Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The latest News from GameSpot News On 05/17/2018

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In the 05/17/2018 edition:

Fortnite Update 4.2 Adds New Apple Item; Here Are The Patch Notes

By Kevin Knezevic on May 17, 2018 12:12 am

Following a slight delay, Epic has deployed the latest patch for Fortnite. Update 4.2 is now available across PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, and it brings a handful of new items and some gameplay adjustments to both Battle Royale and Save the World.

On the Battle Royale side, Epic Games has introduced Epic and Legendary variants of the Burst Assault Rifle, which can be found as floor loot or in treasure chests, supply drops, or vending machines. Like other Burst Assault Rifles, the Epic and Legendary variants use medium ammo and have the same damage fall-off ranges.

Additionally, update 4.2 adds a new consumable to Battle Royale: apples. These can be found near certain trees around the map and restore five health points when eaten. Epic has also increased the drop rate for the Impulse Grenade by 5%, while a handful of items receive balance tweaks.

Specifically, Epic has buffed the Suppressed Machine Gun. Both its damage and accuracy reset speed have been increased, as has its damage fall-off range. The Damage Trap, meanwhile, has been nerfed. It now does 75 damage (down from 125), although its reset time has been slightly decreased by one second. The damage radius and throw distance of the Remote Explosives have been increased, and they now damage all structures within their range.

Other notable changes in the update include a new auto-pickup option for the PC and console versions, which lets players automatically acquire items when they walk over them (provided they have enough space in their inventory). Epic has also addressed a variety of bugs and performance issues. You can find the full list of changes in the patch notes on Fortnite's website.

Update 4.2 was originally scheduled to roll out on May 15, but it was postponed when Epic discovered an unspecified issue prior to its release. While the update may have arrived a little later than planned, the newest set of weekly challenges for Battle Pass holders arrived as usual. We've put together a guide on how to complete the Week 3 challenges.


Rage 2 Pre-Order Bonuses Revealed

By Chris Reed on May 17, 2018 12:08 am

With an assist from Walmart, the news is out: Rage 2 is official. We don't know a ton about the game yet, but we do know it's coming to PS4, PC, and Xbox One sometime in 2019. It's being co-developed by Id Software and Avalanche Studios, and published by Bethesda.

As for what kind of game it is, Rage 2 is an open-world shooter set in a Mad Max-like post-apocalypse. A comet has crashed into Earth, killing off 80% of the population. For the few who are left, anarchy reigns, bullets fly, and explosions are as common as a cold. The game also features a healthy dose of vehicular combat, which comes as no surprise, seeing as Avalanche Studios' last game was Mad Max. There's even a gyrocopter for anyone who wants to take to the air.

If you've already decided you're all-in on Rage 2, you're probably wondering what kind of extra freebies you can get for locking in your pre-order. We have all the info you need below, along with which retailers are currently offering Rage 2 for pre-order.

Rage 2 pre-order bonuses

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You'll get a handful of freebies for pre-ordering Rage 2.

  • Exclusive mission "Cult of the Death God"
  • Settler's Pistol
  • Nicolas Raine Armor
  • Monster Truck

It sounds like you'll have to complete the pre-order exclusive mission to get the gear. According to GameStop's description, the Cult of the Death God mission is "a wild ride that sends [the protagonist] Walker after a cult of crazed mutants who have taken to worshipping the image of Nicholas Raine--the hero of the original RAGE. Survive the sewers and fight through hordes of mutants--including the massive and monstrous Abadon Warlock--to receive Raine's legendary armor along with the fan-favorite Settler Pistol and the new Mutant Monster Truck."

Where to pre-order

Ironically, you can't pre-order Rage 2 at Walmart (or most other retailers that sell games) yet. But here's where you can secure a pre-order:

That's it for now. We'll update this article as more retailers make Rage 2 available for pre-order.

Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.


The Crew 2 Beta Dates Announced For PS4, Xbox One, And PC

By Kevin Knezevic on May 17, 2018 12:00 am

Ubisoft's open-world racing game The Crew 2 is set to arrive on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in June, but some players will have the opportunity to try the game out ahead of its release. Ubisoft has announced more details about its upcoming Crew 2 closed beta, which kicks off on all platforms later this month.

The closed beta begins May 31 and runs until June 4. As is the case with most other closed betas, space is limited, so only some players who have registered for the test on the game's official website will be selected to participate. Those who are chosen will be able to pre-load the beta beginning May 29.

"During the closed beta, players will experience the first level of the progression system as they compete in races across all first four disciplines [Street Race, Rally Raid, Powerboat, and Aerobatics] against the backdrop of a fully redesigned USA," Ubisoft says. Players will be able to try out the game's Fast-Fav feature, which allows them to instantly transform their vehicle depending on the terrain.

Even if you don't get chosen to participate in The Crew 2 closed beta, you can already begin building up your car collection by taking part in The Crew Rewards Program. By completing monthly challenges in the first The Crew, you can unlock vehicles for the upcoming game. More details about The Crew Rewards Program can be found on Ubisoft's website.

The Crew 2 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 29. Along with the standard version, Ubisoft is releasing a special edition of The Crew 2 dubbed the Motor Edition. It includes the game's season pass, a Motorsports Deluxe Pack that contains several outfits and vehicles, a Crew-themed license plate, steelbook case, roadmap, and four stickers. Everyone who purchases the Motor Edition will also receive access to the game three days early, on June 26.


Battlefield V Officially Confirmed By EA

By Oscar Dayus on May 16, 2018 10:50 pm

After much speculation, EA has finally announced Battlefield V. Little else is known as yet about the upcoming shooter, though this is the first time the company has confirmed the name of the next Battlefield title.

"The next chapter of EA DICE's groundbreaking all-out war saga is Battlefield V," reads a statement on the official Battlefield website. The statement goes on to confirm the game's full reveal is slated for May 23 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST (2 PM AET).

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The reveal event will be hosted by TV presenter and comedian Trevor Noah. The stream, which will be hosted on YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer, will feature the development team sharing their vision for the game. As yet, we don't know which platforms the game is coming to, or precisely when it will launch; EA had, however, previously stated a Battlefield game was coming this fall.

The title "Battlefield V" previously leaked from multiple sources. Those same sources stated the game is set in the Second World War, though EA has not confirmed this as yet. Whatever the game's setting, it will be playable in June at the publisher's own EA Play event.

If EA does return to WWII, it will be the first in the series set during that era in a while: the last game set during the conflict was 2009's Battlefield 1943. The last Battlefield game was of course 2016's Battlefield 1, and the WWI game proved to be very popular with fans and critics alike.


Gotham EPs Are Making Another Batman Prequel TV Show--This Time About Alfred Pennyworth

By Chris E. Hayner on May 16, 2018 10:12 pm

Gotham isn't over yet, as Fox has renewed the series for a fifth and final season. However, the show's producers are looking to the future, and it is looking decidedly Batman. Bruce Heller and Danny Cannon have received a straight-to-series order on yet another prequel to the Dark Knight's story--and it won't be connected to Gotham at all.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Epix has ordered 10 episodes of Pennyworth, exploring the history of Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth before he came to Gotham City. The show will follow Alfred's life in London in the 1960s after his time as a soldier in the British SAS, as he begins working with Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne.

Heller will write the pilot script and serve as showrunner on the new series, with Cannon joining as executive producer and director of the first episode--just as he did with Gotham. Still, it's important to note once again that this is not set in the same continuity as Gotham, but rather carve its own path in retelling this piece of the Batman mythos.

That means Sean Pertwee will not be reprising his Gotham role as Alfred in Pennyworth. However, an actor has not yet been cast in the role.

Interestingly, this isn't the only new DC Comics series Cannon's name is attached to. It was announced in January that he and Gotham executive producer John Stephens were developing Metropolis--a Superman prequel that follows Lois Lane and Lex Luthor--for DC Universe, the upcoming streaming network. As Deadline reports, that project is currently being redeveloped, while a release date has not been revealed.


Shenmue 3 Delayed To 2019

By Kevin Knezevic on May 16, 2018 10:11 pm

Shenmue III has been delayed. The highly anticipated new installment in Yu Suzuki's beloved series was originally slated to release for PS4 and PC later this year, but publisher Deep Silver has announced that the game has now been pushed back into 2019.

According to Deep Silver, the delay is to give the development team more time to further refine the game. In an update on its website, the publisher said, "The extra time will be used to polish the quality of the game even further, to the high standards it deserves and release the product in the best possible timeframe."

The delay doesn't come as much of a surprise; despite being slated to launch in 2018, we've heard and seen little of Shenmue III thus far. A recent batch of screenshots showcased some improved character models, which were criticized for looking stiff and emotionless in the game's first teaser trailer.

Shenmue III was first announced during Sony's E3 2015 press conference. A Kickstarter campaign launched shortly after the title was revealed, and it would go on to become the most-backed video game in Kickstarter history, raising more than $6.3 million from nearly 70,000 backers.

While we may have to wait longer to see where Ryo's journey takes him, fans will soon have a chance to relive the previous two installments in the series. Sega recently announced it is releasing a Shenmue I & II collection on PS4, Xbox One, and PC later this year. Sega says the package features "fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface, and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers."


Sorry, Lando Isn't Getting His Own Star Wars Movie Just Yet

By Mat Elfring on May 16, 2018 10:01 pm

Solo isn't even out, and already, people want more of Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Down the line, we will more than likely see Lando in his own film, but it won't be the next Star Wars solo movie.

Although news about a new Lando film is popping up everywhere on the internet, as of this writing, there is no concrete plan for it. The French magazine Premiere recently interviewed Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy at the Cannes Film Festival. Lando is on everyone's mind, so of course, she was asked about whether or not we'd see the character on his own solo adventure. "We think that the next spin-off will be dedicated to Lando Calrissian," Kennedy told Premiere. "Of course, there are still many stories to tell about Han and Chewbacca but Lando will be next."

However, that's not the case. Much like a Bill Murray movie, something was lost in translation from English to French (and back to English for this). Since the news first came out, Lucasfilm has commented about this news to Premiere: "We would love to tell a story about Lando Calrissian one day, but it's not relevant, it would be fun to tell the story of Han and Chewie."

Additionally, io9 heard from Lucasfilm as well, and the company's rep told them that Kennedy said it's something she'd like to do in the future. For now, we have Solo to look forward to. Next year, we'll get Episode IX, then maybe an Obi-Wan solo movie after that.

Since 2017, an Obi-Wan movie has been reportedly in the works at Lucas. It hasn't officially been announced yet. The last known piece of news being Stephen Daldry (The Hours) was in talks to direct as of August of last year according to THR. While many outlets are reporting that the movie will begin shooting in January 2019, Fantha Tracks is reporting that the Obi-Wan movie is currently in pre-production and will begin shooting in April 2019, with a December 2020 release date. The legitimacy of this information is unknown, but it lines up with other rumors and reports.

Needless to say, Obi-Wan--hopefully starring Ewan McGregor--should be the next solo Star Wars adventure coming up next. Until then, Solo arrives in theaters Friday, May 25. Check out GameSpot's review of the movie, in which Mike Rougeau said of Lando, "Donald Glover is so powerfully alluring as Lando Calrissian that fans who called for a standalone Lando movie will feel totally validated. Even more than Ehrenreich, Glover nails the balance between Billy D. Williams tribute act and the new actor's own undeniable aura."


Solo: A Star Wars Story Review Roundup

By Dan Auty on May 16, 2018 09:35 pm

With the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story finally upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is the second Star Wars spin-off, following 2016's Rogue One, and it focuses on the early adventures of the iconic space smuggler. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and Donald Glover as Lando, plus Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany, and Emilia Clarke.

Solo had a troubled production, with original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller replaced by Ron Howard during shooting, leading to many months of reshoots. So what do the critics make of the finished movie, which hits theaters next week? The film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 72%, which while solid, is below that of The Force Awakens (93%), The Last Jedi (91%), and Rogue One (85%). Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on May 25, so let's take a look at the reviews...

GameSpot -- no score

"Solo wasn't an essential story to tell, and some of this might have been better left to the imagination. It's valid for some fans to wish Disney would devote resources to telling fresher tales that don't rely so heavily on nostalgia and existing plots and characters. With who knows how many more Star Wars releases planned from now until the end of time, we'll no doubt get those at some point. But Solo: A Star Wars Story is what we have right now, and if it's simply an enjoyably well-crafted side story, well, is that really so bad?" -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]

Pop Matters -- 8/10

"Its action sequences are crackling with energy, the charming but shifty-eyed cast of characters brings the hilarity while constantly keeping you on your toes, and visually, it's a dazzling affair that captures the whimsy and tactility of the original trilogy arguably better than any of the other Disney-era Star Wars flicks. Solo has got its flaws, some glaring and some easily forgivable, but overall, it's a sterling success, albeit an unlikely one." -- Bernard Boo [Full review]

Slashfilm -- 7/10

"What hurts Solo is the fact that it's ultimately not about anything. Let me be clear: I understand that in one way or another, all Star Wars films simply exist to create more Star Wars films. These stories are products. But Solo is the first Star Wars film in recent memory that feels like it's selling something. Even Rogue One, one of the worst Star Wars films in years, felt like a self-contained, well-intentioned story with something on its mind. Solo merely exists to set up more Solo movies. And it shows." -- Chris Evangelista [Full review]

New York Post -- 1/4

"Disney was bound to hit a wall sooner or later. The studio has been cranking out Star Wars movies with the rapidity of chocolates on Lucy and Ethel's conveyor belt. Everything started out dandy, but now they're scrambling to keep up with the demands of cranky fans, troublesome talent, and truly crazy annual release dates. Four movies in less than three years is a lot of celestial battles. Solo is the first victim of that madcap pace--a movie so un-fun you should get college credit for watching it." -- Johnny Oleksinski [Full review]

RogerEbert.com -- 2.5/3

"As unnecessary prequels go, Solo: A Star Wars Story isn't bad. It's not great, either, though--and despite spirited performances, knockabout humor, and a few surprising or rousing bits, there's something a bit too programmed about the whole thing. It has certain marks to hit, and it makes absolutely sure you know that it's hitting them." -- Matt Zoller Seitz [Full review]

ScreenRant -- 3.5/5

"Ultimately, Solo delivers on what was promised: an entertaining enough origin story for Han Solo that explains how he became the smuggler introduced in A New Hope. Beyond that, the movie takes very few risks and offers very few surprises." -- Molly Freeman [Full review]

Collider -- 5/10

"Solo doesn't do anything egregiously wrong, but it doesn't do much right, either. There are a few bright spots, especially the relationship between Han and Chewie, but the plot drowns in the perfunctory as new characters, outside of woke droid L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), fail to leave an impression. I don't have a bad feeling about Solo: A Star Wars Story. I don't have much of a feeling about it at all." -- Matt Goldberg [Full review]


Sylvester Stallone Tags In Dave Bautista For Insane Escape Plan 2 Trailer

By Chris E. Hayner on May 16, 2018 09:19 pm

It was 2013 when Sylvester Stallone and his Expendables co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up to break out of a seemingly escape-proof prison in the movie Escape Plan. How do you up the ante? According to the trailer for Escape Plan 2: Hades, it's actually really simple.

First, instead of Schwarzenegger, you team Stallone with Avengers: Infinity War star Dave Bautista. Next, you have to find an even crazier prison--which is essentially scumbag Fight Club--and break into it so you can break someone else out of it. Third, sprinkle in a little bit of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and you're ready to go.

Honestly, the trailer for Escape Plan 2 looks utterly ridiculous in the very best ways, and it's hard to not be excited about something this over-the-top. Given that most of Bautista's action fare, thus far, has found him painted green and fighting aliens, it's fun to see him like this, just getting to play action hero next to someone like Stallone.

Now comes the bad news. You won't get the chance to watch this one in theaters. This particular movie is being released direct-to-video, so, unfortunately, you'll only get to watch it on-demand or if you pick it up on DVD. That is, unless, everyone who reads this buys a copy, and it becomes a global phenomenon that demands a theatrical release. So get busy watching when Escape Plan 2: Hades arrives on June 29.


Rainbow Six Siege Announces New Operator

By Kevin Knezevic on May 16, 2018 07:38 pm

With the big Operation Para Bellum update quickly approaching, Ubisoft continues to reveal more details about the next season of content for Rainbow Six Siege. This time, the publisher pulled back the curtain on one of the two Operators being introduced in the upcoming update: Alibi.

Described as a "cunning woman with a gift for infiltrating dense networks of organized crime," Alibi is a new Defender inspired by the Italian Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale unit. "Picking Alibi is an invitation for a battle of wits with your opponents," Ubisoft said. "This Defender is all about finding clever ways to force the Attackers' hands. Any hesitation comes at a heavy price."

Ubisoft hasn't detailed Alibi's gadget, although the publisher notes her knowledge of Italian firearms and exceptional precision shooting skills in her backstory on the official Rainbow Six Siege website. She can also be seen standing back-to-back with a holographic decoy of herself that she can use to distract enemies, although it's not yet clear how that ability will work.

We first heard of Alibi back in March, when players discovered files for her and another new Operator named Maestro in the PC version of Rainbow Six Siege. Alibi's announcement seems to confirm that Maestro will be the second Operator coming as part of the Operation Para Bellum, although we'll know for sure soon, as Ubisoft is set to reveal more details about the upcoming season during the Rainbow Six Siege Pro League Finals on May 19-20.

Along with two new Defenders, Operation Para Bellum will introduce a Pick & Ban system, which gives players the ability to counter opponents by banning certain Operators from play. It also introduces a new map called Villa and makes a number of balance tweaks to existing Operators, particularly Echo, who will receive a second Yokai drone and other buffs. You'll be able to stream the Pro League Finals on Rainbow Six Siege's Twitch channel.


Xbox One Getting Free Preview Version Of Acclaimed RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2

By Kevin Knezevic on May 16, 2018 07:35 pm

The critically acclaimed PC RPG Divinity: Original Sin II is coming to consoles this summer, but Xbox One owners will have a chance to play a portion of it early. Bandai Namco announced that the first three hours of the game will be playable for free via Xbox Game Preview beginning May 16.

On top of the free trial, those who purchase Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition on Xbox One will get early access to the entire first act of the game--approximately 20 hours of content by Bandai Namco's estimates--ahead of its launch. Players will also be able to carry the progress they make in the First Act over to the full game upon its release.

Bandai Namco has yet to announce an exact release date for Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition, but the game is slated to arrive on both Xbox One and PS4 this August. The publisher also hasn't announced if a similar early access period will be offered for PS4 owners.

Bandai Namco says the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Original Sin II boast "a user interface tailored for console." Like the PC release, the game will also support four-player online co-op on consoles, as well as two-player split-screen co-op.

Divinity: Original Sin II launched to widespread acclaim on PC in September 2017. The game earned a rare 10/10 in GameSpot's Divinity: Original Sin II review, with critic Brett Todd calling it "one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made." The title also took the No. 5 spot on our Best Game of 2017 list.


Pokemon Go: May 2018 Community Day Exclusive Charizard Move Announced

By Kevin Knezevic on May 16, 2018 07:34 pm

Pokemon Go's next real-world event is right around the corner. Niantic is hosting May's Community Day this weekend, and ahead of the event, the developer has finally revealed which exclusive move players will be able to get this time.

May's Community Day takes place this Saturday, May 19, and features the popular Red and Blue starter Pokemon Charmander. For the duration of the event, Charmander will spawn much more frequently than usual, and if players manage to evolve it into its final form, Charizard, it will learn the powerful Fire-type attack Blast Burn.

As was the case with previous Community Days, players will need to evolve or catch a Charizard before the event ends to learn Blast Burn. Any Charmander or Charmeleon captured prior to the Community Day will also know the attack if they evolve during the event hours, but the Pokemon will no longer be able to learn Blast Burn once the event concludes.

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On top of increased Charmander spawns, any Lure Modules that are activated during the Community Day will last for three hours, as opposed to their usual 30 minutes. Niantic is also offering an additional bonus to players who participate in the event. This time, everyone will receive triple the normal amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon.

As usual, this month's Community Day only runs for a three-hour window of time, and the event begins at different times depending on the part of the world you live in. You can see the event schedule for each region below:

North America

  • 11 AM - 2 PM PT
  • 2 PM - 5 PM ET

Europe and Africa

  • 10 AM - 1 PM BST

Asia-Pacific

  • 12 PM - 3 PM JST

Beyond this month's Community Day, Niantic will soon kick off the Pokemon Go Summer Tour 2018, a series of real-world events taking place throughout the summer. The tour begins next month with a Safari Zone event in Germany, with the second annual Pokemon Go Fest taking place in Chicago on July 14-15. A special Safari Zone event will also be held in Yokosuka, Japan later this summer; details on that will be shared later.

In the meantime, players can still capture the Legendary Eon Pokemon Latios and Latias in Pokemon Go. After swapping regions earlier this month, Latios is now appearing across Europe and Asia, while Latias can be found in North America, South America, and Africa. The Legendaries will remain in those regions until June 5. Players can also capture the Legendary bird Zapdos by completing the newest batch of Field Research quests.


PUBG Mobile Update Adds Miramar Map

By Kevin Knezevic on May 16, 2018 07:31 pm

PUBG Corp. and Tencent have released a new update for the mobile version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Update 0.5.0 is available to download now from both Google Play and the App Store, and it expands the game with a handful of new features, gameplay improvements, and other content.

The biggest addition in the update is the desert map Miramar, which makes its way into the mobile version of PUBG before it has officially released on Xbox One. PUBG Corp. still hasn't announced when the desert map will be available in the console version, but the developer recently held its third Miramar test on Xbox One this past weekend, and the map is expected to launch in the live game this month.

Arriving alongside Miramar are an assortment of new vehicles and weapons. The update also marks the beginning of PUBG Mobile's second season, giving players a new assortment of weekly progress missions to complete and rewards to earn.

In terms of gameplay tweaks, the developers have added a local quick-team feature to the game. Players can now team up with nearby friends locally by inputting a six-digit code. Various elements of the game have also been improved, including the "smoothness" of Spectator mode and parachute camera.

Finally, PUBG Corp. and Tencent have rolled out a new selection of avatars, as well as a shop where players can purchase new outfits and items. The developers have also added a "Secret Stash" that offers special discounted items. You can find the full patch notes for the update, courtesy of the App Store, below.

PUBG v.0.5.0 Patch Notes

What's New

  • Desert map ("Miramar") is now available for selection. See if you can find the new vehicles and weapons!
  • New Progress Mission: collect progress rewards when you reach new levels, then take on new missions.
  • Added weekly Activity missions: earn rewards based on your Activity.
  • Added local quick team feature: enter a 6-digit code to team up with friends that are next to you.
  • Added Synergy and Connections: interact with your friends in-game to raise Synergy, then build Connections when your Synergy is high enough.
  • Added Regions: now you can choose your region and flag.
  • Added language-specific chat channels: there is now an additional channel based on the language of your choice.
  • Added more avatars.
  • Now you can collect rewards for every new tier reached in Season 2.
  • Added a Shop, where you can preview and purchase new outfits and items.
  • Added a Secret Stash, where you can purchase special discounted items.

Improvements

  • Spectator mode smoothness improved.
  • Striking sounds and effects added to melee combat.
  • Parachute camera smoothness improved.
  • Initial parachute speed increased to match the PC version.
  • Improved climbing check during running.
  • Picture styles now available on all devices.
  • Added sound effects for breaking doors.
  • Improved display of personal information and results.
  • Improved team invitation flow.

GameStop's New Weekly Deals: Save On Overwatch, Xbox One S, More

By Chris Reed on May 16, 2018 07:28 pm

Every Wednesday, GameStop publishes its new weekly ad, offering a whole net set of deals on all things PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, including games, hardware, and collectibles. This week's ad is now up, so let's dig in and see what kind of money we can save this week.

To kick things off, all Xbox One S systems are on sale for $50 off. That means you can get 1TB bundles that come with Shadow of War, Sea of Thieves, or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds for $250. Or, if you only need a 500GB hard drive (you can always plug in an external hard drive for more storage), you can get a Minecraft bundle or Forza Horizon 3 bundle for $230.

In terms of games, only one noteworthy title is launching this week: the Xbox One console exclusive State of Decay 2, which comes out May 22. It's not on sale, but you can pre-order the standard edition for $30 or the Ultimate Edition for $50. The Ultimate Edition lets you play four days early (May 18), gets you two DLC packs, and comes with a copy of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition.

Now for the game deals. Overwatch and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War are both on sale for $30 on PS4 and Xbox One. Also $30 this week is the team-based shooter Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, which also happens to be free to play this weekend. And soccer fans may want to pick up FIFA 18 while it's on sale for $40 on both consoles.

Finally, if you're jazzed to see Deadpool 2, you can get 20% off all Deadpool toys, clothes, collectibles, and accessories.

Games

Xbox One S deals

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New Mission Impossible: Fallout Trailer Delivers Insane Stunts

By Dan Auty on May 16, 2018 04:23 pm

The new trailer for Mission Impossible: Fallout is here. This is the second promo for the sixth movie in the long-running action franchise, which sees Tom Cruise return as Ethan Hunt and hits theaters in July.

While the first trailer was more concerned with the action, this new one delivers a healthy dose of plot too. It reveals that Hunt will have two advisories --Sean Harris's villainous Solomon Lane, who we last saw in 2015's Rogue Nation, and CIA assassin August Walker. He's played by Superman star Henry Cavill, who is sporting his notorious mustache. It's not short on action either, with some incredible looking stunts, including an insane-looking skydive and the very moment where Cruise broke his ankle while shooting. Check it out above.

Mission Impossible: Fallout also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, and Alec Baldwin. It's directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who previously helmed 2015's Ghost Protocol. It hits theaters on July 27.

Despite the crazy-looking action, McQuarrie has previously stated that Fallout will be more character-based than some previous entries. "I don't want to string together a bunch of action scenes, I want to actually deal with character," he told Empire. "So I put Ethan in a bunch of complicated moral quandaries, and I'm trying to find ways to connect them--and then, ironically, the way to connect them was through giant action scenes."


Deadpool 2 Reviews Roundup: What Are The Critics Saying?

By Dan Auty on May 16, 2018 04:22 pm

With the release of Deadpool 2 finally upon us, the reviews are in. The movie is the sequel to 2016's irreverent X-Men spin-off, which surprised many by not only becoming the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time, but also the most successful movie in Fox's X-Men franchise. So what do the critics think of the follow-up?

For the most part, reviews are positive. Deadpool 2 currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%, which is slightly worse than the first movie's 83% score. In terms of other films in the X-Men series, it sits behind the highly acclaimed Logan (93%), but way ahead of 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse (48%).

Most critics agreed that, for better or worse, the new movie hasn't attempted to change the originals' winning combination of irreverent humor and gory, over-the-top violence. The Deadpool 2 review from GameSpot's own Michael Rougeau said the film "mostly works for all the same reasons that the original did. Reynolds carries the movie on his back--although this time around he should have shared the load a little more evenly with some of his talented co-stars. But Reynolds' Wade Wilson is just as charming as ever, in his own twisted way, and Deadpool 2 delivers the laughs, action, and gruesome maimings that fans want."

Uproxx's Vince Mancini stated that the movie's willingness to abandon many of cliches of modern superhero movies was extremely refreshing. "It may not be as naughty as it thinks it is, or subversive in any real sense, but it does jettison many unwelcome now-standard attributes of superhero films that became convention almost without us even noticing," he said. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone agreed, describing the movie as a "a grab-bag of humor, sorrow, sensation and silliness" that "throws everything it has at you until you throw your arms up in happy surrender."

There was praise for the cast too, in particular Zazie Beetz as Domino and 15-year-old Julian Dennison, who plays a young mutant called Russell. Bruce Demara from the Toronto Star said Dennison delivers "a very strong performance here, [which is] raging, pain-filled, and believable," while Scott Mendelson of Forbes described Beetz's performance as "delightfully droll."

Nevertheless, not everyone loved the movie, and some critics felt the movie's constant irreverence actually made for lazy filmmaking. "It's also a cheap way of asking us to let the production off the hook," argued the Village Voice's Alan Scherstuhl. "I can understand why fans might laugh, but I'm obliged to ask: Wouldn't less lazy writing without a self-exonerating joke prove more satisfying?"

Similarly, Jen Yamoto of the LA Times argued that there was "a tedium to the sort of repetition that merely rehashes and recycles the same wink-wink barbs that worked the first time around--but also a relatable, even pitiable humanity in the film's desperation to be liked."

Deadpool 2 is in theaters from May 18.


Metro Exodus Delayed For PS4, Xbox One, PC

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 11:41 am

Metro Exodus, the third game in the survival/horror/stealth/shooter series and the first to feature a more expansive world, has been delayed. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC game was originally due to launch this year, but it's now coming in Q1 2019, according to a press release from THQ Nordic. That works out to sometime in the January-March 2019 window.

In its press release, THQ Nordic did not provide a rationale or explanation for why the game was delayed.

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Like the previous Metro games, Exodus stars Artyom, who is fleeing the ruins of the Moscow Metro with a band of survivors. Publisher Deep Silver says the game will be a "sandbox survival experience," with players exploring large, non-linear levels in a story that spans an entire year.

Exodus was announced during E3 2017 with a trailer that showed Artyom in a collapsed tunnel filled with skeletons. He then walked out into the open and fought a mutated rat beast. A follow-up trailer released during The Video game Awards in December 2017 showed even more mutated creatures and inhospitable environments (you can watch it again above).

The first Metro game, Metro 2033, came out in 2010. The most recent entry in the series was 2013's Metro: Last Light, so it's been a long time coming for a new game. The franchise was created and is developed by 4A Games, based on the works of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky.


Zombieland 2 With Original Cast Is On The Way, Writers Say

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 10:43 am

The cult classic Zombieland, which came out in 2009, may be getting a sequel. Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick--who wrote the original--told Vulture that a sequel with the original cast might be in theatres by October 2019 to celebrate the original's 10-year anniversary.

"We're going on the tenth anniversary of Zombieland," Wernick said. "Zombieland came out October of 2009. We don't know what you get someone for their tenth anniversary, but it may be a Zombieland 2...with the original cast, by the way."

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Zombieland starred Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Woody Harrelson, as well as Bill Murray in a wonderfully silly and morbid cameo. The movie, which was directed by Ruben Fleischer, made $102.4 million against a $23.6 million budget. It was generally well-liked by critics for its silly story and zombie-killing mayhem.

Wernick added that they will hopefully be able to share more news soon about the sequel, which will reportedly start shooting in early 2019.

"We are sitting on information that we can't entirely share at this moment," he said. "But we can just say we think fans of Zombieland who have been hoping for a Zombieland 2, that we will grant their wish very, very soon."

Wernick and Reese went on to enjoy even more success after Zombieland, as they wrote 2016's beloved and commercial smash Deadpool; they also wrote Deadpool 2.

Last year, Wernick said he was hopeful that Zombieland 2 would eventually get made, but this is the first time he and Reese are talking specifics about when it may enter production and release. A pilot for a Zombieland TV show was produced for Amazon, but it did not get picked up to a full series.

What would you like to see from a Zombieland sequel? Let us know in the comments below!


Candy Crush Dev Working On New Call Of Duty Game For Mobile

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 07:50 am

Candy Crush developer King is working on a new Call of Duty game, it seems. A recently discovered job ad is looking for a level designer to work on an "exciting new project" out of the studio's office in Stockholm, Sweden. The game is being development in collaboration with Activision Blizzard, which acquired King for an incredible $5.9 billion back in 2015.

"The aim is to create a Call of Duty experience on mobile, while also breaking new ground for mobile and redefining the genre," reads a line from the ad. "The approach and ambition is to be fresh, social, and highly accessible, while providing a very authentic game experience."

A desirable candidate will have experience working in the shooter space, which suggests--not surprisingly--that King's game will be a shooter of sorts. The job ad also states that you have a better shot at getting the job if you have "some understanding of the casual and midcore markets." You can see the full job ad here (via Game Informer).

There are at least two other job ads at King related to Call of Duty; the others call for a senior network engineer and a senior tools developer.

Just a few weeks ago, Activision Publishing president Coddy Johnson teased that the company might be investing more heavily in the mobile space after seeing the huge success of Fortnite, particularly on mobile.

Activision has already released multiple Call of Duty games for mobile, one of the most recent of which is Call of Duty: Heroes. A 3D strategy game, Heroes lets you control heroes from Call of Duty games such as Call of Duty: WWII and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

The next mainline Call of Duty game is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, which comes out in October. Activision will officially reveal the game on May 17 during a livestream event, so keep checking back with GameSpot for lots more on the shooter.


Gears Of War Designer Reveals Cool Ideas And Intriguing Art For Games That Were Never Made

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 07:19 am

Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski's studio, Boss Key, has closed its doors. The closure came after the North Carolina studio's two games, LawBreakers and Radical Heights, failed to find a big enough audience to support the team going forward. Now, Bleszinski--who is stepping away from gaming for the time being--has shared some ideas and early design images from other games that the studio considered making. It is almost always fascinating to get a peek behind the curtain in an industry so obsessed with hiding these things from the public--and this case is no different.

Bleszinski posted a few of Boss Key's other game ideas on Twitter, one of which was a game called "Donuts." A spiritual successor to Toobin for VR, Donuts was an arcade-style racing that would have had you playing as animals. Basically, it was "Mario Kart on water with animals in VR," Bleszinski said. He added, "You could drink (ginger) beer for health, crush cans on your head, or shake up full ones for AOE attacks. Slam both hands to jump logs. Roman candles to pop tubes etc."

Bleszisnki went on to say that he envisioned Donuts as a game that people might actually play in a real inner tube with a VR headset strapped to their face.

Another one of Boss Key's ideas was for a game codenamed "DragonFlies." You would play as a ninja/samurai in a giant airship while riding dragons and fighting zombies. It aimed to offer a PvE experience set in a "feudalpunk" world on floating islands. The airships would have been aircraft carries and the dragons your planes, in essence.

You can use melee and guns, while Bleszisnki and the team also envisioned allowing to your customize your dragons. "Basically do for dragon riding what Halo did for vehicles," he said. You would also come across dragon eggs and hatch them. Bleszinski said the team aimed to learn from the "mistakes" of games like Scalebound and Lair. The developer added in other tweets that he pitched this game to Microsoft, Sony, EA, 2K, Activision, and Warner Bros.--and none wanted it, apparently.

Yet another idea was for a game called "DogWalkers," which was aiming to be a World of Tanks/Tokyo Wars type of game where players fought against each other in giant vehicles. DOG, in the context of this game, stood for Destructive Ordnance (on the) Ground. "The air in the world's fiction was toxic so any leaks on your walker you'd have to repair quick or get gas masks on etc. Rappel outside to weld legs too, toss wrenches to each other etc..." Bleszinski shared.

So why did these games never happen? Bleszinski suggested that publishers did not see enough novelty--or too much--for them to want to sign on. What's more, he said at least some of these games would have had a budget of around $40 million, which he said is "not cheap."

"One problem with publishers, generally? You pitch something and the response is often 'too similar to something we have or out there so no' or 'this is too unique so we can't do a proper financial model for it.' I respect them but as a creative it's frustrating," Bleszinski said.

You can see all of Bleszinski's relevant tweets below.

The servers for Radical Heights, a battle royale game with an '80s twist, will remain online for the time being, but are expected to eventually shut down for good. Bleszinski himself said he is going to "take some time off and reflect." He added that he hopes to return to gaming to "make something new again," but it won't be for a while.

Bleszinski left Epic Games in 2012 before setting up Boss Key in 2014. An interesting piece of video game trivia is that it was Bleszinski who announced Epic's Fortnite during the Video Game Awards in 2011.


Here's How Much Money Deadpool 2 Is Expected To Make For Its Opening

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 06:54 am

As you would expect, Fox's new superhero movie Deadpool 2 is expected to have a massive opening weekend. According to analysts speaking to Deadline, the Ryan Reynolds-starring action movie could make as much as $350 million worldwide for its first weekend.

This would be $130 million-$150 million domestically and $175 million-$200 million from international markets for a total in the range of $305 million-$350 million.

The first Deadpool opened in February 2016 to an domestic opening-weekend haul of $132.4 million over its first three days and $152.1 million over the first four (it was released on the four-day Presidents Day holiday weekend). Internationally, the original movie made $149.9 million for its opening weekend, Deadline reports, so the sequel is poised to be bigger.

Deadpool 1 went on to make a total of $363 million in the US and Canada, which is good for the second-highest haul for an R-rated movie, behind Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ ($370.7 million), according to Box Office Mojo. The movie made a further $420 million worldwide from international markets for a total of $783.1 million.

This is all to say, Deadpool 2 has big shoes to fill.

GameSpot's Deadpool 2 review from Michael Rougeau said the film "mostly works for all the same reasons that the original did. Reynolds carries the movie on his back--although this time around he should have shared the load a little more evenly with some of his talented co-stars. But Reynolds' Wade Wilson is just as charming as ever, in his own twisted way, and Deadpool 2 delivers the laughs, action, and gruesome maimings that fans want."

For more on the critical reaction to Deadpool 2, check out GameSpot's roundup of reviews from other critics. The movie, which is directed by John Wick's David Leitch and also stars Josh Brolin, hits theatres in the US on May 18.


PlayStation Vita Physical Games Being Discontinued In US And Europe

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 06:28 am

It's the end of the road for physical PlayStation Vita games, it seems. Kotaku reports today that Sony's American and European units told developers that they "plan to end all Vita GameCard production by close of fiscal year 2018." That comes out to March 31, 2019.

A spokesperson for Sony confirmed the news to the site.

This is no surprise, really, given that Sony previously said PlayStation Vita is "not an active line" for Sony outside of Japan and some parts of Asia.

Physical Vita games will apparently still be made for Japan and Asia, while digital game distribution and sales are expected to continue worldwide. Just this week, the developers of Stardew Valley announced that the game's Vita edition will launch on May 22.

The Vita launched in Japan in late 2011 before coming to North America and other parts of the world in early 2012. A smaller, lighter model was released in 2013 in Japan and the following year in other parts of the world. According to a 2016 EEDAR study reported on by GamingBolt, the Vita has sold more than 10 million units worldwide.


Free PC Games: Origin Access Adds 9 More Soon Worldwide

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 05:58 am

Update: It turns out there are actually nine games coming to Origin Access this week, though gamers in Australia and New Zealand are only getting five new ones.

The original story is below.

Publisher EA's PC subscription service, Origin Access, is adding more free games to its "Vault" of freebies. Nine more games are coming to the library on May 17, and interestingly, they are not all published by EA itself. That's not entirely surprising, however, as Origin Access has already added many non-EA games.

As announced on EA's website, five more games will be available in Australia and New Zealand: Europa Universalis III Complete, Knights of Pen and Paper: +1 Edition, The Guest, Hearts of Iron III, and Victoria I Complete. These games, as well as Tyranny Commander Edition, Abzu, Kingdom: New Lands, and GoNNER, will be available for the rest of the world.

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Origin Access has more than 80 games already in its library of freebies; you can see a full rundown of the titles here. In addition to free games, subscribers save 10 percent on Origin purchases and can play some of EA's upcoming games multiple days ahead of launch.

A similar service, EA Access, is offered on Xbox One with its own library of free games. No version of the program is available on PlayStation 4, though the door isn't completely shut.

The service costs $5/month or $30/year.

Origin Access Games Coming May 17*:

  • Europa Universalis III Complete
  • Knights of Pen and Paper: +1 Edition
  • The Guest
  • Hearts of Iron III
  • Victoria I Complete
  • Tyranny Commander Edition
  • Abzu
  • Kingdom: New Lands
  • GoNNER

*Australia and New Zealand will only get these games: Europa Universalis III Complete, Knights of Pen and Paper: +1 Edition, The Guest, Hearts of Iron III and Victoria I Complete.


See Rami Malek As Freddie Mercury In First Bohemian Rhapsody Trailer

By Eddie Makuch on May 16, 2018 05:44 am

The first trailer for Fox's upcoming Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody has come online--and it is pretty great. The movie stars Mr. Robot's Rami Malek as Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury in a film that chronicles the band's rise and massive performance at Live Aid in 1985.

The film will of course place a special emphasis on Mercury, and this trailer gives us the best look so far at Malek in the leading role. Bohemian Rhapsody is directed by Eddie the Eagle's Dexter Fletcher, who took over from Bryan Singer (X-Men) who was fired mid-production.

Bohemian Rhapsody was written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) and also stars Game of Thrones veteran Aidan Gillen. It arrives in theatres on November 2.

It's just the latest musical movie from Fox, following this year's Hugh Jackman-starring production The Greatest Showman


STALKER 2 Announced From Original Devs, But Won't Come Anytime Soon

By Michael Higham on May 16, 2018 05:11 am

It appears that a full sequel in the STALKER franchise is in the works as confirmed by series developer GSC Game World. A website cropped up (http://stalker2.com) and the official GSC Game World website states that the game is currently in the works. The game's site simply has a dark concrete background with "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2" and "2.0.2.1." painted into it, likely indicating that this game won't be around until another three years.

The STALKER 2 title has been on a sort of rollercoaster ride; in August 2010, GSC announced the game with a brand new engine and plans to launch in 2012. Despite studio struggles and facing an uncertain future, GSC said in December 2011 that it was going to continue development. However, the project was cancelled in April 2012. GSC continued to be fairly quiet, putting out the real-time strategy game Cossacks 3 in 2016, but it seems that STALKER 2 is back from the dead with this announcement.

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Ukranian developer GSC captured a unique feeling of danger, horror, and survival in nuclear disaster zones with its three releases in the STALKER game franchise. These first-person shooters had their share of technical issues, but challenged players to put more thought into approaching combat and moving around its open world. STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl was the first entry in 2007, and it was followed by a prequel subtitled Clear Sky in 2008 and a follow-up subtitled Call of Pripyat in 2010.

STALKER is loosely based on the Russian novel Roadside Picnic and movie Stalker (1979), and is set in alternate reality where a second nuclear disaster took place in Chernobyl. Its story takes a few supernatural turns as you uncover the mysteries of the Nuclear Exclusion Zone alongside other stalkers, who are illegal hunters and scavengers in "The Zone." We consider STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl one of the best games of 2007, which you can read more about in our list of great games that turned 10 last year.


PSA: Your Fortnite Account Needs Two-Factor Authentication

By Steve Watts on May 16, 2018 03:33 am

Fortnite is the hottest thing going in video games at the moment, garnering mainstream attention from the likes of Drake and Good Morning America alike. Anytime a game breaks through with that much attention, some shady characters are bound to attempt to use its popularity to take advantage. If you're not already, you should be protecting yourself with two-factor authentication.

Lawyer Ryan Morrison called attention to the problem on Twitter, saying that his brother's account was hacked and overdrew his bank account. This kind of fraud isn't new, but it is easy to hit unsuspecting victims drawn to a popular trend.

Fortunately, protecting yourself is easy. Just go to the Epic Games Account site and scroll to the bottom to the button that says "Enable Two-Factor Sign-In." Once it's enabled, you'll need a security code sent directly to you along with your usual login credentials, and you'll be alerted of the approximate time and IP address from any login attempts in case someone else tries to access your account. You can always turn off the option if you get tired of it, but don't. It's a little extra effort to avoid potential major problems.

Once your account is safe and secured you can go ahead and start tackling those weekly challenges while you wait for the upcoming patch.


Jeff Goldblum Explains That Jurassic Park Topless Scene

By Chris E. Hayner on May 16, 2018 03:15 am

It may have taken 25 years, but finally the world knows the truth about the topless Jeff Goldblum scene in Jurassic Park. You remember that moment, right? How could you not? Not only does it not make sense, it cements Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm as perhaps the coolest character in the movie.

After suffering a pretty severe injury to his leg, the camera finds Malcolm laying down, seemingly to ease the pressure on his limb. However, when he's shown, it's with his shirt completely undone in what can only be explained as a seductive pose. Within the context of the scene, it makes zero sense. And yet, when all was said and done, Goldblum bared his chest to the world in the final cut of Jurassic Park.

So how did it come to pass? Naturally, the idea was Goldblum's. Appearing at a 25th-anniversary event for the film, Goldblum revealed to Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts that the moment was improvised. "I asked Jeff Goldblum during #JP25 what he remembers about shooting his iconic & smoldering shirtless scene. He told me it WAS NOT scripted," Vogt-Roberts writes in a tweet. "The AD was on stage and confirmed Goldblum made the decision to unbutton his shirt and everyone just went with it."

Honestly, that's the most satisfying answer one could expect to get for this particular question. The actor has proven time and again to be an eclectic and unique force in the universe--whether it's scatting as his character in Isle of Dogs or embracing his own Jurassic Park roots as part of the Jurassic World: Evolution video game--which he has already awarded "10 Goldblums out of 10 Goldblums."

As for what made him think unbuttoning his shirt was the best possible solution for the scene, his reasoning is sound. "It's supposed to be Costa Rica, right? So things are hot and I'm sure I'm in some sort of fever. So all the logic is that we gotta get some of these wet clothes off immediately," Goldblum recently told Yahoo Entertainment. "As I remember, I don't think anybody fought me on that."

Goldblum can next be seen back on the big screen as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom when it hits theaters on June 22. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll go shirtless again at some point in this movie.


Netflix's Aggretsuko Is One Of The Best Anime This Year

By Kallie Plagge on May 16, 2018 03:12 am

Netflix's new anime, Aggretsuko, is based on a series of minute-long web shorts from a few years ago. When I first discovered her in 2016, the star was still Aggressive Retsuko, the Hello Kitty company's adorable new red panda mascot who also sings death metal--and I was already sold on her. She's cute and angry! She drinks beer! She hates her boss! Collectively, everyone who grew up loving Sanrio said "that's literally me" and then maybe bought some stuff with her face on it (I have a hat and a tote bag). I really didn't expect the full-length anime to be more than just dumb fun.

Like in the shorts, Retsuko's rage builds as she endures one frustration after another, culminating in her singing death metal alone in a karaoke room. But from the first episode, it's very clear that Netflix's Aggretsuko isn't just a series of jokes and skits. In just 10 15-minute episodes, the show manages to cover an impressive variety of modern workplace frustrations, teach a lesson about relationships, and get you invested in its characters, all while being a relatable and silly office comedy at its core.

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Retsuko is a 25-year-old office lady who works in the accounting department of a trading firm, and her boss is a pig named Director Ton who makes derogatory comments about women. (Get it? He's a chauvinist pig.) She has to bite her tongue when he insults her and hide her frustration as he loudly practices golf in the office while everyone else is busy. Nothing she does is ever correct or good enough, but Ton of course loves a younger female employee, Tsunoda, who sucks up to him all day. By the time Retsuko sings the first song of the show all about her "sh***y boss," you're either cheering her on or relating to her really, really hard.

To round out the office, Retsuko has her friendly coworkers--a laidback hyena named Haida and a calculating fennec fox named Fenneko--and the annoying ones, which include the suckup Tsunoda, a gossipy hippo, and Ton's smarmy yes-man. There are also mysterious businesswomen, Gori and Washimi, who work in a different department and always look impossibly put-together. If you've had a job for any amount of time, there's at least one person you've worked with in the lineup.

Finally, Retsuko is up against the soul-crushing reality of having to earn money to live. In the second episode, Fenneko tells Retsuko she's a corporate slave destined to overwork herself to death. Darker than the sexist boss or the lazy supervisors is the knowledge that she can't just quit the job she hates because she hates it; she needs a way to survive, whether it's in a different career or by marrying a rich husband. Her schemes make for some great sitcom antics, but they're also central to why the show works so well.

Generally, Retsuko's plans backfire. When she acts too happy, her supervisors get suspicious. When she tries to find common ground with her boss, she ends up angering him more. But at every stage, Retsuko can always use karaoke to control her emotions when she can't control her environment. Singing death metal isn't just a funny coping mechanism; it's her favorite form of self-expression and the way she stays connected to her identity, even when she's forced to be a corporate drone. It's both her way to vent and her way to remain Retsuko.

Aggretsuko is both silly and serious, its characters both outlandish and relatable. But most brilliantly, it offers lessons in coping for when you feel powerless against everything wrong in your life. While that's more than a lot of people might have expected, it's what a lot of us really need more of.


Borderlands 3 Won't Be At E3, Gearbox Claims (Kind Of)

By Steve Watts on May 16, 2018 03:05 am

Gearbox head Randy Pitchford has publicly denied rumors that Borderlands 3 will be shown at E3 this year. The founder and president produced a string of tweets centered around magic tricks, and embedded the announcement in the middle of them.

The denial appears clear enough, but it's just odd enough to keep us speculating. Why is the name in quotation marks? Why couch it in a long talk about illusions and trickery? Why is it phrased as a hypothetical at all? It stands to reason that Pitchford could be attempting some clever misdirection, and that we'll see Borderlands 3 in some form at the event--even if it's not called by that name.

Or, alternately, Pitchford could be legitimately telling fans not to expect the game at the show this year, and he's using some imagery from his other passion--stage magic--to illustrate his point. If that's the case and Borderlands 3 is nowhere to be found, we can't say he didn't warn us.

Pitchford did finish the tweet thread by thanking fans for their passion and support and saying that Gearbox is "working harder than we have ever worked in order to create new and exciting things." Last year, Pitchford obliquely hinted at Borderlands 3, saying that 90% of the studio was "working on the thing I think most of you guys want us to be working on." He probably didn't mean Battleborn 2, so we've been expecting a Borderlands 3 confirmation ever since. Take-Two has hinted that one of its biggest franchises will get a new entry by early next year.


Play Rainbow Six Siege Free This Weekend

By Chris Reed on May 16, 2018 02:45 am

Here's some good news for everyone who hasn't purchased Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege: the game is free to play this weekend on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. From May 17 - 20, you can access the entire game, complete with all the maps, modes, and operators released so far. You can find the specific times the free weekend will be available below.

To play on PS4, head to the PlayStation Store, find the Rainbow Six Siege product page, and download it there. It's available to download now, but you'll have to wait for May 17 to play it. Just note you'll need a PlayStation Plus membership to participate.

To play on Xbox One, visit the Rainbow Six Siege product page on the Xbox Store once the free weekend is live. Then you'll be able to download and play it all weekend, even without an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

To play on PC, you'll need the Uplay PC Launcher. Open the Launcher, find the game on there, and download it. It's available now, but you won't be able to play until May 17.

Any progress you make during the free play weekend will carry over to the full game if you decide to buy it. Between May 17 - 28, you can get the game for half price on the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store. On PC, you can get it for "as low as $10" between May 17 - 21.

Rainbow Six Siege is a competitive team shooter with destructible environments. From GameSpot's Rainbow Six Siege review: "[W]hen Siege works, there's nothing else like it. It's not designed to appeal to all players, and that's exactly what allows it to be something special. With so much strategic depth, those periods between firefights actually become some of the most rewarding, while firefights themselves are made all the more intense by the knowledge that you're fighting for your life, not just your kill/death ratio."

Free Weekend Play Times

The Americas

  • PS4: May 17, 6AM PT/9AM ET - May 21 6AM PT/9AM ET
  • PC: May 17, 10AM PT/1PM ET - May 21 1PM PT/4PM ET
  • Xbox One: May 17, 12AM PT/3AM ET - May 21 12AM PT/3AM ET

Europe & Middle East

  • PS4: May 17, 3PM CEST - May 21 3PM CET
  • PC: May 17, 7PM CEST - May 20, 10PM CEST
  • Xbox One: May 17, 9AM CEST - May 21, 9AM CEST

Japan

  • PS4: May 17, 10PM JST - May 21, 10PM JST
  • PC: May 18, 2AM JST - May 21, 5AM JST
  • Xbox One: May 17, 4PM JST - May 21, 4PM JST

Asia & Oceania

  • PS4: May 17, 11PM AEST - May 21, 11PM AEST
  • PC: May 18, 3AM AEST - May 21, 6AM AEST
  • Xbox One: May 17, 5AM AEST - May 21, 5PM AEST

For more details, you can find an FAQ on the Rainbow Six website.


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