look at the recently added minigun. Epic continues to make changes and add new content to Battle Royale, some of which can have a significant effect on building. The minigun is one such case, as it makes for an ideal way to rapidly destroy the cover that enemies are hiding behind.
With the second Pokemon Go Community Day approaching, developer Niantic has announced another, unrelated event that is now underway. And if you missed out on the opportunity to catch two of the previous Legendary Pokemon that were available in the game, you're in luck, as they're back for a limited time.
As part of Pokemon Go Legendary Week, which is now underway, both Kyogre and Groudon have returned to Raid Battles, where they can be found alongside Rayquaza. Groudon was the first Gen 3 Legendary added to the game and was available to face during December and January. Kyogre then took its place until mid-February, when it was replaced by Rayquaza, which will stick around until March 16.
Despite the name, Legendary Week will last more than a week--it runs from now until March 5, giving you a total of about 10 days to get your hands on the returning Legendaries. To further mix things up, the specific Legendaries that are taken down during that period will have an additional effect. Should Rayquaza be defeated more than Kyogre and Groudon combined, eggs hatched from March 5-16 will be more likely to contain "Pokemon that typically prefer windy weather," such as Bagon. Alternatively, Pokemon who like sunny or rainy weather (Trapinch or Lotad, for example) will be more likely to hatch.
As of February 24, Niantic is offering a new special box for purchase that contains Raid Passes "to help you prepare." No further specifics were shared. February 24 was also the date of the second Community Day event. This three-hour event provided various bonuses and, more notably, the opportunity to catch or evolve a rare Pokemon with a special move. Another Pokemon Go Community Day event is also on the way, and for a limited time, you can catch a special Pikachu right now.
Another week has gone by, and that means there is new Monster Hunter World content now available on both PS4 and Xbox One. While the most exciting thing going on right now is limited to PS4, there's something to occupy your time right now regardless of your platform.
PS4 players with a Street Fighter V save file on their hard drive still have early access to a special challenge quest called Down the Dark, Muddy Path. The actual particulars of what you're doing aren't exciting--it's an Arena where you hunt a Barroth--but the rewards include the materials to craft the armor based on Street Fighter's Ryu. Eventually, everyone on PS4 and Xbox One will have access to this quest and the Ryu gear, plus the Sakura-inspired gear still to come. For more on what to expect if you're eligible now, check out our guide on how to unlock Monster Hunter World's Ryu armor. You can see how it looks below--it literally transforms you into Ryu.
In terms of Limited Bounties, there's the usual assortment of additions. You'll need to hunt three bird wyvern-class monsters for one, hunt four Anjanath for another, and slay five tempered monsters for the third. These each offer their own set of rewards comprised of varying amounts of research points, armor spheres, and trade-in items (which are sold for zenny). A fourth limited bounty gives you even more of these rewards if you're able to complete the other three before these bounties reset on March 1/2 (depending on your platform).
There are also a handful of new event quests to take part in. Two of these (Ya-Ku With That? and The Poison Posse) are fairly mundane low-rank quests, asking you to hunt two and three monsters, respectively. Wildspire Bolero is a high-rank, seven-star quest that tasks you with hunting five monsters--including a Diablos, who proves difficult for many players--in under 50 minutes. There's also Snow & Cherry Blossoms, a nine-star quest to hunt a tempered Legiana and Pink Rathian. This also has a time limit of 50 minutes but has the highest Hunter Rank requirement (30) of any event quest so far.
Finally, you still have some time left to complete the current challenge quest, excitingly titled Challenge Quest 1: Intermediate. As before, this places restrictions on the particular weapon types you're able to use, limiting you to those that fall under the umbrella of Sword & Shield, Hunting Horn, Charge Blade, Insect Glaive, or Light Bowgun.
For all the advancements that have been made in gaming, one element that remains in place is the character-select screen. Talk to someone who played games years ago--whether it was Super Mario Bros. 2, Street Fighter II, or any number of games--and you'll likely see them reminisce about the time spent on those screens agonizing over their character choice.
While they're most commonly associated with fighting games, that genre is hardly the only to be home to them, as evidenced by games like Mario 2 to Team Fortress 2 to countless MMOs. And although perhaps not as prominent as they once were, character-select screens are still present in many games today.
In the video above, we've put together a nostalgia-inducing run through a number of the most memorable such screens. You should get a sense for how they've changed over the years, from the basics of the aforementioned Mario to more modern examples, like Overwatch and Injustice 2.
What character-select screens do you remember most fondly? Let us know in the comments below!
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has frequently drawn comparisons to Elder Scrolls games like Skyrim, and while that's apt to some degree--they are expansive, open-world games that present you with a great deal of freedom--there are other areas where they greatly differ. There's of course the complete absence of anything magical in Kingdom Come, which seeks to deliver a world based more in history than fantasy, but combat is also quite different.
Put simply, there's a lot more to account for during a fight in Kingdom Come. There's much more going on than simply hacking away with your weapon--you have to bear in mind the type of armor your enemy is wearing, the type of damage your weapon deals, and more if you hope to be truly effective.
In the video above, we walk you through some tips on how to excel at combat in Kingdom Come. We look at the different weapon types, leveraging combos to deal extra damage, pulling off perfect blocks and master strikes, and some other useful tidbits. One thing you'll want to always do is stay on the move, both to keep your opponents off-balance and to ensure you're in proper position to attack. Unlike many games, you'll be unable to swing your weapon if doing so would cause it to go through a nearby wall.
Kingdom Come launched recently on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It's an experience not without its faults, but those don't necessarily mean it's worth overlooking. As our Kingdom Come review states, "It's an impressive and unflinching look at the medieval era that transports you inside the compelling story of a real person caught in the middle of a civil war. As such, this is one of those rare, memorable games that stays with you long after you stop playing. While quirks and bugs can certainly be frustrating, none of these issues interfere much with the unique and captivating nature of the overall experience."
Thanks to its exclusivity period with Sony, Call of Duty: WWII's first expansion, The Resistance, has been available on PS4 since the end of January, but Xbox One and PC players will soon finally have a chance to pick it up as well. Activision has announced the DLC map pack will arrive for the latter two platforms later this week.
The expansion introduces three new multiplayer maps to the WWII shooter: Valkyrie, Anthropoid, and Occupation, all of which Sledgehammer says revolve around the theme of resistance. The DLC pack also adds a new War mode map called Operation Intercept, which has players attempting to rescue French resistance fighters and escaping the war zone safely.
In addition to the new maps, The Resistance expansion comes with a new chapter in the Nazi Zombies mode called The Darkest Shore. This chapter is set on a "secluded" island and introduces new weapons, smarter types of zombies to battle, and a fog environmental effect that makes it much more difficult to spot approaching enemies.
The Resistance launches for Xbox One and PC on March 1, a month after it debuted on PS4. The expansion is included in Call of Duty: WWII's season pass, which runs for $50 / £40 / AU $65. Players also have the option to purchase it separately for $15 / £11.59 / AU $20.45.
The first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War delivered plenty of action, plus an appearance from pretty much every hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. A few more pieces of information have emerged this week, including new looks for both Iron Man and Black Widow.
A promotional image posted on Reddit reveals that Tony Stark will be sporting two new additions to his Iron Man suit--a bionic arm and a pair of wings. As Digital Spy points out, a fleeting shot in the recent Super Bowl TV spot for the movie suggests that Tony is missing an arm. We obviously don't know how he loses it, but it looks like he might be getting a bionic upgrade. As for the wings--Stark has never needed them to fly before, but hey, they look pretty cool.
Black Widow's change is less dramatic, but her new costume is partly green, which at the very least ties her in visually to her good pal the Hulk. Check the image out below:
In addition, a piece of Infinity War merchandise has revealed one of the movie's new villains. A promotional mug shows Thanos alongside his evil Black Order, plus a mysterious new bad guy. While we don't know who it is exactly, Heroic Hollywood has suggested that it could be Warbringer, a Chitauri warlord who first appeared in a 2015 issue of Marvel's Nova comic.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4. It is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed the last two Captain America movies, and will follow it up with next year's currently untitled Avengers 4.
In related news, Captain American star Chris Evans last week seemed to confirm that the rumored Black Widow movie is in development at Marvel. Evans was asked about the success of Black Panther, and said, "There's nothing they can't do, man," he said. "I'm sure it's going to have the exact same effect when Captain Marvel comes out, and then the Black Widow movie comes out. Marvel just has the winning recipe."
Venom is the first of Sony's upcoming Spider-Man spin-offs, and it hits theaters in October. The second movie is set to be Silver and Black, focusing on the characters of Silver Sable and The Black Cat. Although it was originally scheduled for February 2019 release, the movie has now been delayed.
The news first emerged via The Hashtag Show, which stated that Silver and Black had been "delayed indefinitely." Given it was originally set to begin production next month and no casting announcements have been made, this isn't surprising. Confirmation has now come from director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who replied to The Hashtag Show's tweet by explaining that the script was still being worked on:
Still working on the script. All about the script.
Silver and Black was first announced in March 2017. The movie has already been through several writers; Lindsey Beer (Captain Marvel, Tomb Raider) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Chaos Walking) are currently attached, while Thor: Ragnarok writer Chris Yost and Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy have both worked on previous drafts.
Although Sony made a deal with Disney in 2015 to allow Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the former studio still retains the overall movie rights to characters from the webslinger's comic books. Another Spidey character that also has a movie in development is Morbius: The Living Vampire.
The first trailer for Venom was revealed earlier this month. It stars Tom Hardy as a man who is taken over by the alien symbiote of the title. It also stars Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed and releases on October 4, 2018.
The company's board of directors have now issued a statement following the failure of negotiations with an investor group. "While we recognize that this is an extremely unfortunate outcome for our employees, our creditors and any victims, the board has no choice but to pursue the only viable option to maximize the company's remaining value: an orderly bankruptcy process," the statement reads.
The LA Times reports that the failed deal was worth around $500 million and would have given the investment consortium control of the company's entire assets. The site states that the company was set to renamed under a new board of directors, "the majority of which would be composed of women." However, talks collapsed when the New York attorney general's office filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Weinstein company, alleging that senior executives failed to prevent the mistreatment of staff by Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein was fired from the company in October, following a series of revelations published in the New York Times that he reportedly paid off sexual harassment accusers. Since then, many more former employees and colleagues have come forward with their own stories about Weinstein's alleged abuse.
One of the biggest names in Hollywood, Weinstein won the Best Picture Oscar for 1999's Shakespeare In Love and also picked up a nomination for 2003's Gangs of New York. Among his other producing credits included films like Pulp Fiction, The Aviator, and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Kevin Smith, the director best known for cult comedies Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, has suffered a "massive" heart attack. Smith tweeted the news from his hospital bed early this morning, February 26, and revealed that he came very close to death.
Smith had been performing one of his popular stand-up shows in Glendale, California, and suffered the heart attack after coming off stage. He was due to perform a second set that night, but was instead rushed to hospital. Check his tweet out below:
After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka "the Widow-Maker"). If I hadn't canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would've died tonight. But for now, I'm still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h
Smith made his breakthrough with the 1994 comedy classic Clerks, which is seen as one of the key movies in the American independent film movement of the '90s. Many of his subsequent movies, such as Mallrats, Dogma, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, were part of the same connected universe, and more recently he moved into horror territory, with films such as Red State and Tusk.
He also has directed numerous episodes of DC shows Supergirl and The Flash, and is a prolific podcaster, comedian, and TV host. Since 2012 he has presented AMC's reality show Comic Book Men, which is filmed at Smith's New Jersey comic store Secret Stash.
Smith was also in the news recently following the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal. Weinstein financed many of Smith's earlier movies, and as a result of the multiple accusations of harassment and abuse against the producer, Smith announced that he would donate all future residuals from those films to the non-profit organization Women in Film.
Smith also was credited by Thor star Chris Hemsworth for helping change the direction of Thor: Ragnarok, after he heard Smith bashing previous instalments on a podcast. "Hearing someone like Smith, who represents the fanboy world, was such a kick in the ass to change gears," he said. "We sort of had nothing to lose. People didn't expect what we did with it this time around."
Season 3 of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode is underway on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, which means players can now pick up a new Battle Pass. As before, the Season 3 Battle Pass can only be purchased for 950 V-Bucks and lets players unlock items the more they play the game, including a slew of new outfits, gliders, emotes, and more.
For this season, Epic has added 30 more tiers to the Battle Pass, bringing the total number of tiers to 100. Despite this sizable increase, the studio says that players will still be able to unlock everything in the same amount of time it took to complete the Season 2 Battle Pass--roughly 75-150 hours of playtime by Epic's estimates. Players can also purchase tiers using V-Bucks to unlock items faster, and those who own the Season 2 Battle Pass will unlock five free tiers as a bonus in Season 3.
The Season 3 Battle Pass includes 76 items to unlock in all. Among the new one that players can earn this season are Back Blings--customization items for your character's back. Epic has also introduced new loading screens, skydiving effects trails, pickaxes, and more. You can see all the Season 3 Battle Pass rewards in our gallery.
Those who purchase the Season 3 Battle Pass will automatically gain access to a batch of free items, including the Mission Specialist Outfit. Epic is also offering a Battle Bundle, which includes the Season 3 Battle Pass and 25 tiers' worth of items, for 2,800 V-Bucks. Individual tiers, meanwhile, can be purchased for 150 V-Bucks each. You can read more about the Season 3 Battle Pass on the official Fortnite website.
Fortnite: Battle Royale is free to download and play on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, while the Save the World mode is currently still in paid early access. If you've yet to give the game a try, Xbox Live Gold members can purchase Fornite's various Founders Packs at a discount on the Xbox Store as part of this week's Deals with Gold.
With March drawing near, Microsoft has announced the lineup of games that Xbox Live Gold members will be able to download for free next month. There's the usual total of four new games being introduced across Xbox One and Xbox 360, with an especially good one up for grabs on the newer console.
On Xbox One, the month starts out with Trials of the Blood Dragon, a more action-oriented take on the Trials series that's somewhat in the vein of Far Cry 3's Blood Dragon spin-off. It will be available for free for the entire month. From March 16 through April 15, Superhot will be free. The excellent shooter sports a distinct visual style and an even more novel concept, as time (mostly) freezes when you stop moving, allowing you to set up some Matrix-style bullet-dodging sequences.
Xbox 360 owners also get two games to download in March. During the first half of the month, it's Brave: The Video Game, which is based on Disney's film of the same name and was just added to the Xbox One's backwards compatibility list. It's then followed in the second half by Quantum Conundrum, the puzzle-based first-person game from Airtight Games and Kim Swift, one of the key developers behind Portal and Left 4 Dead. As always, both Xbox 360 games are playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
In the meantime, it's not too late to grab some of February's free Games With Gold titles. One of the Xbox One games, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India, will also remain free for the first half of March. Claiming any of these games allows you to continue playing them for as long as you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber.
Pokemon Day falls on February 27 each year, coinciding with the anniversary of the original Pokemon Red and Green release in Japan. This year, the Pokemon Company is rolling out several tech-related goodies to celebrate, including an Amazon Alexa- and Google Home-compatible app that lets you talk to Pikachu "live" and Snapchat filters based on the first-generation starter Pokemon.
Pikachu Talk, which is already available in Japan, is now available for Amazon Alexa in "most countries" and Google Home in the US. With Pikachu Talk, you can ask Pikachu questions, and it will respond with a variation of its name. (It seems like this doesn't include any lines in a human language, a la Detective Pikachu or Pikachu from the the recent Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You.)
Speaking of I Choose You, the film--which is inspired by the early Pokemon episodes but has its own twists--will be available to stream on the PokemonTV app. The movie originally aired in theaters during a special release in November 2017.
The celebration continues with new Snapchat filters based on the Kanto region starters. Bulbasaur will roll out first, followed by Charmander and then Squirtle. You can also pick up some special merch from the Pokemon Center, including pins and a new Charizard gallery figure that will kick off a special line of larger Pokemon figures. You can see the filters, figure, and pins above.
Bungie has explained its approach to changing Destiny 2's Exotics, offering insight into its goals and what it hopes to achieve in a game update planned for March. In the latest Bungie Weekly Update senior designer Jon Weisnewski said the gameplay tuning pass on Exotic gear is focused on "adding and/or increasing player Power spikes," and although all items are being considered, special attention is being paid to low-usage items. The goal, he says, is to "lean into an item's established gameplay and push it harder" while avoiding "catch-all improvements that dilute item identity."
To show what this means Weisnewski used the Graviton Lance as an example, explaining that the feedback has been that it looks cool, but isn't viable for getting kills in player-versus-player scenarios. Bungie is remedying this by reducing the recoil of the first of the weapon's burst shots. On top of that, it's introducing some aim assist to control recoil and changing it from three shot burst to two shot.
"This still plays into the fantasy of a low-damage gravity-neutralizing round forming a projectile tunnel for the last bullet," he said. "It also allows us to ensure the damage per burst is at a competitive level for PVP engagements. In fact, it gives Graviton a slight mathematical edge against other pulse rifles."
Weisnewski also said that, as a result of feedback, the way an enemy's body now behaves after being hit with a Graviton Lance has changed. "We made it so that rather than violently flying backwards and likely out of range of a potential splash damage opportunity, the defeated opponent floats back and up," he explained. "Then we made the explosion bigger, increased the damage, and added some void field projectiles that seek out any remaining targets."
According to Weisnewski, "this is one of the more exaggerated examples to help describe how we're looking at our goals and applying them to the gear." He went on to name weapons that aren't getting an update: Merciless, Telesto, Wardcliff Coil, MIDA Multi Tool, Colony, Legend of Acrius, and Vigilance Wing. The team decided not to change these as some don't require it, while the others will benefit from other tuning changes included in update 1.1.4.
"We'll be touching a lot of powerful gear with this update and to truly understand the impact for players requires a lot of design iteration and test time," Weisnewski said. "It isn't enough to crank up the damage and run one strike or Crucible match with a gun and helmet and move on. Dialing in the right amount of power, testing in all activities with all types of load outs, finding the bugs, fixing the bugs, updating the perk description text to reflect new behaviour, and then handing that off to localization for translation--it's a ton of work, but we're up to it. We sincerely appreciate your patience. I believe it will be worth the wait."
As previously detailed in the Destiny 2 roadmap, the changes are expected to go into effect on March 27 when the Sandbox & Crucible update will be launched as part of patch 1.1.4.
Crimson Days is now live on all platforms, and it runs until the weekly reset on February 20. Even if you don't plan on playing much, you can get a free Crimson Engram just by logging in and speaking with Tess at The Tower.
Metal Gear Survive launched earlier this week, and Konami has just revealed some of its upcoming plans for the game. Specifically, a new cooperative mission type, Rescue Mission, is coming to the game next month.
These missions will give players an additional way to team up beyond simply exploring the game's world and completing Salvage Missions. The Rescues task you and your team with fighting into enemy territory and saving soldiers in need. According to the publisher, they'll require a "whole new level of cooperation" above Salvage Missions, although Konami has said little about them beyond this.
The mission type will be added to the game in March. In the meantime, Konami will offer a Daily Mission from the current set of co-op missions that offer greater rewards and special modifiers. One of these battle conditions is called HellFire, which appears to light all of the enemies on fire. There's also a special weekly mission to complete.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds got a couple of new cosmetic crates today, and both of them add some pretty distinctive clothing for you to dress up your character in. You can buy the Militia and Fever crates starting now, although the Fever crate requires you to also buy an Early Bird key. In addition, both crates contain items that drop at particularly low frequencies, but the Militia crate takes the prize for holding the rarest item.
The name of the Fever crate refers to dance fever, because it includes a whole bunch of '70s- and '80s-inspired clothing options. If you snag one of these boxes, you'll receive anything from a mesh polo shirt to a cropped corset to loafers with socks. According to the drop rates published in the patch notes, the cropped corset and zest checkered shirt are the rarest items.
The Militia crate, meanwhile, can award a handful of different combat-themed items along with some other clothes. It has the possibility of granting a cowboy hat, a long-sleeved turtleneck, a utility belt, and others. The rarest item by far is the military skirt, which has a microscopic .00064% chance of dropping.
You can snag the Fever crate with in-game Battle Points and open it with an Early Bird key, which costs real money. The Militia crate, meanwhile, will drop 40% of the time when purchasing one of the random boxes with in-game currency.
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