Star Wars day has finally arrived. And if you're a fan of the tenured film franchise, it's likely you've got a hankering to play some Star Wars games right now. However, you might be asking yourself: "what games are available on my PS4?" There's actually a fair amount aside from the most recently released EA-developed Battlefront games.
While not every Star Wars game in this feature has held up to the test of time, it's difficult to deny the sense of nostalgia we still feel for them. After all, we all had to start somewhere, and if that starting point was the middling Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, then so be it. Nostalgia is a force that helps heal some of the worst shortcomings.
As an added bonus, many of the Star Wars games highlighted in this feature are on sale right now on the PlayStation digital store to celebrate Star Wars day. The deals last until May 8, so be sure to jump in while you have the chance.
Which Star Wars games do you love the most? Let us know in the comments below. In other news, check out the most recent TV spot trailer for the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars spin-off.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
"Playing a lot of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens won't be a chore, though, especially if you do have a younger partner to take with you on your galactic journey. These Lego games are confectionaries now, little candies that don't have a huge amount of substance but are enjoyable nonetheless. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn't really take you to a new galaxy far, far away, but it's still a pleasant journey." [read the review]
"If nothing else, Star Wars Battlefront is an exercise in pure spectacle, laid out in all of its neon glory. I can't help but smile when the Boba Fett guns down three fighters in a row from his Slave I ship, or a snowspeeder careens past with flames trailing in its wake. The first 10 hours are packed with these moments, and it's worth playing just to watch them unfold.
But Battlefront doesn't go much deeper than its ambitious surface appeal. It front loads its best content, only to fade in quality as the hours roll by. Star Wars Battlefront's skin is beautiful, but its legs are shaking, and threaten to buckle with time." [read the review]
"While its main narrative feels unresolved, and the general loop of the multiplayer carries a number of issues, Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome--for its simultaneous attempts to balance progression with genuine feeling of accomplishments--is deciding on what type of game it wants to be." [read the review]
"Though Racer Revenge is a lot of fun and plays great, it's simply too short. You can conceivably beat the tournament mode within two hours if you're a seasoned zero-G racing fan or within three hours if you're not. If you factor in the fact that you'll need to beat the game another five times to unlock everything, this will help matters, but it'll still be five times through the same tracks. Even with the alternate routes, racing around the same tracks can get repetitive. If Racer Revenge offered a more robust multiplayer mode, or a few extra modes in general, it could have had a lot more lasting value. As it is, Racer Revenge is good-looking game that's a whole lot of fun while it lasts, which unfortunately isn't very long at all." [read the review]
"Maybe it's always been this way, but now more than ever, Star Wars games can't get by just on the strength of their license--they need to be truly good games in their own right. Star Wars Bounty Hunter for the GameCube has all the basic ingredients needed for a solid third-person action game, but it falls a bit short in the execution and has enough technical weaknesses to undermine its basically good design. Serious Star Wars aficionados should nonetheless enjoy the story, and the game has enough substance and unlockable extras to make it at least worth a rental." [read the review]
"In the end, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is a solid game that fans of the first entry in the series should check out without giving it a second thought. While it's not the prettiest game out there, or the best-looking Star Wars game for that matter, it does offer strong control and entertaining gameplay, as well as the sound and music we've come to expect from a Star Wars game. These merits combined with the multitude of ships and missions that can be unlocked through extensive play further add to the value of the game. While plenty good can be said about Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, the often-bland visuals, sketchy frame rate, and somewhat frustrating targeting control ultimately hold Jedi Starfighter back from being a great game." [read the review]
Super Star Wars is a remastered port of the classic, yet brutally difficult Super Nintendo game of the same name. This action side-scroller allows you to relive the events of the first film as Luke, Han, and Chewbacca, fighting through waves of hostile enemies. Not every stage in the game is 1:1 to what happened in the first film, but there's more than enough here to please Star Wars fans looking for an even more retro experience than some of the other games in this feature.
Pinball FX 3 is a pinball simulator created by Zen Studios. It's technically free, but it offers an assortment of tables based on popular properties that you can purchase and download for play. Among its selection is a wide variety of tables based on numerous Star Wars-related films and TV series. Each pack offers two or so tables, offering you the fun of a classic pinball experience but in the comfort of your own home, and not a loud and crowded bar.
Eating food and going places: These are things we all do, or wish we could do more of. Netflix knows this, which explains the spike in food/travel programming in recent years. After all, when we're not eating food or going places, there's a good chance we're thinking about eating food or going places. The binge-watch model works wonderfully when indulging in such programming.
Whether an exciting history lesson is revealed or a new recipe is explored, Netflix has something for everyone. From the sardonic sensibilities of Anthony Bourdain to the awkward dad humor of Phil Rosenthal, here are 21 of the best food/travel shows available on Netflix right now.
21. Eat Your Words
Eat Your Words sounds like the perfect Yelp-themed revenge story. Instead of simply leaving the bad reviews untouched, the concept for the series puts contestants in the cook's shoes and challenges them to recreate the dish they didn't enjoy in the first place. What transpires is redemption on both sides--with the chefs sometimes receiving the vindication they seek, while the dissatisfied foodies sometimes prove they've got their own worthy culinary skills. After cooking up the negatively rated meal, the finished product is presented to a panel of judges--and then rated on their own Yelp-like star system.
20. Chef & My Fridge
Chef & My Fridge delivers a familiar cooking competition formula but through a South Korean reality show lens. The concept finds chefs teamed with regular people, with the goal of cooking up high-end dishes using only the ingredients contained in the guest star's fridge. Needless to say, the show's tone is lighthearted and a bit wacky, and gives American viewers insight into the country's reality food programming. Oh, and don't forget the emojis. There are lots of emojis.
19. Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
Unlike the majority of shows on this list, Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories tackles food-themed voyeurism in a scripted format. The 10-episode series gives a peek into Tokyo's late night scene. It follows an assortment of characters--all of them diner regulars--as they partake in an assortment of Japanese comfort food. That's only the beginning, though, as the dishes in question spark different stories--full of heart, humor, and emotion. For those unfamiliar with Japanese culture, this show offers a lovely introduction to its food and people.
18. Testing the Menu
What's most interesting about Testing the Menu is the fact that it's a New Zealand cooking show focused on Asian fusion cuisine. Chef Nick Watt travels around Auckland and its surrounding area, testing out different recipes on the general public--which may or may not be added to the menu of the various Japanese restaurants he owns. Watt's nerdy presence offers a different dynamic for those needing a break from those shows that may take themselves a bit too seriously. As appetizing as things get, the show succeeds best when it highlights New Zealand culture.
17. A Cook Abroad
If you're looking for an Anthony Bourdain-style show, but without all that Bourdain-iness, A Cook Abroad may quench your proverbial thirst. Each episode follows a different host as they traverse different parts of the world. From Sikh chef Tony Singh's trip to India to motorcycle enthusiast Dave Meyer's jaunt to Egypt to Rachel Khoo's inspiring look at Malaysia, it's easy to see the adventurous appeal of the series. There's only six episodes of the BBC 2 series--but that's surely enough to give viewers a taste of the show's unique worldly aesthetic.
16. The Wild Chef
Martin Picard is an award-winning chef that hails from Montreal. He's appeared as a guest on multiple food shows--the Canada episode of Parts Unknown comes to mind. And with The Wild Chef, he lets his adventurous food spirit free. Each episode finds the man and his sous chef Hugue Lafour hitting the road to brave the elements--hunting moose and trapping muskrats--only to create a delicious dish using what they find in the wilderness. While the show doesn't necessarily give you instructions on making these meals at home, The Wild Chef provides a survivalist angle to the food-travel show construct. And the result is quite entertaining.
15. Avec Eric
Another series that has banked on the success of the Anthony Bourdain food/travel show formula is Avec Eric--which is not surprising since Eric Ripert is one of Bourdain's closest friends. The show follows the French chef as he travels the world, showcasing cultural highlights of whatever destination he's visiting. He may lack the charisma one would expect--there's no witty sarcasm here--but his show doesn't pander either. Staying true to his Buddhist sensibilities, Ripert keeps his focus on foods and locales of an exotic nature--and he does so without any pretension or judgment, which is delightful in its own right.
14. The Big Family Cooking Showdown
What's not to love about The Big Family Cooking Showdown? The host of the show, Nadiya Hussain, used her big win in Season 6 of The Great British Baking Show to launch this new competition series. Hailing from BBC Two, Hussain is joined by co-host Zoë Ball, and the two head to the British countryside to find the area's best home cooks. Rounding out the cast are judges Roseman Shrager and Michelin Star-winning chef Giorgio Locatelli. Cut from that feel-good Mary Berry cloth, the program succeeds at scratching the British Baking Show itch.
13. The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass
For those put off by the overhaul The Great British Baking Show went through, this show may be for you. While Mary Berry hasn't returned for the new season of the food competition series, this quaint spinoff reunites her with judge Paul Hollywood for an up-close-and-personal baking education. Instead of watching contestants struggle to keep up with each culinary challenge, Berry and Hollywood bring viewers into the kitchen to show how to make some of the toughest desserts featured on the popular series. Mary Berry may be gone from The Great British Baking Show, but her presence here is a treat for old and new fans alike.
12. Zumbo's Just Desserts
With a name like Zumbo, you might expect something a bit clown-ish when tuning in to Zumbo's Just Desserts. While it's not the circus sideshow the name implies,, the Australian series does come packed with plenty of spectacle. Each episode finds pastry chef Adriano Zumbo presenting two dessert-making challenges to a group of amateur bakers. What makes the series stand out from the pack are the out-of-this-world concoctions Zumbo whips up. Giant sugary sculptures and magical layered cakes abound in this series. Willy Wonka would be proud.
11. Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father
Jack Whitehall is pretty famous in the UK. The comedian and TV personality has earned himself a loyal following. And with his travel series, Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father, he's connected with a whole new audience. The program follows a Bourdain-like formula as Whitehall travels to South Asia, aiming to fulfill his gap year dreams. But things get interesting when he decides to bring his father and former producer and talent agent, Michael Whitehall, along for the ride. What transpires is a hilarious bonding session that plays out between a hesitant, fancy father and his brash, adventurous son.
10. Rotten
Rotten takes an in-depth look at the different aspects of the food business--and the fraud, crimes, and tragedies that come with it. From the "Honey" episode's focus on corruption and contamination plaguing America's honey industry to the "Peanut" episode's investigation into the drastic rise of food allergies, the six-part docuseries pulls no punches. It's not your typical feel-good food show, but the series does help to shine a light on lesser known, but quite critical, aspects of the food industry. Oh, and it's produced by Zero Point Zero--the Emmy-winning company behind a handful of hit food/travel shows, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
9. Cooked
Executive produced by author Michael Pollan, Cooked breaks down the familiar food docuseries format into four parts: "Fire," "Water," "Air," and "Earth." Each episode focuses on each of the planet's powerful elements to explore just how these resources are connected to sustenance, impacting the day-to-day foods we eat. The program peels back the curtain on the cultural history of global food practices, instead of just displaying food porn for food porn's sake. Ultimately, the Alex Gibney-directed (Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, The Looming Tower) series is informative without being pretentious--highlighting different perspectives the world over on topics from sustainable crops to food prep to the simple joy of enjoying dinner with family around a table.
8. The Mind of a Chef
Anthony Bourdain put his producer hat on for PBS's Mind of a Chef. Different celebrity chefs take the helm to host the series, with the assistance of Bourdain's familiar voice-over narration style. What audiences should expect here are similar components that make other Bourdain joints a success. You've got beautiful shots of food, travel tips, a peek into a town's history, an a handful of intriguing personalities. David Chang helms the first season--each episode is about 20 minutes long--which gives viewers that lovely Anthony Bourdain feel, without all the Bourdain.
7. Ugly Delicious
Ugly Delicious takes the pretentiousness out of food programming, highlighting the importance of the ugly and delicious world of home cooking. Since David Chang disrupted the food world with his restaurant Momofuku, he's made a reputation of being one of the more vocal food personalities in the industry. As audiences have seen with his work from Vice's Munchies to Mind of a Chef, the man has interesting things to say. Chang isn't the only host of the series, though, giving a collection of unique voices a chance to shine. And that's great, especially for those out there who find his brash sensibilities an acquired taste.
6. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
From the man behind Seinfeld--the game-changing "show about nothing"--comes a simple show concept: Each episode follows the comedian as he drives some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry around the city in a classic car. Of course, they end up getting coffee, which is a selling point for any coffee fan, but the crux of the show finds Jerry chopping it up with his famous peers--from Jim Carrey to Barack Obama. It's like taking the best parts of a late night talk show on the road. And with Netflix's acquisition of the series, not only is every episode available to be viewed, it's delightfully bingeable.
5. The Great British Baking Show
In a world where loud judgmental hosts like Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain focus on the darker aspects of the culinary world, Mary Berry's The Great British Baking Show offers a different, pleasant perspective on things. As charming as it is beautiful, the show focuses on the delightful aspects of baking. And while this is a competition series, the programming formula sheds the expected reality show drama--there's no villain amongst the contestants--and focuses on the struggles and victories of the actual food-making process. It's a breath of fresh air, honestly.
4. Chef's Table
When it comes to food programming, Chef's Table stands out from the pack with its epic production value. While this show provides a very high level of food porn for the senses, each episode adds an emotional component by delving into a famous chef's backstory. Without food, we'd surely die. But watching these stories unfold--exploring just how the culinary business not only saved, but changed lives for the better--shows just how important to the culture chefs are. Making meals may not always be pretty, but this heightened docuseries cuts through the fat, exposing the passion behind the meal.
3. Chef's Table: France
Netflix one-upped itself with Chef's Table: France. Sure, Chef's Table changed the game when it comes to food porn. The cinematography alone in these episodes deserve all the awards. That said, bringing the series to France was a no-brainer. Not only do these episodes appeal to French locals, presenting the subject matter all in the country's native tongue, the program opens things up to a global audience. Exploring these various dishes and culture is impactful here for the simple reason that French cuisine has--and continues to have--a monumental impact on food around the world. If Chef's Table dug into the stories and struggles behind the food, Chef's Table: France breaks the whole thing down to its basest id. And it'll leave your mouth watering for more.
2. Somebody Feed Phil/I'll Have What Phil's Having
Upon watching Somebody Feed Phil (The Netflix continuation of PBS's short-lived series I'll Have What Phil's Having) you instantly feel a stark difference from the grumpy host stylings that either Bourdain or Chang bring to the table. Phil Rosenthal--he's the guy who created Everybody Loves Raymond--has one goal in mind: To go to new places and try new things. As he travels around the world and puts local delicacies into his mouth, the man's joy becomes quite contagious. After all, he's not here to judge. He's here to encourage everyone to try new food. And if they like what they try, to have a little more!
1. Parts Unknown
Since he brought No Reservations to The Travel Channel over a decade ago, Anthony Bourdain's punk rock panache and sardonic sense of humor cut through the TV fluff and changed the food-travel show game. Now that he's taken his brand to CNN, Parts Unknown has built upon his familiar formula. Through the six seasons available on Netflix, Parts Unknown has brought viewers a plethora of food porn, travel show stories, insight from food personalities around the world, and a multitude of deep history lessons. In other words, this is Anthony Bourdain's world--we're just living in it.
In 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV came at a time when open-world games were a dime a dozen. With the open-world framework set by GTA III, where player agency inside a large and expansive setting is given all the focus, Rockstar Games' big return to the criminal underworld of Liberty City had to overcome some high expectations and other competitors that advanced the genre even further. Though GTA IV found remarkable critical and commercial success, many fans found the game's more grounded and subdued tone to be somewhat jarring, especially compared to GTA San Andreas' outlandish, over-the-top campaign.
When you look at GTA IV in the broader sense, it was more interested in immersing players into the atmosphere of Liberty City. With a larger cast of characters, along with several new systems to learn while exploring a more dense city, the new setting offered the most dynamic space in a GTA game at the time. And now celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2018, we're taking a look back at Rockstar's seminal sequel and how its more realistic take and focus on immersing players into its dense city opened doors for many other open-world games thereafter--setting the stage for Rockstar's biggest success, GTA V.
As the first GTA game on PS3 and Xbox 360, the developers at Rockstar North opted to switch things up for its return to Liberty City. Powered by the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE for short), which made its debut with the budget-release Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis, Grand Theft Auto IV was the first AAA game to use the publisher's new tech. In addition to featuring the Euphoria physics-engine, it offered far more detail in movement and animations, along with stronger visual fidelity and design. This gave the game a drastically different look and feel compared to the previous entries, presenting more detail in geography and aesthetic across the city's various locales across the four boroughs of Liberty City.
While the familiar iconography, social commentary, and open-world action from previous games were still present--albeit in a more subdued light--GTA IV's plot centers around the immigrant experience of Niko Bellic, establishing a fresh start for the series. Traveling from eastern Europe, the Serbian War veteran sought a new life in Liberty City, while also trying to find the man responsible for betraying him many years before. Though GTA III was set in Liberty City, this game's incarnation of the setting was entirely revamped. This put players and Niko Bellic on equal footing, both outsiders to a new setting they had to make their mark in.
GTA IV has its share of high-stakes shootouts and elaborate high-speed chases, including the now-infamous Three Leaf Clover bank heist mission--which went on to serve as the basis for GTA V's heist missions--but it never goes completely beyond the realm of belief. To do so would go counter to the tone of the main story and the style it went for. Respectively, GTA IV forgoes a lot of dumb action in favor of actually getting you to spend time with the many supporting characters in Niko's story.
"Choosing to spend some time with secondary characters leads to some surprising moments of humanity and friendship, which is somewhat unexpected for a GTA game."
Early on, Niko's ne'er-do-well cousin Roman gives him a cellphone, which acts as the game's main communication and contextual gameplay tool. Along with calling in taxies and emergency service vehicles--allowing you to take on side-jobs as a driver or even track down local criminals by hijacking service vehicles--it also opens up relationships with Niko's closest allies. During your off time, you can take part in seemingly frivolous activities, such as going to cabarets, drinking at local bars, or visiting a strip club. Most importantly, you could even take part in a few games of bowling, which turns out to be a favorite among Niko's circle of friends--particularly Roman.
In some cases, characters will contact Niko directly to hang out for happy hour, or for genuine dates with potential love interests. These encounters, while mostly optional, do have some greater payoff, such as extra bodyguards and access to better resources. For instance, Dwayne Forge, a former crime lord and ex-con, will contact players to hang out. Despite having tremendous pull in the criminal underworld, he lives a largely lonesome life in a perpetual state of depression. Hanging out with Dwayne will encourage him to loosen up and open up about his past. Choosing to spend some time with secondary characters leads to some surprising moments of humanity and friendship, which is somewhat unexpected for a GTA game. It turned out that the game wasn't all about mayhem and crime after all. It was refreshing to see your time being rewarded with something cool in a GTA game, without having to fire a single bullet.
As Niko becomes more accustomed to living in Liberty City, his disdain for American life grows--sharing his thoughts with others about awful US television and the growing influence of social media. The radio stations of Liberty City blare late-2000s music and political commentary, and news stories keep you aware of the local goings-on around town, even referencing your own antics. That's not to say that its commentary is totally on the money, however. Much of the humor and style it tries to play off for laughs hasn't aged all that well--such as scenes with gay stereotypes and off-color racial humor. Granted, GTA has never been totally on the mark with its social critiques, but it does however have a strong sense of time.
Prior to GTA IV, the natural thing for other games to do was to offer more content, more action, and a bigger space to take part in. While other open-world games certainly did that well, such as the GTA clone-turned-full-blown-parody Saints Row, GTA IV focused on offering more active content to dive into. In comparison to San Andreas, the size of Liberty City's four boroughs are smaller, but it's far more dense with activity. Compared to previous games, GTA IV did a far better job of rewarding you for messing around and taking on side activities. Whether it was hanging out with friends or exploring the city to find several unmarked quests that led to some of the game's most humorous and darkest missions, there was an incredible amount of thought placed into the core design of the world and how you could choose to spend your time in it.
GTA IV came at a time when open-world games were increasingly common, and it approached things in a way that made it stand out from the rest. Sometime after GTA IV's launch, Rockstar released two DLC episodes--The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony--which introduced new missions and playable events that eventually lightened the tone. Along with offering more extravagant action set-pieces and a larger arsenal of weapons in the style of the previous games, these expansions also offered alternate perspectives to the main story--another aspect further expanded upon in GTA V.
When looking at Grand Theft Auto IV in the broader picture of the series, the general vibe it tends to give off can make it feel a bit self-serious. Still, there's something endearing--and even commendable--about how Rockstar stuck with it, and showing that you can still have a fun time exploring the city while learning more about the people in it. 10 years later, Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City still features some of the series' finest moments of storytelling. And given that it's coming from a series that focused on tons of dumb moments full of violent nonsense, that's a remarkable achievement in its own right.
In its present state, Final Fantasy XV is very different from the game we had at its 2016 launch. After several updates and content drops, which included a number of quality-of-life improvements, new missions, monsters, and world events--along with four DLC episodes--the fifteenth core entry in the JRPG has continued to evolve in its post-launch period. And the developers still see plenty of room for more growth moving forward.
During PAX East 2018, the creative team behind FFXV announced four brand new episodes focusing on Ardyn, Aranea, Luna, and Noctis--which aim to close out the game's main story. Moreover, the developers plan to move forward with making mod tools for the PC version available. They hope this will allow players to implement new events and missions, along with a healthy helping of weird side-content.
Speaking with GameSpot, episode director Takefumi Terada and live services manager Shigefumi Tanaka spoke about their respect for the community its feedback, along with their hopes on closing out FFXV's main story.
There's been a lot of enthusiasm from the community about experiencing the game on PC, even more so now that the new updates are coming. What are your thoughts on the response the PC version has had?
Shigefumi Tanaka: Yeah, when developing the PC version, it wasn't just a straight one-on-one port. We were going from the ground up, working really closely within our available skillset, putting the features in there.. We put in a lot of effort and then made sure it appealed to our PC audience. I think that is something that has resonated well with them, which was reflected in the feedback we have gotten so far.
The level editor is gonna give the players ability to create little events on their own. Technically, you could have situations where other characters than Ignis can say, "I've come up with a recipe" and little bits of like that. Just the fact that we're gonna be letting players choose their way of enjoying the game [through custom content] is something that we're looking forward to seeing. For us, we just want to provide the platform for players to take advantage of all the mod tools that are gonna be released from us, and then have them just go wild with it, have fun and, just really enjoy their own experiences.
Is Mod support something you're maybe keeping in mind for future Final Fantasy titles but also maybe some other SquareEnix games as well?
ST: I think it's something we always consider if it's right for that particular game and that particular project. I think we're gonna be really interested in seeing what those fan reactions are, too. Once the tools are all out there and we get to see how it plays out, we'll see how we want to proceed with it. In general, I think most Square Enix titles don't really open themselves up to mods officially. It's a first in many ways. I think this will be maybe setting a new standard or maybe at least sending up a new type of gameplay ideas for us in the future.
Mods are usually something you see from Western developed games. Do you feel like you've learned a lot from how those types of games are developed over the years, and how to apply the most interesting ideas to your projects?
ST: Generally, our business is not just putting out games for the Japanese market. We've always had a global vision, especially with FFXV. With that said, that's probably one of the reasons--major reasons, actually--why when we decided to do the Windows edition, [we decided] we're gonna be supporting mods on it. Moving forward, we're gonna always have a goal in our mindset. Whatever makes the most sense in that regard, I think, that's how we're gonna approach the development. Yeah, probably gonna be natural progression into the way we think and the way how we approach.
What's interesting about Final Fantasy XV is that it's changed a lot over the time sice the game first released. It's the first mainline Final Fantasy game that's not an MMO to receive such sizable content post-launch. What has it been like for you to re-examine a main entry like this after release?
Takefumi Terada: For an offline [Final Fantasy] game like this, to be continuing to update it after launch is really unusual. Even our general audience in Japan are always really interested in the thinking behind it, and why we're doing it like this. Up until launch, it is more of a traditional approach where the dev team made the game that they wanted the players to play and said, "Here it is." Once the players got their hands on it, they played it, and we heard a lot of feedback, we heard their comments, what they like, what they didn't like, things like that, and then it gave us an opportunity to respond to all the voices in the feedback.
That's why we went, "Okay, now, we're gonna add this feature or we're gonna do this." It's been a cycle where at first, it was the dev team wanting to put the game out that they believed was the one that they wanted people to play, doing our user feedback and saying, "All right. We wanna respond to that." Now, there's two-way communication between the players and the dev team. It's been how things have progressed.
Did the extended development period of Final Fantasy XV--formerly FF Versus XIII--also influence the decision to re-examine XV? Given that the dev team had many ideas that may have stayed out of the released product.
TT: It all stems from the user feedback that we got from people who purchased FF15 on day one and their immediate responses. Then as we see all the responses and the voices, we look back and we're like, "All right. Maybe there's this thing we could have used." Because it was a long development discussion, there were a lot of things we saw, but it wasn't necessarily the objective to put all those things out there. It was more about starting from the fan feedback and saying, "Okay. What can work for that? Oh, we had this. Maybe we could try using that or playing that."
A lot of fans were surprised by the announcement of the next round of DLC episodes for the game at PAX East. The response to the previous set was very enthusiastic as well. Looking back, were you happy with how those DLC episodes turned out?
TT: From a development standpoint, it got better and better in terms of the things that we wanted to achieve. We felt we could improve the quality of episode as it went on. That was due to us working together for so long. While comrades had its own dedicated team working on their own piece of the game, the DLC episodes--Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis, and Episode Duscae--had the same time as the scale of the games increased. Once one project was done, we'd go to the next one. Some of the things that they couldn't achieve in the previous one, they'd apply those new learnings and they try new approaches for the next one.
Is there something in particular from the previous episodes that you wanted to implement into the game, but couldn't?
TT: There's probably some things that we could apply to the next set. One thing in particular that stands out right now is that there wasn't any character progression in terms of leveling up in skills and things like that in the previous episodes. They were largely static and situational when it came to growth. That might be one feature that we can work its way into the next four.
What's interesting is that the Final Fantasy XV game we have now is very different from the game we had at launch. The focus clearly is on expanding the world, which is really exciting to see for a Final Fantasy fan. Are you interested in seeing where it goes from here even after the release of the next episodes?
ST: As far as the next DLC goes, it's really about giving the theme of the ultimate grand finale. Right now, we don't have any plans post Episode Noctis. That is the official close of this journey of FFXV. On the other side of that, in terms of providing more story content, what the team is doing is working alongside the live services team in trying to put out content that keeps general activity in-game going. From a day-to-day level, the active users will have as many ways to enjoy the game as possible.
That's why we're doing the Mods and all the great updates like user treasures and things like that--to give some kind of connection with players around the world. Even though it's not a multiplayer experience, it still gives the feeling of you being involved in something bigger, and just that two-way approach in terms of providing more story content but also just providing things on a more day-to-day level for people to just enjoy and create their own customized experience is how we're looking at the remainder on this XV timeline.
It seems like mods are going to be the thing to keep the game going after the official content is done. Is there any type of mod in particular you're looking forward to seeing from fans?
ST: Well, the golfing bit that we snuck into [our PAX East presentation] is one of those examples--which again is totally possible to make with the tools. Those left field things that people might come up with, we just want to see what people can really do with it.
TT: I think from my point of view, I want to see things that people come up that we on the dev team are always thinking about doing. Usually for us, we'll make stuff and give it to the players. We'd love for people to come up with things that will surprise us, and we'd be like, "Damn, that's good." That would be a loud and really cool moment of excitement for us.
Enjoying Battletech takes time and patience. Born from the decades-old tabletop game of the same name (which also gave birth to the Mechwarrior series of games), the Harebrained Schemes version of Battletech places the universe into the genre most suitable to its origin: turn-based tactical strategy. It's a successful endeavor in that playing Battletech very much feels like playing a complex board game, both for better and worse. There are deep systems to be found in its meaningful mech customization, detailed combat scenarios, and enjoyable fantasy of running an interplanetary mercenary outfit. But reaching the point of thoroughly enjoying Battletech requires the willingness to weather its steep learning curve and laborious pace, which can sometimes veer into excruciating territory.
Individual missions in Battletech are protracted, plodding conflicts, averaging around 45 minutes in length. You command a group of four battlemechs, each piloted by unique and specialized pilots, with the goal of either blowing something up or keeping something safe against outnumbering forces composed of hostile mechs and vehicles of warfare. The enormous mechs of this universe are the lumbering, industrial behemoth kind, bulky tanks with legs characterized by ugly chassis and weapons overtly fused to their limbs. They are graceless, unwieldy machines, and Battletech doesn't hesitate in belaboring their nature as they slowly trudge through the game's vast, sprawling maps like pieces on a military sand table.
Observing a unit's actions play out can be a quite a process. You'll watch them steadily stomp to a point on the topological grid-based terrain, leisurely rotate their torsos to their designated angle, wait for their weapons to spin up, watch the weapons fire, and wait again for a few moments as the damage report comes in to assess the aftermath. Mech animation speed aside, there are often pauses during this string of actions that feel unnecessarily egregious, and given the number of turns that need to be played out, long missions have the capacity to feel never-ending. There are more exasperating examples, too--during escort missions you'll find yourself watching up to four autonomous convoy vehicles taking turns to crawl through the map, slowly and one at a time, and the display is nothing short of agonizing. At the time of writing, there is a debug mode you can use to help artificially alter speed, but these are not officially endorsed options. By default, Battletech debilitating pace, combined with the game's lacking tutorials, firm difficulty, complicated UI, and persistent technical stammers mean the experience of Battletech's early hours can be tough to brave.
But it's worth it. Growing acclimated to Battletech's attrition-focused warfare and making enough of your own critical mistakes to get a handle on its systems feels liberating, when it eventually happens. Being able to parse initially obtuse information allows you to internalize and appreciate the suite of mechanical nuances and helps you recognize the game's detailed and hard-nosed approach to strategy. Like any great tactical game, each decision requires multi-faceted risk analysis for the best possible outcome. But the joy of good choices in Battletech doesn't come from bombastic maneuvers where your team precisely eliminates a whole enemy squad without a scratch, as it might in XCOM or Into the Breach--that's an impossible scenario here. Being truly successful in Battletech relies on being prepared to get into scrappy, aggressive fighting, and coming to terms with what an acceptable loss might be to you at the time, whether that's an objective, a limb, or the lives of multiple pilots.
With only four mechs to eliminate a larger number of adversaries in a turn-based ruleset, with no allowances for mid-combat repair, learning how to maneuver your mechs in order to endure a reasonable amount of damage becomes one of the most gripping aspects of decision making--how far do you push yourself to take on enormous odds? On the battlefield, this might mean something as simple as studying the impressively varied terrain in each map and finding the most advantageous spot to hunker down, or using buildings, forests, and mountains as cover during an advance. But on a more advanced and necessarily specific level, it might mean rotating your mech to present a fully-armored side to an attacking foe and obscure a side already damaged. Taking additional damage to a body part stripped of armor can result in structural damage or loss of limb, requiring replacement and repairs at significant cost, on top of running an increased risk of having your mech pilot permanently killed.
Similar considerations are always on your mind when you're on the offensive. You might decide to temporarily switch off some of your weapons when attacking to avoid overheating your mech, which can cause immediate, all-over internal damage. One of your mechs might be out of ammo but has the option of using its jets to leap off a mountain and crash onto an enemy below to knock it down--but can you afford the risk of breaking both your legs and being floored yourself?
With a complete understanding of how each unit can affect another at different locations, with various skills, weapons, and modifiers at play, your perception of unfolding battles becomes one of utter fascination at the minor details and outcomes of each strike. Seeing the battlefield in a different way in order to devise your own alternative approaches and formulating creative backup plans are things that begin to occupy your thoughts, instead of the tempo. Conflicts are still lengthy, and some drawn-out maneuvers still feel unnecessary, but with the time devoted to each turn, you start to use it to observe and internalize what exactly is happening and why. Pivotal turning points in a battle can be narrowed down to the exact action, which can become tactical learnings for future use. There are still a few random elements that can occur, attributed to the probabilities that drive attack calculations--lucky headshots that instantly injure your pilot regardless of armor durability are the prime unfair example--but regardless, the increased focus and time spent on each distinct action means that the anxious feelings that come with even the most trivial of anticipated hits and misses are amplified tenfold.
Battletech also gives you an interesting ability used to preserve your squad--when a mission becomes overwhelming and dead pilots are almost certain, you can choose to immediately withdraw from a mission, at the cost of sullying your reputation with the factions that hired you and surrendering your paycheck. The latter is an especially vital consideration, because money quickly becomes a huge concern in Battletech's campaign and begins to affect all your decisions, both on and off the battlefield.
The dynamic between the tactical battles and logistical management means almost every decision you make feels like it has rippling, tangible consequences elsewhere. The campaign sees your custom character rise to the leadership of a mercenary company which has accrued an enormous debt, with monthly repayments to meet every month. Naturally, everything costs money, from post-mission repairs, mech upkeep, pilot salaries, ship upgrades and even travel costs--this is a game about business management as much as it is about commanding a squad. Accepting missions allows you to negotiate a contract to determine what your fee should be in relation to your post-battle salvage rights (valuable for maintaining and upgrading your mech configurations as well as unlocking new models) and faction reputation, which opens up more lucrative opportunities. Request too little money on a mission you take carelessly, and the cost of mission-ready repairs afterward might send you into bankruptcy. Without enough salvage and spare cash to play around with, you're impeded in your ability to play with one of the most vital and enjoyable parts of Battletech: building and customizing individual mechs to improve the combat capabilities of your squad.
There are close to 40 different models of stock mechs, varying in tonnage and intended purposes. But the joy of spending time in the mech bay is experimenting with different configurations using the parts you have on hand. Every alteration you make on a mech is at the sacrifice of something else--you can carry more weapons and ammo at the expense of dropping things like heatsinks and additional armor plating, for example. Taking the time to fine-tune that balance and seeing your decisions translate into a more efficient unit on the battlefield feels exceptionally worthwhile.
The lore and epic narratives of the Battletech universe are as important as the mechs themselves, and this game puts a heavy emphasis on them. The main plot begins with the coup of the head of a parliamentary monarchy--your custom character's childhood friend--and continues as you regroup years later to rally forces and take back the throne. The recorded details of the fictional history and politics between factions are unsurprisingly scrupulous--glossary tooltips for universe-specific concepts litter the game's text. But there are enough broad strokes and familiar feudal parallels to enjoy it at face value, and the comprehensive presentation--well-written and diverse characters, beautiful 2D cutscenes, inspired soundtrack, crunchy sound design and convincing radio chatter--do more than enough to completely sell this brand of mecha fantasy.
Battletech is a game that selfishly takes its time to be meticulous in every respect, and pushing through the density and idiosyncrasies of its many, slow-moving parts can be tough. But if you have the will to decipher it, albeit, at a deliberate and punishingly plodding pace, you can find yourself completely engrossed in its kinetic clashes. Battletech's intricate components ultimately foster a fascinating wealth of nuanced systems that build a uniquely strenuous, detailed, and thoroughly rewarding tactical strategy game.
Star Wars day has finally arrived. And if you're a fan of the tenured film franchise, it's likely you've got a hankering to play some Star Wars games right now. However, you might be asking yourself: "what games are available on my Xbox One?" There's actually a fair amount aside from the most recently released EA-developed Battlefront games.
Classic games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars Republic Commando are all available on the console thanks to the magic of backwards compatibility. While not every Star Wars game in this feature has held up to the test of time, it's difficult to deny the sense of nostalgia we still feel for them. After all, we all had to start somewhere, and if that starting point was the middling Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, then so be it. Nostalgia is a force that helps heal some of the worst shortcomings.
As an added bonus, many of the Star Wars games highlighted in this feature are on sale right now on the Xbox digital store to celebrate Star Wars day. The deals last until May 8, so be sure to jump in while you have the chance.
Which Star Wars games on Xbox do you love the most? Let us know in the comments below. In other news, check out the most recent TV spot trailer for the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars spin-off.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
"Playing a lot of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens won't be a chore, though, especially if you do have a younger partner to take with you on your galactic journey. These Lego games are confectionaries now, little candies that don't have a huge amount of substance but are enjoyable nonetheless. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn't really take you to a new galaxy far, far away, but it's still a pleasant journey." [read the review]
"If nothing else, Star Wars Battlefront is an exercise in pure spectacle, laid out in all of its neon glory. I can't help but smile when the Boba Fett guns down three fighters in a row from his Slave I ship, or a snowspeeder careens past with flames trailing in its wake. The first 10 hours are packed with these moments, and it's worth playing just to watch them unfold.
But Battlefront doesn't go much deeper than its ambitious surface appeal. It front loads its best content, only to fade in quality as the hours roll by. Star Wars Battlefront's skin is beautiful, but its legs are shaking, and threaten to buckle with time." [read the review]
"While its main narrative feels unresolved, and the general loop of the multiplayer carries a number of issues, Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome--for its simultaneous attempts to balance progression with genuine feeling of accomplishments--is deciding on what type of game it wants to be." [read the review]
"There's nothing quite like flinging your Luke Skywalker bird by the head of an AT-AT walker, cleanly cutting that head off with a light saber, and then watching the head roll down a hill to reign utter chaos among your porcine foes." [read the review]
"Overall, Star Wars: Battlefront delivers a satisfying team-based shooter experience that many hardcore Star Wars fans will probably enjoy greatly. Ironically, though the PC version of the game is technically the best, it also faces the stiffest direct competition, because to many PC shooter fans the game may come off as old hat. After all, aside from the Star Wars universe, Battlefront doesn't deliver anything PC players haven't seen before, even though it's a solid game in its own right. The console versions of the game--especially the Xbox version--might seem more fresh and appealing to their respective audiences, who don't have as many choices in online team-based shooters." [read the review]
"If Battlefront II seems like it's treading over familiar ground, that's because it is. If you already played the first game, you won't be surprised to see the same maps in this one. You'll keep fighting on the icy wastes of Hoth, the steamy swamps of Dagobah, and among the buildings in the dusty town of Mos Eisley. Some incremental feature improvements, like the new single-player campaign modes, playable Jedi, and space battles have also been tossed in for good measure. While there haven't been any radical changes made since the first game, Battlefront II remains a worthwhile choice for Star Wars fans looking for a good team-based shooter." [read the review]
"Between the multiplayer and different character paths, you'll find plenty of replay value in Jedi Academy. Those who wished Jedi Knight II had picked up the pace earlier on in the game should particularly enjoy it. Jedi Academy is a nonstop action ride that starts out on a high point and manages to remain there for the entire game. Gameplay elements that can be tedious, such as jumping puzzles, are limited, while the use of Force powers is accentuated. The game may not look great, but it will play well on older systems, so it can be enjoyed even by players who are waiting to upgrade their computers for some of the graphically intensive games scheduled for a holiday release. It even caters to those who aren't familiar with the Star Wars universe and just want pure action. In general, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is highly recommendable." [read the review]
"If you're a fan of Star Wars or action games, Republic Commando is easy to recommend. The single-player aspect combines the elements of this generation's best action games with an added flavor that's all its own. The campaign offers nonstop action from start to finish, making the game easily one of the most enjoyable and memorable Star Wars experiences in recent memory. Our only caveats are that the campaign won't last you long, and the multiplayer is merely competent, which doesn't make the game stand out in a crowded market of first-person shooters. Even with that in mind, the quality single-player experience of Republic Commando should not be missed by anyone who fancies him- or herself an action game aficionado." -- Bob Colayco [read the review]
"It's apparent from playing Knights of the Old Republic that a remarkable amount of effort, work, and talent went into this game. It's one of the only Star Wars games to truly make you feel at times as though you're a key player in and a part of this unique and beloved sci-fi setting. You'll get to do all the sorts of stuff that you've seen and enjoyed in the Star Wars movies, and you'll get to emulate any of your favorite characters' personalities and actions over the course of the game. You'll also experience a much more morally complex version of Star Wars than what you get from the movies. Along the way, you'll find a few aspects of the game that you'll wish were better, but that's mostly because the vast majority of Knights of the Old Republic is so exceptionally good. You don't need to be a fan of Star Wars or of RPGs to appreciate all the impressive qualities of this game--but if you are, all the better." [read the review]
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
"If Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic left you wanting more of its near-perfect blend of exploration, combat, and role-playing, then The Sith Lords is going to give you your fill. It's the first product from Obsidian Entertainment, a studio composed of veteran RPG designers who took the development reins on this sequel from BioWare, and evidently stayed true to the original style and vision in the process--that is, you wouldn't be able to guess just from playing The Sith Lords that this was the work of a different developer. Ironically, though, since Knights of the Old Republic was such a big game, with so much replay value, it didn't necessarily scream for such a similar sequel. As a result, you might have a much tougher time settling into The Sith Lords, since chances are you'll feel like you've played this game before, only you'll swear it looked better the first time. But, on the other hand, so what? It's just as important to note that no other game since Knights of the Old Republic has managed to deliver this excellent style of role-playing. If you're a Knights of the Old Republic fan, then you should find a certain satisfaction in knowing almost exactly what you're in for going into The Sith Lords." [read the review]
"In the end, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is a solid game that fans of the first entry in the series should check out without giving it a second thought. While it's not the prettiest game out there, or the best-looking Star Wars game for that matter, it does offer strong control and entertaining gameplay, as well as the sound and music we've come to expect from a Star Wars game. These merits combined with the multitude of ships and missions that can be unlocked through extensive play further add to the value of the game. While plenty good can be said about Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, the often-bland visuals, sketchy frame rate, and somewhat frustrating targeting control ultimately hold Jedi Starfighter back from being a great game." [read the review]
"Once you've completed the game and are the all-powerful Dark Jedi you've always wanted to be, it's remarkably fulfilling to return to Force Unleashed's earlier, better levels to try out the powers and combos you didn't possess on your first play-through of them. Or perhaps you want to experience the second of the game's two endings (a reasonable goal, since one of them is bound to get fans talking) while wearing one of the unlockable costumes. But most players will find that aside from a return to the better areas, once is enough. When the game caters to its strengths, it soars; when it deviates, it flounders. Regardless, it's still a more than worthy entry in a long line of licensed Star Wars games, and a good action game in its own right." [read the review]
"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II has many of the same qualities of its predecessor, but it doesn't really improve on them, and in many ways, it's not as good. That's unfortunate because the core combat is fun. It's a thrill to fling your foes into dangerous Force fields and to zap jumptroopers with lightning and watch them uncontrollably zip around. And while the story isn't as affecting as the original's, great voice acting and cinematics help it make an impression nonetheless. Yet with less enjoyable boss battles, less environmental variety, and more enemy repetition, this sequel is a missed opportunity. Perhaps you can't get enough Force Unleashed; in that case, you could always return to the game wearing one of the unlockable costumes or try out some of the unlockable challenge rooms, which are timed combat scenarios of disparate quality. But Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is too predictable to inspire extended play time. Rather, it may inspire you to return to the superior original." [read the review]
"Many of the changes and additions in The Complete Saga are the types that only those who've played through Lego Star Wars I or II would notice, and that's the rub. For those who've already played one of the Lego Star Wars games, a full half of what The Complete Saga has to offer will be recycled. The online co-op play in the 360 and PS3 versions helps, since playing the game with another person can change the dynamic and pacing of the game quite a bit, but otherwise it would be much more cost-effective to just pick up a used copy of the one you haven't played." [read the review]
"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II has many of the same qualities of its predecessor, but it doesn't really improve on them, and in many ways, it's not as good. That's unfortunate because the core combat is fun. It's a thrill to fling your foes into dangerous Force fields and to zap jumptroopers with lightning and watch them uncontrollably zip around. And while the story isn't as affecting as the original's, great voice acting and cinematics help it make an impression nonetheless. Yet with less enjoyable boss battles, less environmental variety, and more enemy repetition, this sequel is a missed opportunity. Perhaps you can't get enough Force Unleashed; in that case, you could always return to the game wearing one of the unlockable costumes or try out some of the unlockable challenge rooms, which are timed combat scenarios of disparate quality. But Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is too predictable to inspire extended play time. Rather, it may inspire you to return to the superior original." [read the review]
The 1990s might have produced a number of hugely popular horror movies, but it isn't remembered as one of the genre's strongest decades. While many movies in the '70s and '80s pushed horror in new directions, the most successful horror films of the '90s were either remakes (The Haunting), adaptations (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview with a Vampire), and self-referential deconstructions of the genre (Scream). Only Blair Witch Project, at the end of the decade, gave mainstream audiences a taste of something a bit more unusual.
But away from the big hits, there were some fascinating movies during the decade that did take risks, delivered scares, and entertained in a way studio films did not. There were underrated efforts from some of the biggest horror directors of the past decades, some emerging voices who would form an important part in the development of the genre over the coming years, and impressive shockers from other parts of the world. So here's 13 underrated '90s horror movies well worth rediscovery.
13. Body Bags (1993)
Horror anthologies are a vital part of the genre, and 1993 gave us this gem. The three stories that form Body Bags actually started life as episodes of an anthology show, but when Showtime decided not to progress with it, the completed entries were hastily assembled into a movie. Luckily, the stories were made by some big-name directors, namely John Carpenter (Halloween) and Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and they delivered entertaining tales of serial killers, mutant hair, and possessed eyeballs. As well as also providing a satisfying mix of chills and laughs, Body Bags also features a seemingly non-stop parade of famous faces, including genre directors (Wes Craven, Sam Raimi), pop stars (Sheena Easton, Debbie Harry), and B-movie veterans (Stacy Keach, David Warner). The film's origins means that there's very little to connect these stories beyond an introduction by Carpenter and Hooper, playing mad morgue attendees, but it's great fun.
12. Castle Freak (1995)
Stuart Gordon gave us one of the 1980s' great horror movies with Re-Animator, and while he never quite matched it, there are some other notable movies in his filmography. Castle Freak was one of many movies he made for producer Charles Band. In true exploitation style, there was a poster and a title before there was a script, with Band reportedly telling Gordon he could make whatever he wanted as long as the movie featured a castle and a freak. And that's exactly what Gordon delivered; a weird tale of a family who encounter a deformed, basement-dwelling creature when they buy an Italian castle (which Band owned in real life). It's super low- budget, but it's got a dark, disturbing atmosphere and some good gore, plus appearances from Gordon's Re-Animator stars Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton.
11. Brainscan (1994)
No one is going to remember Brainscan as one of the '90s best horror movies, but it is a huge amount of unwholesome fun. Terminator 2 star Edward Furlong plays a horror-and-video-game-loving kid who gets addicted to a new game. What he thought was just a game in which he controls a murderer turns out to be a sinister program through which he manipulates a real-life killer. It's an often stupid movie that was panned on release, and its predictions of what the future of video games looked like are now ludicrously dated. But it remains hugely entertaining and is way more watchable than many long-forgotten "better" films. And fans of '90s alt-rock will love the soundtrack, with songs from the likes of Mudhoney, White Zombie, Primus, Tad, Pitchshifter, and the Butthole Surfers.
10. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
John Carpenter is one of the most revered directors in horror. While nothing tops his run of classic movies from the late-70 to mid-80s (think of Halloween, The Fog, and The Thing), he did continue to make interesting films, with In the Mouth of Madness standing as one of the best of this later batch. It's a horror mystery that owes a big debt to the writing of HP Lovecraft and stars Sam Neill as an insurance investigator who is hired to look into the disappearance of best-selling horror author Sutter Cane. With a spooky atmosphere, strong performances, and some great monster effects, the movie is both a clever satire on horror fandom and a hugely entertaining monster movie in its own right.
9. Cemetery Man (1994)
One of the strangest horror movies of the decade, this brilliant, bizarre gothic yarn is one of only four fright flicks directed by Michele Soavi, who at one stage was being touted as the future of Italian horror. Also known as Dellamorte Dellamore, it stars Rupert Everett as a Francisco Dellamorte, a cemetery caretaker who spends every night putting the restless dead back in their graves. At times, this is as much an absurd comedy as a horror movie, with gory gags, a wonderful deadpan performance from Everett, and some incredibly stylish direction from Soavi. But for all its bawdy, gory lunacy, there's also an air of haunting melancholy as Dellamorte mourns his lost love and questions the futility of existence, leading to a strange, sad final sequence a world away from most undead shockers.
8. Dust Devil (1992)
Richard Stanley was one of the promising young horror directors of the early '90s. His debut film Hardware was a stylish, brutal futuristic thriller in which a woman is menaced by a killer robot. But it was his second movie that truly delivered on the promise of that striking debut. Set in the director's native South Africa, Dust Devil is a haunting, atmospheric road movie that combines the tone and style of a classic Western with a quasi-mystical serial killer movie. The title character is a shape-shifting demon that hunts tourists lost in the desert, and the film is a scary, visually-stunning headtrip. Sadly, it never got the release it deserved; it was badly reedited by producers Miramax and wasn't seen in its original form until a decade later. Stanley subsequently moved onto the ill-fated remake of The Island of Dr Moreau, which is its own bizarre story.
7. Cure (1997)
Japanese director Kyoshi Kurosawa is best known in the U.S. for the brilliant Pulse, which was part of the J-Horror wave that followed in the wake of Ringu. But three years earlier, he directed the equally scary Cure. It starts as a procedural police thriller about a cop on the trail of a serial killer, but quickly goes down the route of unnerving psychological horror, with themes of hypnosis and psychological control creating an increasing disturbing experience. Kurosawa is a master at freaking his audience out through creeping, insidious dread, and Cure is one of his most terrifying movies.
6. Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993)
Another of the decade's best horror anthologies, Necronomicon takes the writing of HP Lovecraft as inspiration behind the three tales. It's produced and co-directed by Re-Animator producer Brian Yuzna, and the star of that classic, Jeffrey Combs, plays Lovecraft himself in the wraparound story, in which he reads from the legendary book of the title. The stories themselves fully embrace Lovecraft's love of the weird, with some seriously gloopy, outrageous gore and monster effects. It's shame that it's quite hard to see--it's never even been released on DVD in the U.S.--because Necronomicon is well worth rediscovering.
5. The Resurrected (1991)
The Resurrected is yet another HP Lovecraft adaptation, this time directed by Dan O'Bannon, who also made the '80s classic Return of the Living Dead as well as co-writing Alien and Total Recall. It barely received a theatrical release before being dumped straight to video, and O'Bannon disowned it in later years, complaining that it had been taken away from him and finished by producers. But it's still a great film. Chris Sarandon gives a wonderfully unhinged performance as an amateur scientist who has been performing mysterious experiments, and the build-up in the tension before we find out what exactly he has been up to is expertly handled. The climax totally delivers too, with tons of gore and some outstanding monster effects.
4. Modern Vampires (1998)
Originally titled Revenant, this oddball vampire comedy attempted to cash in on the success of Blade with a very similar poster campaign, but in reality it couldn't be more different. It's set in an alternative Los Angeles where vampires are allowed to exist as long as the don't cause trouble with regular folk. There isn't much plot, but it's a gloriously eccentric experience with an increasingly mad series of scenes delivered by a cast who look like they're having an absolute blast. Starship Troopers star Casper Van Dien is a long-exiled vamp who returns to the city, while acting legend Rod Steiger plays Van Helsing, who is reimagined as a Nazi war criminal that uses LA gang members as his vampire hunting crew. There are roles for Sex & The City's Kim Cattrall and comedian/late night host Craig Ferguson, and many of the jokes push the boundaries of taste. Modern Vampires is directed by Richard Elfman, brother of famed soundtrack composer Danny, who provides the movie's theme music. There's no other film quite like it.
3. Demon Knight (1995)
Ernest Dickerson started out as Spike Lee's cinematographer, working on such classics as Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. But while his 1992 directorial debut Fresh was similar in subject matter to Lee's movies, his subsequent work in cinema and TV has frequently embraced horror--mostly recently, he's helmed various episodes of The Walking Dead. His 1995 film Demon Knight is a wildly entertaining horror comedy, spun off from HBO's Tales from the Crypt series. A drifter holes up in a weird motel after stealing an ancient key and is soon besieged by demonic forces eager to get it back. It's a fast-paced, exciting, and funny ride that proved Dickerson's love of the genre.
2. The Addiction (1997)
Maverick director Abel Ferrara is known for his early gritty '90s crime classics King of New York and Bad Lieutenant, but he's also dabbled in a horror a few times. His best chiller is The Addiction, a dark vampire tale the reunited him with his King of the New York star Christopher Walken. Shot in stark black-and-white on the streets of NYC, the movie treats vampirism as a drug addiction, as the title suggests. It also throws in a healthy dose of religious allegory, as a young woman slowly succumbs to mental disintegration and an unquenchable thirst for blood. If that sounds heavy… well, it is. But it's also an intelligent and powerful movie, that counts amongst the decade's best vampire films.
1. Cronos (1993)
While few watching Cronos in 1993 would have thought that its director would one day win Best Picture at the Oscars, this was clearly the work of an emerging talent. Guillermo Del Toro's debut tells the story of a strange insect that secretes a serum that seems to reverse the ageing process but also brings on more undesirable side effects. The movie marked Del Toro's first collaboration with future Hellboy actor Ron Perlman and contained many of the elements that would mark his future work--a confident mix of horror, fantasy, and drama, impressive performances, stylish direction, and a clear love and understanding as to what makes the genre so great.
More and more anime, as well as anime-inspired movies and series, are making their way to Netflix. Originals like Castlevania and the live-action Death Note movie join classic series and new ones on the streaming service, and it can be tricky to know which ones you should binge and which you should let be. Luckily, there are plenty of anime on Netflix that are easy to recommend.
We've compiled a wide range of anime, from dramas to comedies to the top-tier of the anime canon, so there's something here for pretty much everyone. Among the highlights are recent classics like Gurren Lagann and excellent originals like Devilman Crybaby and Aggretsuko. We'll continue to update this feature as more anime join the Netflix catalog.
Netflix has a good mix of old and new, and while the older series are usually available on other streaming sites (like Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu), the newer Netflix Original anime are typically exclusives. While most aren't made by Netflix in-house, they are distributed on Netflix, where you can watch all of the episodes in one go.
Aggretsuko is a series based on Sanrio's new character, a cute (but very angry) red panda named Retsuko. The series is definitely not what you'd expect from the kid-focused company behind Hello Kitty; it's an adult office comedy complete with drunken office parties, relationship problems, and lots of Retsuko wishing her literal chauvinist pig of a boss gets what's coming to him. As the icing on the cake, Retsuko copes with her horrible job by going to karaoke after work and singing death metal.
Not only is Aggretsuko funny and adorable, it's well-written and extremely relatable. The characters, while definitely parodies of office tropes, are more than just plot devices--there are real lessons about love, navigating the workplace, and carving out a path for yourself in a system that's against you. Plus, it's 10 15-minute episodes, so you can get through it in one very good sitting.
Death Note
If you haven't seen it yet--or if you thought the Netflix's live-action Death Note was interesting and wanted more--now's the time to watch this classic crime series. Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student and son of a police chief, finds the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. The mysterious killer is dubbed "Kira," and a top detective known only as "L" is given the task of tracking him down.
The series is known both for its fantastic cat-and-mouse dynamic and as a great show for people who haven't seen much anime. It has things like shinigami (gods of death) and a distinctly Japanese style, but it's not the capital-A Anime with big fight scenes and a lot of yelling that you might imagine when you think about anime.
The Devil Is A Part-Timer
The devil's on the run from the hero of Ente Isla, a world he's trying to conquer, and he ends up in modern day Tokyo. In order to survive, he gives himself a human form and...starts working at a fast food restaurant called MgRonald's. Naturally, there are some shenanigans to be had. This is one of the lighter shows on this list and is great if you're looking for a fantastical comedy to watch when you want to relax.
Devilman Crybaby
Don't be fooled by the generous gore or flashy orgy scenes; Devilman Crybaby is a solemn, pensive look at what it means to be human. Based on the Devilman manga from the '70s, Devilman Crybaby follows Akira, an extremely empathetic teenager who is prone to crying at the suffering of others. When his childhood friend Ryo comes to town, he informs Akira that demons will return to earth, and that there's a way for the two of them to save humanity. Devilman Crybaby stands out thanks to its classic-looking animation and phenomenal direction, with layers of meaning to dissect long after you've finished the tenth and final episode.
Durarara!!
If you're looking for action, suspense, and something a little darker, try Durarara! Set in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, Durarara follows a newcomer to the area as well as a gang of dangerous individuals and a headless motorcyclist who runs in underground circles. There's a lot going on, but the episodes switch between different perspectives with a narrator giving context. Durarara is popular for its supernatural-meets-gang-violence style and superb animation. And no, the name doesn't mean anything.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
If you're in the mood for a modern classic, look no further than Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It follows the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who embark on the one forbidden act of alchemy: human transmutation. Thanks to the alchemic Law of Equivalent Exchange, Edward loses his right arm and Alphonse his physical body. What follows is a search to find their humanity, a mentally scarring scene involving a dog, and one of the finest endings known to anime.
Note that while the original Fullmetal Alchemist is also on Netflix, Brotherhood is the recommended version, since it follows the manga much more closely and is considered the ideal adaptation.
Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann is an absolute classic and a must-watch for any anime fan. Made by Gainax, the studio behind Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann is about friendship, believing in yourself, and giant mechs that fight each other. It's action-packed and silly and, despite some weird pacing in spots, is quite the adventure.
One of the coolest things about the series is how it transitions from a hole in the ground--all of humanity lives underground to protect themselves from the dangers of the surface world--to something entirely different by the end, yet still a cohesive whole.
Kill la Kill
After watching Gurren Lagann, your next series should be Kill la Kill. It was made by Studio Trigger, an offshoot started by former Gainax staff, and has the same larger-than-life feel and wacky action in a new world--not unlike FLCL. Be warned: It's about clothes that have special powers, and those powers are usually activated by making the outfit a lot more revealing. But trust me, it makes sense in the end.
Little Witch Academia
Also by Studio Trigger, Little Witch Academia is a feel-good show about young girls studying to become witches. It stars Akko, a girl who's struggling at the academy due to her non-magical background--until she finds an artifact that once belongs to the witch who inspired her in the first place. It's cute and great to watch when you want something a bit more relaxed.
One-Punch Man
If you grew up watching shonen series like Dragon Ball Z, you'll appreciate One-Punch Man's comedic take on the genre. Saitama is the ultimate hero; he can defeat anyone with only one punch. But because of that, he's pretty bored with being the hero, preferring to get excited about sales at the grocery store instead of defeating the latest supervillain. It's funny but also an interesting look at what happens after you accomplish your goals, and its theme song goes hard. Plus, season 2 is coming up soon!
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Remember Sailor Moon? Puella Magi Madoka Magica is kind of like that, except much sadder. It's a twist on the magical girl genre and explores the power of hope over pure despair. The eponymous star Madoka has the opportunity to make a wish with a familiar called Kyubey--any wish, he says, and he can grant it, but she must fight evil in exchange. What wish would be worth the cost?
Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a fantastic, haunting soundtrack and is only 12 episodes, but maybe don't binge it if you don't want to cry a lot. Don't worry, though; believe in hope.
Rurouni Kenshin
The lead character in Rurouni Kenshin is a placid soul named Himura. And despite carrying a sword on his hip, the blade is sharpened on the wrong side; a move to ensure he won't inadvertently take a life, even in self-defense. However, one part comedy and one part drama, Rurouni Kenshin truly stands out when Himura's righteous instincts push back against this mindset.
Himura's present attitude is a result of him rejecting his past as a legendary assassin. But violent ex-samurai seeking fame and power at the cost of innocent lives cross his path on a regular basis, forcing his hand. Himura's left no choice but to rekindle his smoldering aggression to protect the innocent, and though he typically manages to rid evil without resorting to murder, the show craftily keeps the question lingering in the air: will he kill to protect those he loves at the cost of his own humanity?
The 95-episode show on Netflix is a great starting point for anyone interested in the series, but once you connect with Himura's plight, do seek out the OVAs, dubbed Samurai X. Those episodes tell of the disturbing childhood that lead to Himura's violent middle years--though they unfortunately aren't on Netflix.
Tiger & Bunny
Tiger & Bunny is a fun look at what would happen if superheroes were commercialized the way modern sports are. Each hero's costume is branded to a NASCAR-level extreme (with actual brands). While this may sound off putting, the show's tongue-in-cheek nature winkingly pulls it off. The story offers a great buddy duo of the veteran Hero Wild Tiger and new up-and-comer Barnaby (Bunny), and while it show starts with a far more comedic edge, the action eventually picks up when the show's villains come into play.
Your Lie In April
Your Lie in April is a heartfelt story about Arima Kousei, a prodigal pianist whose career is derailed by a traumatic event. However, a chance encounter with Kaori Miyazono, a free-spirited violinist, reignites a passion he thought had long faded.
What makes Your Lie in April interesting is, for the most part, it doesn't focus on the romance between Arima and Kaori. Instead it explores their complicated personal issues and uses these to bring them closer in a way that feels natural and authentic.
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is underway. In addition to taking part in matches like normal, that also means there are special challenges to complete. Beyond the regular Starter and weekly challenges, Season 4 also presents some additional ones: Blockbuster and Carbide. Here's everything you need to know and details on all of the challenges revealed so far.
All Fortnite players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile are eligible to complete the Starter challenges. These are relatively run-of-the-mill and offer different rewards, including Battle Stars and various minor cosmetics. The Battle Stars allow you to rank up the Battle Pass, which is where the vast majority of Season 4 skins and rewards are located, such as the coveted Omega skin pictured below. However, the free tier has a very limited number of goodies on offer. You'll need to purchase the full Season 4 Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks to be able to obtain all of the rewards as you level up.
Purchasing the Battle Pass also entitles you to all of the weekly challenges. Another set of these opens up each week during the season and can be completed anytime between now and when Season 4 ends on July 9.
Some of the rewards available in Season 4
That's how things have worked in past seasons, but Season 4 also has new types of challenges. Blockbusters involve completing all of the challenges from a given week. Doing so earns you an additional reward on top of what you'd get from finishing those challenges anyway. The first Blockbuster challenge you finish pays out a loading screen, which serves as a clue that directs you to an in-game location where you can get a free Battle Pass tier. To find that, though, you'll have to actually complete all of the challenges from a week.
Also new in Season 4 are Carbide challenges. One of the rewards you immediately get for buying the Battle Pass is the Carbide skin. As you reach certain level milestones during Season 4, you'll complete Carbide challenges, which unlock different "styles" that let you customize the look of the Carbide skin. Completing three Carbide challenges also nets you a matching pickaxe.
Below, you'll find a complete list of all Season 4 challenges to be revealed so far, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 Challenges
Starter
Outlive opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with friends (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Land at different Named Locations (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches (50) -- Ace of spades cosmetic item
Play matches with at least one elimination (10) -- concept art
Hard: Win a match -- #1 cosmetic item
Reward: 5k XP (after completing four challenges)
Blockbuster
Complete all challenges in a week -- #1 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 2 different weeks -- #2 reward
Complete all challenges in 3 different weeks -- #3 reward
Complete all challenges in 4 different weeks -- #4 reward
Complete all challenges in 5 different weeks -- #5 reward
Complete all challenges in 6 different weeks -- #6 reward
Complete all challenges in 7 different weeks -- #7 reward
Reward: unknown (after complete seven challenges)
Carbide
Reach Season Level 10 -- Carbide chest cosmetic
Reach Season Level 20 -- Carbide legs cosmetic
Reach Season Level 30 -- Carbide arm cosmetic
Reach Season Level 40 -- Carbide helmet cosmetic
Reach Season Level 65 -- Carbide cosmetic
Reward: Carbide pickaxe (after completing three challenges)
Week 1
Deal damage with sniper rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Haunted Hills (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Port-a-Fort -- 5 Battle Stars
Search F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Tomato Town -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Pistol eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Flush Factory -- 10 Battle Stars
We're giving away two copies of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - Day One Edition on PS4! Explore a beautifully crafted world and experience the gripping story in an all-new RPG adventure.
Entry is open to United States residents only, since the prizes are shipping from the US. Competition ends Wednesday, May 9 at 11:00 AM PDT. Two (2) winners will be chosen.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
Nintendo has added a selection of new rewards to the My Nintendo program. Ahead of the Switch release of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, members can redeem their points for discounts on several Legend of Zelda games for 3DS and Wii U.
On the 3DS side, My Nintendo members can get 30% off of both Ocarina of Time 3D (50 Gold points) and Majora's Mask 3D (90 Gold points). Nintendo is also offering 50% off of the series' three classic Game Boy Color titles: Link's Awakening DX (30 Gold points), Oracle of Ages (30 Gold points), and Oracle of Seasons (240 Platinum points).
Wii U owners, meanwhile, can save 30% off of the original N64 version of Ocarina of Time (240 Platinum points). Nintendo is also offering a 30% discount on the HD remasters of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess; the former can be yours for 470 Platinum points, while the latter is available for 110 Gold points.
In addition to the Zelda rewards, both Wii U and 3DS owners can now get 40% off of the original Ninja Gaiden (160 Platinum points). Members can also exchange 90 Gold points for a 30% discount on Ever Oasis, the recent action RPG from developer Grezzo (the studio behind the 3DS remakes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask). You can find the full list of rewards on the My Nintendo website.
Hyrule Warriors: Definite Edition launches for Switch later this month, on May 18. The game bundles all of the content from the Wii U and 3DS versions of Hyrule Warriors into one package, including all of the game's DLC characters, such as Marin and Yuga. You can read more about the title in our original Hyrule Warriors review.
Lucasfilm under the Disney label has become the new caretakers of the Star Wars franchise, but original visionary George Lucas still has some pull. Ron Howard, who directed the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, revealed that his old colleague Lucas had some feedback for a scene, and he took it.
"We were doing a scene and he was trying to stay out of the way, but he did lean over and he said, 'You know what Han would really do there?'" Howard said on The Late Show (via EW). "I said, 'What?' And he told me the joke, he gave me a little joke. And I said [to the crew], 'Hey, guess what? Here's what we're gonna do in the next take.' So I know when I hear a good idea."
Given the tone of the anecdote, it seems that Lucas' suggestion likely made the cut--though we'll probably have to hear some follow-up from Howard on which quip in particular sprung from the mind of the series creator. Lucas did create Han Solo, and this movie is meant to be a throwback to the iconic rogue, so it makes sense that he'd have thoughts on how to steer the characterization.
Of course, Lucas has seemed at times peevish at the direction of the new films under Disney's direction. When The Force Awakens released, he made comments indicating frustration that the company had deviated from his own vision for the series. More recently, he said The Last Jedi was "beautifully made" but stopped short of any further thoughts. It was also apparently not what he had in mind for the future of some of his iconic characters. Lucas hasn't chimed in with thoughts on Solo yet, but we can say with near-certainty that he thinks it has at least one pretty good joke.
By Anonymous on May 05, 2018 02:49 am Call of Duty: WW2, XCOM 2, and more are all free to play this weekend, while we also while we also learned about an unused Pikachu evolution.
By Anonymous on May 05, 2018 02:43 am Watch us team up with developer DrinkBox and play through an early level of the upcoming Metroidvania-style beat-'em-up.
A new Overwatch update is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it presents some significant changes for the game. Blizzard has not just introduced the new map, Rialto, but it's also released significant balance updates for several character--with the biggest of the bunch being the long-awaited revamp of Hanzo.
Blizzard has been working on an update for Hanzo for some time. As detailed in the full patch notes, this finally implements the changes that have been tested on the PTR recently. He loses his Scatter Arrow ability, which has long been a frustrating component of his kit for enemies. In its place, he gets Storm Arrows, which lets him rapidly fire as many as six arrows. Each of these does less damage than a standard arrow, but they're each fired at max power.
Another new ability for Hanzo is Lunge. By pressing jump while he's in mid-air, he's able to leap horizontally. Additionally, his default attack gets a tweak, with his arrows moving more quickly. Sonic Arrow, which is used to highlight the location of enemies near its landing spot, has been adjusted to be used more often but last for a shorter duration. Its cooldown is now 12 seconds (down from 20), its duration is six seconds (down from 10), and its radius is seven meters (down from 10).
"The goal of these Hanzo changes is to allow him to have new options and maintain his high damage output, while removing the frustration of fighting against the old Scatter Arrow," Blizzard explained. "Hanzo is now much more mobile with his new Lunge ability, and with the combination of the bow projectile speed increase and the new Storm Arrows ability he can now deal his high damage more consistently than ever before."
Other hero updates are less impactful but still noteworthy. The projectile size of Junkrat's Frag Launcher is now smaller, and his RIP-Tire is slightly slower. Lucio's Wall Ride should generally be more reliable and now even lets him go around corners without leaving the wall. His Soundwave ability also doesn't consume ammo and can be activated while he's reloading.
Rialto, the new map
Tracer's Pulse Bomb loses a chunk of its damage, a change which is meant to make it less deadly to tanks (while still allowing it to kill other characters). The hitbox size of Genji's deflect is now smaller, and the cone angle of Brigitte's Shield Bash has been reduced.
The remainder of the patch deals primarily with fixing some lingering bugs and adding some options for custom games. Those include the ability to disable Mercy's passive, Regeneration.
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Call of Duty: WW2, XCOM 2, and more are all free to play this weekend, while we also while we also learned about an unused Pikachu evolution.
Watch us team up with developer DrinkBox and play through an early level of the upcoming Metroidvania-style beat-'em-up.
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