With the arrival of Thanos looming just over the horizon, one question seems to be nagging at the forefront of just about everyone's brain: Out of the MCU's seemingly endless roster of heroes, who's going to die in Avengers: Infinity War?
The threat is pretty legitimate. Thanos represents the biggest, baddest villain any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe superheroes have yet to face, and the marketing campaign hasn't been pulling any punches when it comes to emphasizing just how dire things are looking. With the Infinity Stones at his disposal, Thanos can wipe out "half the galaxy" with a snap of his fingers, meaning that the odds are pretty firmly stacked against the Avengers and their allies. That, coupled with the behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding contract expiration and renewal that we know are going on, mean Infinity War is prime time for some changing of the metaphorical guard.
It's time to take a closer look at the totally mathematical, theoretically sound, extremely clinical, and not at all anxiety fueled probabilities behind some of the MCU's biggest heroes making it out of Avengers: Infinity War alive.
31. Black Panther
Likelihood of death: 0.1%
While anything could technically happen, it's a pretty safe bet that T'Challa isn't going anywhere. Not only did he just star in his own record-shattering solo movie this year, but Wakanda's arc in the MCU is only just beginning. Rest easy, the King is sitting pretty right now.
30. Shuri
Likelihood of death: 0.1%
Just like her brother, Shuri is sitting pretty comfortably in this one. Not only has she already proven to be a huge fan favorite, but it's abundantly clear that her story has plenty of fuel left in the engine. She's not going anywhere.
29. Valkyrie
Likelihood of death: 1%
Seeing as it's actually pretty doubtful Valkyrie will be on screen for more than just a brief cameo this time around, killing her off right now wouldn't make a ton of sense--at least not when she's only just getting started.
28. Okoye
Likelihood of death: 1%
Though her role as a general puts her closer to the front lines, and therefore, more at risk, Okoye--like the rest of the Black Panther crew--is very likely sitting pretty for this one. The Dora Milaje are one of Wakanda's big breakouts for fans so it absolutely wouldn't make much sense to cut them off at the knees by killing their leader.
27. Spider-Man
Likelihood of death: 2%
Peter Parker already has a solo movie sequel confirmed with a release date of July 5th, 2019, meaning unless there's some sort of cosmic time-warping involved, everyone's favorite web slinger is skating through this one just fine.
26. Ned Leeds
Likelihood of death: 2%
Peter's best pal Ned is, for all intents and purposes, just as safe as Peter himself. He may not be as critical to the continuation of the Spider-Man line, but killing Ned would be pretty pointless and strangely cruel. He's going to be alright.
25. Mantis
Likelihood of death: 2%
As the latest official addition to the Guardian's lineup, killing Mantis wouldn't accomplish much beyond leaving a gap that will need to be filled for their next solo film. Anything can happen, of course, but probably not this.
24. Groot
Likelihood of death: 2%
C'mon, even if Groot does "die," we've already seen that he can just come back. If anything winds up happening to him, it'll probably be to revert back to the very merchandise friendly Baby Groot rather than anything permanent.
23. Rocket
Likelihood of death: 3%
Similar to Groot, Rocket's status a fan favorite mascot-style character in the Guardian's lineup is very likely going to keep him safe for this one. It's kind of hard to replace a talking raccoon.
22. Ant-Man
Likelihood of death: 3%
There's been some debate about where, exactly, in the MCU's timeline Ant-Man and The Wasp actually takes place, but even if it's something designed to slot into the time between Civil War and Infinity War, it's still pretty unlikely that Scott Lang is going to kick the bucket here. It just wouldn't make a whole lot of sense from a marketing standpoint.
21. The Hulk
Likelihood of death: 3%
Mark Ruffalo has been extremely open about the Hulk's version of a "solo movie" being a three part arc across three movies. The first part of that story happened in Thor: Ragnarok, so it goes to follow that the second will come in Infinity War, and the finale will likely be in Infinity War's unnamed sequel. Consider him pretty safe, at least until next year.
20. Black Widow
Likelihood of death: 5%
Natasha Romanoff's standalone Black Widow movie has all but been confirmed. Of course, we don't have a release date or any real information yet, so that could potentially change in the future--and it might be an origin story or something set in the past, to be sure--but it's definitely a lot less likely that she's going to bite the dust any time soon with those rumors swirling around.
19. War Machine
Likelihood of death: 6%
Rhodey just came out of a near-miss moment in Civil War, so might feel a little redundant to have him put at risk again so soon. Also, War Machine's status as one of the major, active Iron Man replacements keeps him pretty safe.
18. Pepper
Likelihood of death: 6%
Pepper's been a tertiary character in the MCU for as long as Tony's been a star and, though Tony's future may not be all that certain right now, Pepper's death wouldn't gain all that much for the shared universe. It's pretty safe to say the thing more likely to bench Pepper Potts than death is Gwyneth Paltrow renegotiating her contract.
17. Star Lord
Likelihood of death: 6%
Until more of Marvel's space-based heroes make their live action debuts, it's pretty unlikely that Peter Quill is going to go anywhere. After all, those Adam Warlock teases from Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 are going to need someone to follow up on them at some point.
16. Thor
Likelihood of death: 15%
It's pretty hard to kill a god, but as we've seen more than once it's definitely possible--and, by the look of things in the most recent trailer, Thor is about to undergo some truly rough treatment. However, the Thor franchise is largely without an heir as of right now and, considering its position as one of the MCU's most light hearted lines, a major heroic death would probably be pretty counterproductive. Thor may end up benched, but he probably won't die.
15. Bucky Barnes
Likelihood of death: 25%
Not only is Bucky very recently rehabilitated from his stint as the brain washed Winter Soldier, he's also spent the duration of his time on screen in all three Captain America movies getting relentlessly teased as a potential successor to the mantle after Steve Rogers. Sure, there's always a chance that those shield-holding moments were just Easter eggs for the sake of Easter eggs, but let's not count Bucky out just yet.
14. Falcon
Likelihood of death: 25%
Similar to Bucky, Sam Wilson's MCU story has been heavily intertwined with the Cap movies in a way that made room for a potential solo spin off. If Bucky isn't the one to pick up the Cap mantle, Sam's the next most likely candidate. Of course, he's also a non-powered, non-serum'd, non-armored human being running into battle with Thanos here in Infinity War, so he might not be all that safe.
13. Scarlet Witch
Likelihood of death: 35%
Wanda Maximoff has an interesting relationship with the Infinity Stones, considering her superpowers were the result of experiments on the Mind Stone. That said, we really don't know all that much about how those experiments actually affected her or what will happen when Thanos takes the Stone back. Killing Wanda wouldn't be much of a narrative power move, but it's certainly a possibility.
12. Gamora
Likelihood of death: 45%
Though they're just supporting characters in their own Guardians of the Galaxy corner of the MCU, the "daughters" of Thanos are headed toward a major spotlight as dear ol' dad makes himself known. Gamora even narrated the majority of the second trailer, which confirmed we'd get a closer look at her origin story which featured Thanos himself abducting her as a child. It's not super likely, considering the popularity and franchise power of the Guardians as a unit, but if a member of that team is going to get benched this time around, Gamora is probably the most likely--it would certainly be an emotional gut punch.
11. Drax
Likelihood of death: 55%
If a Guardian of the Galaxy is marked for death that isn't a Daughter of Thanos, let's face it, it's probably Drax. He may be a great bit of comic relief but his actual narrative arc hasn't gone all that far since his debut and with so many teammates who could clearly pick up the slack as the bruiser of the bunch (Groot's growing up pretty fast, after all), if that herd needs to be culled, Drax is likely the one to go.
10. The Collector
Likelihood of death: 65%
It's actually strangely likely that The Collector is going to bite the dust here. Not only is he sitting on one of the Infinity Stones, which puts him right in Thanos's crosshairs, he's also a tertiary enough character played by a big enough actor (Benicio del Toro, lest we forget) that he sits in a "fat trimming" area.
9. Wong
Likelihood of death: 65%
The mystical arm of the MCU is a strange animal. With no real franchise plans on the horizon that we know of, Wong's role is teetering on a knife's edge between expanding or collapsing entirely. It'll depend on just how things shake of for Strange.
8. Hawkeye
Likelihood of death: 70%
Fans of Clint Barton have been clamoring about his lack of inclusion in the marketing material since the Infinity War campaign dropped. We know he'll be taking on a new identity--Ronin--at some point in this movie, but other than that, it's been pretty tricky to pin down any information about him at all. As one of the few totally non-powered, non-metahuman, non-armor clad Avengers, Clint's more at risk this time around than others.
7. Doctor Strange
Likelihood of death: 70%
Things started looking a little dicey for Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the latest Infinity War trailer, where we got a brief but up close and personal look at Ebony Maw's torture techniques, prompting no shortage of speculation from fans. In the Infinity comics event, a similar scene takes place which winds up with Ebony Maw parasitically infecting Strange's brain and using him as something of a double agent for Thanos's plans--something which probably won't translate directly to screen, but leaves the good doctor with a pretty ominous shadow hanging over him.
On top of that, Strange is one of the few solo superheroes introduced to have no confirmed plans for a sequel, meaning he can be taken off the board without much concern for franchise building.
6. Nebula
Likelihood of death: 75%
Nebula, however, has been pretty absent from a lot of promotion and, given the tumultuous relationship she and her adoptive sister have shared on screen as of late, that might be a bad sign. Her redemption arc could be completed by a big moment of sacrifice that would arguably provide the same kick as Gamora's potential doom but at half the narrative (and future merchandising) cost.
If one of the daughters of Thanos is going down, it's probably going to be her. Sorry, Nebula.
5. Nick Fury
Likelihood of death: 78%
Samuel L. Jackson's been pretty candid about not really knowing or understand where Nick Fury slots into Infinity War, which could be seen as a pretty bad omen for the character's continued presence in the MCU. Increasingly it feels like the movies are moving away from both Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D, which means we may see the end of Fury here pretty soon.
4. Iron Man
Likelihood of death: 80%
Tony Stark sits near the very top of the "Most Likely To Die" list in this one, unfortunately. Not only has Robert Downey Jr. been playing the character for a full decade, he's been pretty open about his desire to scale Tony's role in the franchise back "before it gets embarrassing." Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Iron Man has been earmarked for death, but if Infinity War is looking to make a powerful statement with an extremely beloved character, Tony is obviously and definitely the lowest hanging fruit.
Of course, things get complicated when you think about Tony's overall lack of a real on-screen successor. War Machine has only recently started prominently featuring alongside any of the Avengers ensembles with Captain America: Civil War, and Peter Parker, Tony's only real protege (for now) has a mantle of his own to bear--so, maybe, just maybe Tony could make it through this one in one piece--at least long enough to hand the keys to the Iron Man armor over to someone new. Someone like Black Panther's sister Shuri, maybe?
3. Captain America
Likelihood of death: 85%
All things considered, Steve Rogers has been living on borrowed time in the MCU since his surprising survival through Civil War--a movie based on the comic event that famously killed him in its aftermath. Now visibly hardened, shieldless, and world weary, Captain America's Infinity War look and feel is unlike anything we've ever seen from our Star Spangled Avenger in the past--and no matter how much a fan favorite the beard and the scowl may be, when looked at in context, it all feels pretty ominous.
Add to that the fact that Cap has not one but two potential on-screen replacements in Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), both of whom have expressed interested in doing their own solo or duo spin off movies and--this is painful to type--things aren't looking all that great for Steve's future.
2. Loki
Likelihood of death: 85%
In a similar boat as Gamora, Loki's on-again-off-again role as a villain has put him on some thin ice moving forward in the MCU. His heartwarming turn at the end of Thor: Ragnarok certainly won him some brownie points, but after the latest Infinity War trailers confirmed that he did indeed steal the cosmic cube from Odin's vault, it's clear that Loki hasn't completely changed his heart or his ways.
This means things are getting a little complicated for him these days. Nabbing the cosmic cube (which contains the Space Stone) puts him right in the crosshairs of Thanos and the Black Order, something that opens the doors for him to execute yet another one of his classic backstabbing moves on his brother or sacrifice himself for the greater good. Sure, it might be a shockingly altruistic move for someone like Loki to make at the literal 11th hour, but it would be a pretty satisfying (and emotionally devastating) end to his MCU journey.
1. Vision
Likelihood of death: 90%
Another Avenger high up on the potential chopping block is Vision (Paul Bettany), and he has an extremely literal target painted right on his forehead. Given life by the Mind Stone, Vision has been all but invincible through his movie appearances in Age of Ultron and Civil War, but we've already seen in Infinity War's marketing material that Thanos does, indeed, manage to get his hands on the yellow Infinity Stone at some point during the course of the movie.
Of course, that begs the question: What exactly happens to a robot powered by a cosmic rock when the cosmic rock is taken from him? Is there a way he could survive? Or will it be like his batteries have been popped out for good? His romantic relationship with the immensely powerful Scarlet Witch might be the thing to save him--but with Wanda's abilities so loosely defined on screen, this one is too close to call.
GameStop kicked off its spring "Play Days" sale last week. Today we're entering the second week of the promotion, and some new deals and discounts have been rotated on games and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
This week a few more recent games went on sale, like Assassin's Creed Origins for $30, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT for $40, and Skyrim VR for $40. Following the offer of Sea of Thieves with any Xbox One X console purchase, the deal has been expanded this week to include a game of your choice. All Nintendo 3DS XL systems are discounted by $25
The sale is ongoing through April 1, and includes many more discounts on accessories and collectibles to boot. You can check out the full line-up at GameStop's website.
Omensight is a rather peculiar take on a wartime story. Set shortly before and after the end of the world, you take on the role of a time-traveling deity who must turn back the clock and figure out how to prevent the end of all things. Developed by Spearhead Games--the same team behind Stories: The Paths of Destinies--the developer describes its alluring time-travel narrative as something influenced by the classic detective TV series Columbo. As an apocalyptic detective story, with regular moments action and platforming, it mashes up a number of different genres together, making for a rather unique and intriguing action-adventure game.
With several factions at war, the escalating conflict in a world full of anthropomorphic beings eventually reaches a boiling point--resulting in the demise of all life. While that may seem like the end of the story, it's really only the beginning. Taking on the role of a timeless warrior known as The Harbinger, you're tasked with rewriting history to learn just how the end of the world was set into motion. As you meet each character and learn their story, you'll come to blows with many of the soldiers and monsters in the land who seek to stop The Harbinger from interfering in the conflict. Set within a time-loop of the final day, you'll have to pick a path and learn the fate of each of key character in order to prevent the end of the world from happening again.
Taking cues from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, you'll have to be selective about your course of action when it comes to stopping the apocalypse. Each of the supporting characters' particular story takes place across the entire final day, forcing you to commit to one person of interest. After seeing their story through to the finish, the world ends and The Harbinger returns to his base of operations with another clue. Of course, all this meddling on The Harbinger's part won't go unnoticed, and in a number of cases you'll have to fight off enemies and creatures looking to stop you from interfering. Combat has a free-flow style rhythm to it, where you'll be able to bounce between multiple targets and use a number of time-bending powers to gain the upper hand. Moreover, many of the supporting characters you assist--some of which were meant to die in previous events before your interference--can help out during fights, leading to rather hectic battles when against a large group of enemies.
While in the player hub--located outside of the present timeline--you can examine current clues, along with characters' relationships and connections, and upgrade The Harbinger before planning your next course of action. Though the flow of the narrative can initially come off a bit abrupt, and somewhat episodic, the background of the conflict gradually becomes more detailed--showing a greater depth of world history and each character's place in the world's final hours. One of the more striking elements of Omensight is its strong visual style which feels akin to The Secret of Nihm's balance of whimsical aesthetic with dark undertones.
Set for a 2018 release on PC, Omensight presents its apocalyptic story in a way that shows great attention to the world it's set in. With some rather stunning visuals, and a charming artstyle that confronts a rather bleak atmosphere, Spearhead's upcoming action-adventure game about preventing the apocalypse before it happens is one to watch out for.
I've always been a little embarrassed to admit that I could never get into God of War games. When the first installment came out in 2005 and received critical acclaim, I was naturally intrigued. I loved hack and slash games, and as Devil May Cry fan I devoured Dante's Awakening earlier that year, but despite a number of solid attempts, including its sequels, God of War never got its hooks into me enough to drag me past the first couple of hours.
There was a major problem for me: Kratos' signature dual chain-blades didn't feel satisfying to use. I was used to hitting square and seeing a direct correlation to Dante's individual slashes as he cleaved through an enemy. I could see a distinct impact on screen, hear it in my ears, and feel it in my controller. When I hit square with Kratos, I saw a wild flurry of orange and the sound of rattling chains, and there was little sense of impact or contact other than a ticking combo meter. The distant camera only diminished this sensation further, and despite the series' spectacular set pieces, it wasn't what I wanted out of a combat-heavy game. It didn't help that I never had an affinity towards Greek mythology.
Knowing all this about me, it may annoy you to learn that I recently had a chance to play the new God of War on PS4. While series purists may have initially balked at the dramatic change in style, I'm happy to report (to myself, if no-one else) that after two hours, this is definitely a game I want to keep playing.
With its over-the-shoulder perspective and new default weapon, I was immediately taken with the changes in combat. Kratos' axe is more purposeful than it is flashy, meaning one button press issues a single strike, and the close perspective means that the impact of each blow is clearly felt. Though the new God of War uncharacteristically begins with somber, quiet moments before very slowly escalating, the new, satisfying feel of its combat was evident to me from the first few low-stakes encounters.
The broad mechanics are similar to existing God of War games--Light and heavy attacks can be combined with the analog stick to execute a number of different combo strings. You may have also heard about the joys of being able to throw Kratos' axe, and recall it back to your hand just as easily. With just these basic starting tools and some light experimentation, I was able to find a few combos that I had a lot of fun executing, like knocking enemies into the air after a combo string and finishing them by immediately throwing your axe into them.
I could also perform some basic crowd control by using the axe to freeze an enemy in place, and go to town on his buddy with Kratos' bare knuckles. Attacking unarmed was something I was surprised to discover I could do, and soon became my favorite thing--especially as someone who plays Dark Souls with fist weapons. The feeling of embodying a god like Kratos and using his raw power to knock out monsters felt really good, and its audiovisual feedback, with visible screen shakes and meaty thuds, were so satisfying that I preferred to put my axe away whenever I had a good handle of the situation.
There's a stun mechanic that gives preference to unarmed blows, too. Rapid weapon attacks or regular punches build up an enemy's stun meter, and when filled Kratos can execute violent takedowns. These were initially fun to watch, but performing these over and over again got a little tedious. I preferred my own loop of standing and waiting for an enemy attack, parrying it (which is hugely satisfying in its own right) to open them up, and smacking them with a hand-to-hand combo that eventually sent them flying back into other enemies, or forcefully into a wall for extra damage. Some of the incredible, cinematic boss fights I experienced had powerful, earthshaking interstitial moments that recalled Asura's Wrath--an over-the-top Capcom beat-em-up game, which I loved.
With the new God of War focussing on Uncharted-like character interactions, and a Horizon-like gear system, many people I've spoken to have mentioned that the combat is really the only part of the game that reminds them of classic God of War. But to me, the combat reminds me more of The Last of Us, and the impactful feeling of smacking an infected with a plank of wood. You could say that God of War distinctly feels like a Sony game, an amalgamation of mechanics and narrative elements that have defined the success of the company's major first-party titles over the last few years, fused together to create its own stylistic genre.
The new God of War doesn't feel like the old God of War, and I can empathize with series devotees who might be bothered by that. But for the first time, God of War is a game that excites me--the combat finally feels good, the Naughty Dog inspired character moments work well so far, and I can definitely get behind its lore shift to a grounded version of Nordic mythology. I can't say whether existing fans will still be on the bandwagon, but I feel like I'm finally ready to join the Kratos Fan Club.
Sea of Thieves, Microsoft's first big Xbox One console exclusive of the year and the long-awaited original game from Rare, finally arrived this week. Despite the variety of server and other issues it's suffered from, a number of us here at GameSpot have already spent a great deal of time with it. And while it's certainly an intriguing game, it does at times leave us wishing there were more to it, at least in the early going.
In the video above, three of our most seasoned pirates chat about their thoughts on the game so far. One of the challenges is how you play: While some find the solo experience enjoyable, it can prove frustrating. If your friends aren't available, joining others online randomly is not always a viable option, as it can be a crapshoot as to whether you end up in a group with people who are using microphones and are willing to cooperate.
We also discuss the game's unusual progression. The gold you accumulate through your journeys can be spent on ship "upgrades," different-looking weapons, and new outfits, but all of these things are purely cosmetic. This keeps players on a relatively level playing field, but it also means you may not be provided with the motivation you'd hope for.
Despite all of this, there is fun to be had in Sea of Thieves, particularly when playing with friends. Although you might not be incredibly driven to earn the gold necessary to buy a fancy new hat, the emergent fun of puking on a buddy or engaging in pirate-y hijinks is notable.
For more discussion on the game, watch the full video above. Our review is still to come, but in the meantime, you can read up our impressions of it so far.
The much-anticipated release of Deviljho in Monster Hunter World has finally happened. A new update for the PS4 and Xbox One RPG adds a new monster for players to contend with. With Deviljho now available, you'll have an enemy with new weaknesses and attack patterns to deal with. If you're brave enough to take it on, you can collect its parts and then craft new gear--including both weapons and armor.
To find Deviljho, you'll need to have advanced far enough in the story. You'll begin to uncover its tracks on expeditions, just as you would other new High Rank monsters, and eventually receive a special assignment called The Food Chain Dominator, which allows you to target the beast.
This update adds a new Deviljho weapon for each weapon type, so you'll have something to strive for regardless of what you wield. Additionally, there are two new High Rank Deviljho armor sets to get your hands on. The Alpha version will provide you with the following skills:
Attack Boost (Level 4)
Handicraft (3)
Partbreaker (3)
Latent Power (3)
Speed Eating (3)
The Beta set offers fewer skills; the key difference between the two is that Beta provides more flexibility with the decorations you can equip. Here's what beta offers:
Attack Boost (4)
Latent Power (3)
Speed Eating (3)
Partbreaker (1)
You can check out images of all the weapons and male armor above; we're working on acquiring the female armor and will update once we've gotten it. You'll need to be prepared to take on Deviljho, who's among the tougher enemies to face. The monster is now available on both PS4 and Xbox One alongside a suite of weapon balance changes, adjustments to address online griefing while carving, and more. There will be more armor to hunt down in the near future, as crossover gear with other games are on the way.
WWE's biggest PPV of the year, Wrestlemania 34, is quickly approaching, and this year's event is going to be jam-packed. As of this writing, there are 11 matches on the card with at least two more to be added between now and Sunday, April 8 when Wrestlemania comes to the WWE Network and PPV.
New Orleans will host this year's event at the Superdome, and already, there have been some huge surprises going in, like Smackdown general manager Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestle at the show. In addition, actor Macaulay Culkin answered Rusev's open challenge for Wrestlemania, and while that sounds like a blast, we don't think anything will come out of it, but you never know.
Wrestlemania 34 starts at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show more than likely starting two hours prior--WWE has not announced specifics for the Kickoff yet. Last year's event went for six and a half hours, so hopefully, you are watching the event somewhere really comfortable.
Obviously, there are still a few more matches that will be added to the card, like John Cena vs. Undertaker and Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn; however, we're only delivering the 100% confirmed matches for the upcoming event. Aside from those two potential matches, there could be even more surprises, if some of the WWE rumors floating around the 'net come true.
Like previous games, Far Cry 5 deals with some serious subject matter. Its story centers around a radical apocalyptic cult in a small Montana town that's led by a crazed figure known as The Father. For better or worse, its developers claim they weren't trying to offer a commentary on present-day issues by setting the game in the United States. And while the game's opening is certainly eerie, that's not a tone that's maintained throughout.
That's evidenced by nothing better than one side mission in particular, which you can check out in the video above. It tasks you with helping the town to prepare for an annual tradition, which sounds innocuous enough, only this tradition is something called the Testical Festival. I won't spoil it for you, but it involves a sequence that I think it's safe to say you haven't seen in a video game before.
You'll be able to see this for yourself in-game quite soon, as Far Cry 5 releases on March 27 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Despite the number in the title, this is far from the fifth entry in the series, as we explored in our recent look back at the history of Far Cry.
Far Cry 5's story should take you about 25 hours to complete, although that will of course depend greatly on how much you engage in side shenanigans such as this. If you'd prefer to make your own fun, Arcade mode lets you create some very different types of experiences.
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Far Cry 5's campaign can you run more than two dozen hours, but you can actually see the credits after around 10 minutes if you take advantage of an Easter egg of sorts. Just like in Far Cry 4, you can "complete" Far Cry 5's campaign in short order if you do something unexpected.
As you can see in the video above, one of the first major decisions you'll have to make is whether or not to cuff cult leader Joseph Seed. If you refuse, after about 90 seconds you'll trigger a sequence that ends the game. Pretty sneaky, Ubisoft!
Provided you don't opt for that abbreviated route, the full story should take you about 25 hours to complete, although that will of course depend greatly on how much you engage in side shenanigans. If you'd prefer to make your own fun, Arcade mode lets you create some very different types of experiences.
Far Cry 5 releases on March 27 PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, you can watch the game's first 11 minutes or see its weirdest mission, which involves something called the Testicle Festival. Expect to hear much more in the lead-up to the game and after launch--Ubisoft has extensive DLC plans that include some wacky-sounding concepts.
Far Cry 5 launches next week, and as we've seen, it's shaping up to give players a pretty interesting open world to roam around in. But its narrative premise has garnered the most attention, as it pits players against an apocalyptic, radical, Christian cult that has authoritarian control over a small Montana town.
In the video embedded above, the GameSpot team dives into the first 11 minutes of the game that show just how it begins its story. And, from this initial glimpse, it looks as creepy as you'd expect from a game about an extremist cult.
It's enough to even evoke some horror-film vibes, especially as you attempt to arrest the cult's leader, referred to as "The Father," but it all goes wrong. The beginning of the game is mostly cutscenes, but you can still get a good idea of the tone that Far Cry 5 wants to set.
Far Cry 5 releases early next week for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but eager players are able to get an early jump on downloading the game. Developer Ubisoft has now released the pre-load dates and times for all systems.
If you're playing on Xbox One, you'll be able to pre-load first as the game is now available for download (but not to play, obviously). PC players on both Uplay and Steam will be able to pre-load the game starting today, March 23 at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT / 12 AM GMT. PlayStation 4 players will have to wait the longest; the game will be available for pre-loading on March 25 at midnight, local time.
Far Cry 5 officially releases on March 27. The game is garnering lots of attention for its narrative, which pits players against an apocalyptic, radical, Christian cult, run by a crazed figure known as The Father, who has authoritarian control over a small Montana town. The game is open world and will take about 25 hours to play through the main storyline.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance looks pretty great. The game is a beautifully harsh recreation of life in the medieval ages. In this first-person RPG, you play as a peasant trying to stay alive in 1400s Bohemia amid a brutal civil war, and the experience can be punishing at times thanks to a steep learning curve. Rob and Joey have decided to take a dive back into Kingdom Come to dial the game's graphics back to an equally punishing level.
In this episode of Potato Mode, the guys slowly take the game's graphics from historical recreation to hysterical wreck. Want to see the intricate textures, environments, and even the eyes of your favorite characters melt away? Then be sure to watch the video above. And while you're at it, play some dice on the lowest graphics settings and watch your table and chair disappear right before your eyes.
In GameSpot's Kingdom Come review, the game praised for being a "rare, memorable" experience with lifelike quests, strong storytelling, and voice-acting and visuals that immerse you in the setting. Of course, once you pare back the most essential of graphics layers, it's also ridiculous. Enjoy, and then watch the last Potato Mode when Rob and Joey dialed back the graphics on Grand Theft Auto V with equally obscene results.
Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, and Anders Holm may go by different names in Netflix's Game Over, Man!--Alexxx, Joel, and Darren, respectively--but they're basically still doing their Workaholics characters. Netflix's latest original comedy is a variation on everything Workaholics fans love; it wouldn't be surprising at all to learn that Game Over, Man! began as a Workaholics movie, or an idea for a parody episode where the boys recreate Die Hard as only they could: dumber, gorier, meaner, and extremely funny.
Recommending Game Over, Man!--or not--is easy: If you liked Workaholics, which ended its seven-season run on Comedy Central just over a year ago, you will probably like this movie. And if you found the show puerile and obnoxious, go ahead and pick one of Netflix's hundreds of other original movies or original TV series instead. This movie was even directed by Kyle Newacheck, the starring trio's Workaholics co-creator, frequent episode director, and occasional guest star (as the gang's drug dealer and fellow misfit Karl), and it was written by Holm.
The story follows Alexxx, Joel, and Darren, three hotel housekeepers who dream of hitting it big with their latest scheme, a full body-controlled video game called "Skintendo." When a rich Instagram star--Utkarsh Ambudkar's obnoxious but likable Bey--throws a party at their hotel, the gang decide to pitch him on Skintendo in the hope he'll invest. Their plan is derailed when a group of terrorists led by the charismatic Conrad (Neal McDonough) and the psychopathic Irma (Rhona Mitra) take the partygoers hostage to extort Bey's fortune. Our heroes skulk around the hotel trying not to get killed while thwarting the bad guys, mostly by accident or dumb luck.
The "Dew Crew," as they call themselves--because they love Mountain Dew--are playing versions of their Workaholics characters. Devine's Alexxx--three Xs--is an immature, drug-dealing man baby bursting with terrible ideas, Holm's Darren is an insecure drug addict, and Anderson's Joel--nickname "Baby Dunk"--is just Anderson, but not-so-secretly gay. They're supported by a hodgepodge of a cast, including Daniel Stern as the hotel's sleazy manager, Aya Cash as their hapless co-worker, and party guests including Joel McHale, Fred Armisen, Action Bronson, Shaggy, Steve-O, and Mark Cuban as themselves.
Game Over, Man! isn't shy about its influences. One of the funniest jokes comes when the terrorists' hacker--Sam Richardson's Donald--insists that they didn't bring him along just "because I look like the black nerd from Die Hard," and he's sick of hearing about it. There are also a weird number of (granted, hilarious) references to the 1997 Robin Williams movie Flubber.
The crew take full advantage of their freedom from cable's content restrictions, though not necessarily in the ways you might expect. Game Over, Man! must have a record number of penises in it, for example, including one that gets severed from its owner early on and returns later as a gross but gut-busting sight gag. This movie is also surprisingly gory, but always in a low budget way that makes exploding heads look like bursting water balloons full of fake blood.
It's also not pulling any punches, whether it comes to the various celebrities at Bey's party or his adorable little chihuahua. Nobody is safe in this movie, which is admittedly fun, though it does go a little too far in a couple of scenes.
By the end, the Dew Crew has scraped together what amounts to a semi-decent plan to save the hotel's remaining guests and convince Bey to invest in Skintendo (don't think for a second they lose sight of that dream, even as the bodies drop around them). That's after several terrible, failed plans and multiple bloody, hilarious scraps in which they count their bad guy kills like it's a video game. That includes one weirdly heartwarming run-in with two very murderous, very gay thugs who the boys attack as they're distracting one another in bed.
There are plenty more good gags, fight scenes that will make you cringe with the creativity of their cartoonishly over-the-top violence, and stunts that include the gang hanging on an ironing board suspended a dozen stories up, and sending a Weekend at Bernie's-style animated corpse into a room full of machine gun-toting thugs.
Game Over, Man! isn't smart, essential, or particularly well made. But it is a funny, blatant Die Hard tribute made by four friends whose specific brand of stoner-bro humor has earned them enough fans to justify their continued collaboration. If you count yourself among those fans, enjoy.
Battle royale games have evolved rapidly in the past year with the likes of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, but H1Z1's early access version captured the magic of the last-person-standing shooter well before the genre's current front-runners. With the official full release of H1Z1, however, it's apparent that not enough has been done to help it stay in the larger conversation.
H1Z1 drops up to 150 players (solo, duos, or squads of five) on a sprawling rural map where small towns, gas stations, and campsites act as points of interest for loot. In traditional battle royale style, everyone starts with only the clothes on their backs and rushes to find the best weapons and gear. Naturally, the fact that you have one life per match makes this type of deathmatch thrilling and rewarding when you find success, especially when coordinating tactics with a squad.
A number of gameplay elements factor into succeeding, like scavenging for the right materials to craft useful items. Among the essential items to craft are makeshift armor for much needed protection, ointment to stop bleeding, and explosive arrows that can really throw a curve-ball at enemy squads. Crafting feels more like a carry-over mechanic from early H1Z1 models, but it's a key component to winning, and thankfully it isn't very deep considering the fast pace of matches.
There isn't much time between each phase of the shrinking safe zone, and matches move quickly because of it. When employing the strategy of skirting along border of the deadly circle, there's a strong sense of urgency; if you don't find a vehicle or start running towards the new safe zone soon enough, your fate may have been decided well before the toxic gas envelops you. H1Z1 does incorporate a significant amount of predictability, which offers a different dynamic for players who want to jump straight into conflict. During the pre-match warm-up phase, you choose which grid of the map you want to drop in to start--this is called tactical deployment. A heat-map will also provide a general indication of how many others are planning to drop into each grid. Combine those elements with the fact that H1Z1 unveils the first safe zone in the pre-match phase, and you can essentially choose something that's more action oriented.
The fast-and-loose rules of H1Z1 shine through when you're shotgunned by an enemy that hopped out of a jeep going 100 miles-per-hour, made possible by the fact that you don't take damage when jumping out of fast-moving vehicles. Pulling off combat maneuvers like this are actually quite rewarding when you use them strategically. But by leaning into more outlandish action and a faster pace highlights a sort of dissonance in H1Z1, primarily because it retains the survival and simulation elements from its progenitors. Aside from crafting, players have to manage continuous health loss (with varying degrees of severity) after taking damage. This is complicated by the fact that first aid kits only replenish health gradually. Assault rifles also fire with such significant recoil that you'd think H1Z1 taps into realism or military sim roots. These mechanics aren't necessarily bad on their own, but they are at odds with the core of how the game is played.
A lack of variety also hurts H1Z1's longevity. One map would have been just fine if it wasn't for the emptiness of the fields between the plainly designed city centers. A few locations, like Runamok Lake's cabins and camping grounds, add some flavor, but overall you can expect little in terms of verticality or intricate structure layouts. This extends to the available arsenal; a shotgun, magnum, and two assault rifles are useful in the proper scenarios. Crossbows with exploding arrows come in handy although they aren't practical given that the arrows need to be crafted. A sniper rifle provides a long-range option, however, it's only available through randomized supply drops. There are no attachments or scopes to change up the limited set of firearms, and the excitement of putting a good weapon to use is hard to come by. Going into a first-person view on the fly allows you to use iron sights to get better shots in tight corridors, but there isn't much to use for long-range combat. It's an absence of parity in weaponry that's very apparent when battling it out in the map's open areas. Firefights still carry the intensity you'd expect from battle royale game, but lose some of steam when the available arsenal limits the depth of enemy engagement.
To shift gears from the standard last-person-standing concept, H1Z1 has a separate mode called Auto Royale. The mode itself is in beta, but it serves as an admirable change of pace. This team-based car combat pits 30 teams of four against each other by putting one player in the driver's seat and three others as passengers who shoot from their seats in an effort to destroy enemy cars. No one can leave the car, and it's absolute chaos. The battle royale structure is still in tact with a progressively shrinking safe zone, but teams sink or swim as one unit. Players can revive themselves if they get knocked out, so teams are eliminated once the vehicle is destroyed. This mode trades uneasy tension for carefree off-roading action.
Akin to Twisted Metal or Mario Kart's Battle Mode, item pickups litter the map, including weapons and ammo for teammates, diversions like smoke screens and oil slicks, or car repair kits to help stay in the fight. Ramps are also tacked onto the map for high-flying stunts in the middle of high-speed chases. Auto Royale is as absurd as it is fun, albeit only enjoyable in short bursts.
By nature of being free-to-play, H1Z1 unsurprisingly features microtransactions, which are thankfully limited to cosmetic items. Colorful skins for everything from vehicles and parachutes to guns and helmets leave a lot of room for customization. You're allowed to trade items with other players as well, so if there's a skin you really want, you don't have to rely entirely on the loot box system. Timed challenges give you something to work towards and serve as a means to acquire in-game currency, though there is a separate paid-for currency available.
H1Z1 predicates itself on eliminating the more random factors seen in other battle royale games, and it remains a competent execution of the genre. The game has its intense moments and exhilarating firefights; the thrill of besting 100+ players is very much present. However, the incoherent gameplay elements overshadow the better moments, and the lack of variety in both map design and weapon selection makes H1Z1 lose its appeal rather quick, especially in the genre it spearheaded.
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