By Array on Oct 12, 2018 11:33 pm
'Tis The Season
The annual Overwatch Halloween Terror event returns for 2018, and it's live right now. As always, its release means Blizzard has added a variety of new cosmetic rewards to obtain from special event-specific loot boxes. The highlight, of course, are the nine new skins--including six Legendary ones--for the game's vast array of heroes and villains. While some of these simply dress someone up in a Halloween costume, a few transform their corresponding character into a frightful monster. Here's everything on tap for this year. Undead McCree and Spider Widowmaker--both Epic skins--are among the new options introduced for Overwatch's 2018 event. There are also Legendary skins, such as Jack-O'Lantern Wrecking Ball and Swamp Monster Doomfist. Like previous years, skins can be found in limited-time loot boxes or be bought for 3000 credits. The Halloween-themed skins from previous years, meanwhile, are offered at a discount. Halloween Terror 2018 is now live and continues until October 31. Once it's over, you'll have to wait for next year to unlock any skins you missed. Click through the images above to see all the new skins that have been released for this year's event. You can also check our video showcasing all the new skins. If you're eager to get your hands on some, buying a bundle of 50 loot boxes will net you 10 bonus ones for free. Halloween Terror's PvE mode, Junkenstein's Revenge, has also r eturned. Taking place in an alternate reality, Junkenstein's Revenge tells the story of Dr. Junkenstein (Junkrat) and the Witch of the Wilds (Mercy) attempting to take over the fictional kingdom of Adlersbrunn. Their schemes are thwarted by a team of heroes composed of the Alchemist (Ana), the Gunslinger (McCree), the Archer (Hanzo), the Soldier (Solder 76), the Countess (Widowmaker), the Swordsman (Genji), the Monk (Zenyatta), and the Viking (Torbjorn). Alongside this, there's an alternate version called Junkenstein's Revenge: Endless Night that mixes up the formula. For 2018, there are now 10 options for who you can play as. The new additions to the rotation are Tracer and Brigitte. The update introducing the event also makes a variety of changes to characters, as detailed in the patch notes--most notably, it reworks Torbjorn.
Jack-O'-Lantern Wrecking Ball (Legendary)
Undead McCree
Enchanted Armor Pharah (Legendary)
Spider Widowmaker (Epic)
Banshee Moira (Legendary)
Swamp Monster Doomfist (Legendary)
By Dan Auty on Oct 12, 2018 10:47 pm
The success of Venom has shown that there is a huge audience for superhero blockbusters as late in the year as October. But with DC's Aquaman not due to hit theaters for another six weeks, Fall's movie release schedule takes on a different shape. This is traditionally the time of year that studios release the more prestigious movies in line for potential Oscars, and over the next few weeks, we can expect films such as Widows and If Beale Street Could Talk. First Man, the story of the first mission to the moon, is very much in this camp, and arrives in theaters this Friday. There are also two big Netflix movies debuting on the service this week, which continues to demonstrate the streaming giant's commitment to giving some of the cinema's most acclaimed directors opportunities they might not have elsewhere. Paul Greengrass's 22 July and Gareth Evans' Apostle are very different movies, but both are must-sees this week. There is also the comedy thriller Bad Times at the El Royale in theaters, while on digital formats, the highly acclaimed satire Sorry to Bother You is now available to rent. The landscape for consuming movies has really changed over the past few years. The biggest films still debut in the old fashioned-way--in theaters, with home releases still a few months off. But with the rise of streaming and Video on Demand, we are increasingly seeing simultaneous releases for smaller movies, with films getting a limited theatrical release on the same day that they are available to buy and rent digitally. The rise of Netflix and Amazon as major players in film production has also disrupted standard release patterns. Netflix in particular has attracted some major directors, and their movies will bypass theaters entirely and premiere worldwide on the streaming platform. And of course, movies that did get a theatrical release continue to move to digital platforms after a few months. This is a great way to catch up on movies you might have missed on the big screen--or are keen to rewatch. So here's our look at the best and most interesting new movies in theaters and available to watch at home this week.
First Man
Watch it in theaters on October 12 Given Neil Armstrong is the most famous astronaut ever, it's surprising that he's never had his own biopic until now. First Man is set between 1961 and 1969 and tells the story of Armstrong's preparations for his history-changing journey to the moon. It stars Ryan Gosling as the man himself and is helmed by Gosling's La La Land director Damien Chazelle. The impressive cast also includes Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Jon Bernthal, and Pablo Schreiber. Reviews have been exceptional, and there's a reasonable chance that Chazelle might actually get that Best Movie Oscar this year, rather than having it quickly taken away from him.
Bad Times at the El Royale
Watch it in theaters on October 12 As a writer and director, Drew Goddard is best known for his work in sci-fi and fantasy, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cloverfield, The Martian, and The Cabin in the Woods all part of his impressive resumé. Bad Times at the El Royale sees Goddard stretching out into thriller territory. It focuses on seven strangers who gather one night at a shady motel, and the impressive cast includes Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth. The movie has been compared to the wave of funny, violent thrillers that followed in the wake of Pulp Fiction back in the '90s and should deliver some slick thrills.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
Watch it in theaters on October 12 The recent success of Eli Roth's spooky fantasy movie The House with the Clock in its Walls showed that there is a definite market for family-friendly horror, and the sequel to 2015's Goosebumps should also do well. Haunted Halloween focuses on a pair of kids who unleash the evil ventriloquist's dummy Slappy (voiced by Jack Black) who plans to unleash a 'Halloween apocalypse' on the world. The Goosebumps novels are hugely popular with younger readers, and this should prove to be a spookily entertaining Halloween treat.
Apostle
Watch it on Netflix on October 12 Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans delivered two of the best, most exciting action movies of the past decade when he made the incredible Indonesian-set The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2. For his next film, Evans swaps bone-crunching action for unnerving horror with the spooky-looking period mystery Apostle. It's a Netflix Original that hits the service on Friday, and stars Legion's Dan Stevens as a man who sets about trying to rescue his sister from a cult. The synopsis describes the movie as a "harrowing occult fable where the only thing more horrifying than madness is the sinister reality behind it," and early festival reviews make it sound like an absolute must-see for horror fans.
22 July
Watch it on Netflix on October 10 Paul Greengrass is essentially two filmmakers in one. His biggest success has come with the crowd-pleasing action of the Bourne movies, but he's also renowned for his dramatic recreations of harrowing real-life stories, such as Bloody Sunday, United 93, and Captain Phillips. His new movie for Netflix, 22 July, is very much in the same vein. It's a retelling of the shocking events in Norway in 2011, where 77 people were killed in a series of attacks by Anders Behring Breivik. Greengrass's film focuses on both the attacks and their aftermath, as this small country came to terms with the devastating atrocities. 22 July won't be an easy watch, but it's absolutely essential viewing.
Sorry to Bother You
Own it digitally on October 9 Boots Riley's Sorry To Bother You is an absurd, ambitious, hugely imaginative dark sci-fi comedy, and one of 2018's best movies. Atlanta's Lakeith Stanfield plays an African-American telemarketer who discovers that using a white accent on the phone causes him to excel at his job. Soon he is climbing the corporate ladder but finds himself embroiled in a sinister conspiracy. Riley assembles a stellar cast--including Tessa Thompson, Forest Whitaker, Terry Crews, Danny Glover, and Armie Hammer--and directs with flair and imagination.
Skyscraper
Rent it digitally on October 9 Dwayne Johnson has starred in no fewer than three big movies in the past year, but while Skyscraper wasn't as big a hit as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle or Rampage, it's definitely worth a look at home, where you can now rent it. Johnson is a retired FBI hostage rescue agent who now works as a security assessor for the world's biggest skyscraper, which inevitably becomes the target of some very dangerous terrorist-types. The movie's commercial disappointment means we're unlikely to get a sequel, but it's still undemanding fun and will tide fans of The Rock over until Hobbs and Shaw arrives next year.
By Meg Downey on Oct 12, 2018 10:17 pm
Venom has already broken box office records
Venom is now in theaters, and although it may not be officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that doesn't mean it's lacking in comic book shout outs. Eddie's symbiotic alien adventure isn't as crammed full of Easter eggs and nods as his web slinging pals over in the MCU proper, but there are certainly some. So, of course, we're going to count them down. Be advised, Venom spoilers abound here, so proceed with caution. Venom is a totally reimagined origin story for Spidey's obsessive alien enemy, set in Sony's isolated Spider-Man free Spider-Man universe. It focuses on Eddie Brock as an intrepid investigative journalist in San Francisco as he tries to uncover the truth about a shady biochemical firm known as The Life Foundation. Unfortunately, in the process of digging for dirt, Eddie crosses some lines and winds up disgraced, alone, and desperate for a break. Thankfully, one comes in the form of a Life Foundation scientist, Dr. Skirth, who finds herself in a crisis of consciousness over her job's unethical methods. Eddie becomes embroiled in the strange, parasitic world of the Life Foundation's alien pet projects: the symbiotes, tar-like aliens that require a biological host to survive. It doesn't take much effort to start connecting the dots from that point. Eddie winds up saddled with a symbiote named Venom who can engulf him in black goo and puppeteer him around for all sorts of wacky, violent hijinks. Naturally, the Life Foundations' shady motivations become clear and the whole thing culminates in a full on oozified splatterfest as Venom clashes against a fellow symbiote for the fate of humanity. Look, the Venom story is a weird one even in the comics, OK? If you were expecting high stakes moral quandaries, you're looking in the wrong place. That doesn't mean it's not worth seeing--as Venom's box office results clearly show, fans are eating it up. Now read on for all the Easter eggs and references you might have missed.
1. Eddie's New York Past
One of the first things established about Eddie Brock in Venom is that he was, effectively, pushed out of New York City after losing his job at The Daily Globe, which just so happens to be the The Daily Bugle's biggest rival over in the comics. He's currently living and working in San Francisco. This is a directly indirect nod to Eddie's comic book history with the one and only Spider-Man, who he developed a powerful grudge against while working as a photojournalist in NYC. After Eddie bonds with Venom and the two of them set some of their differences with Pete aside by coming to a tenuous agreement and they return to San Francisco to act as the "lethal protector" of the city.
2. Yellow Symbiote
While Venom and Riot may be the only two named symbiotes in the Life Foundation's possession, they're experimenting with one that is distinctly yellow in color. This is a reference to one of the comic book Life Foundation symbiotes called Phage, who set himself apart from his siblings with his bright color and--well, not much else.
3. Blue Symbiote
Like Phage, another original comic book Life Foundation symbiote made a stealthy cameo during the experimentation scenes. The blueish green blob that goes on to kill Dr. Skirth is, we can assume, a nod to Lasher, another one of the original five creatures who Carlton Drake hoped to reverse engineer.
4. She-Venom
During her very brief stint bonded with the symbiote, Anne becomes a female version of Venom known in the comics as--wait for it--She-Venom. She-Venom was introduced in the comics back in 1995 during the awesomely named "Sinner Takes All" arc. She and Venom bond when Anne was fatally shot, which wound up saving Anne's life--though not for long. She eventually killed herself in the comics as a direct result of her life's Venom-related chaos.
5. Carnage
Venom's first post credits scene reveals Woody Harrelson playing a prisoner in a maximum security facility. He never properly introduces himself, but comics fans will clock right away--even before he utters the telling "there's gonna be carnage" line--that he's playing Cletus Kasady, the insane killer who goes on to become Carnage. As one of Venom's most iconic foes, Carnage is a hulking bright red symbiotic beast who has none of the moral qualms Venom does about Eddie's general resistance to killing. As a serial killer and sociopath, Cletus and his symbiote are only interested in spilling as much blood as they can.
6. Eating Brains
Venom's cannibalism is a pretty prominent feature of the film, sometimes as a joke, sometimes as an earnest threat. This isn't a new thing, however, nor is it live action sensationalism--but it's probably a weirder callback than you might expect. The real origin of Venom's brain-eating isn't the comics, but the Venom action figure released in the 1990s shortly after Venom's introduction. The cannibalism eventually did make the leap to comics, but it was always a bit of a non sequitur (why does an alien blob want to do the zombie thing, anyway?) Now, some 20 years later, the brain eating tradition continues in full color on movie screens everywhere.
7. Eyes, Lungs, Pancreas
The line "eyes, lungs, pancreas--so many snacks, so little time!" may be cheesy, but it's also a direct reference to the comics. And not just a reference--that exact dialogue was lifted straight from Amazing Spider-Man #374. Naturally, this was after the whole "eating brains" thing became pretty well established.
8. Spider-Eyes
As you could probably imagine, a blob of black alien goo could basically look like anything at any time, so over in the comics, Venom's humanoid form is based entirely upon his origin in which he spent some time disguised as Peter Parker's black costume. Of course, in the live action universe, Venom hasn't actually met Peter so he has no real reason to riff on the look. That's why he doesn't have a big white Spider-logo on his chest--but there's still one major Spidey shout out in the design, and it's all in the eyes. Venom's eye shape subtly implies a Spider-Man connection--whether or not there really is one.
9. The Life Foundation
Carlton Drake's Life Foundation isn't an arbitrary plot piece for the movie, it's actually one of the biggest comics call-backs Venom has to offer. The Life Foundation has some deep roots in the Marvel Universe, but they're most famous for being the first organization to purposefully create symbiote spawns. They were responsible for the propagation of five Venom "children" named Agony, Scream, Phage, Lasher, and Riot who they then bonded to Life Foundation volunteers to create their very own symbiote task force. Sound familiar? That's because they do basically the exact same thing in Venom with only a few little tweaks to make it work in the movie universe.
10. Eddie the Journalist
Eddie's career as a journalist was anything but an arbitrary choice for the film. Eddie Brock's comic book origin story revolves around his career as a journalist who broke a bad story and, naturally, decided his mistake was all Spider-Man's fault. His career was ruined and he was forced to sink to tabloid levels just to make a living, all while bodybuilding to reduce the stress. The end result was a super jacked, super angry ex-journalist who just so happened to be the perfect host for a vengeful alien symbiote.
11. Carlton Drake
While Jenny Slates' Dr. Skirth isn't actually a direct reference to any comic book character, Riz Ahmed's Carlton Drake definitely is. He was lifted directly from Marvel's pages as the ethically questionable leader of the Life Foundation. His comics counterpart never bonds with the symbiote Riot, so there are certainly some differences, but Carlton's name and corporate role are as true to the source as can be.
12. Down with the Sickness
If any motif, you know, aside from tar-y black goo, is repeated over and over in Venom it's Eddie having to go in and out of medical facilities. He's put through MRI machines, he's sweaty and feverish, he's worried about having a "parasite," he's talking with doctors--you get the idea. While this isn't an explicit reference to any one particular thing, it is potentially a shout-out to Eddie's rather unpleasant history with doctors back in the comics. In the early 2000s, a story called "The Hunger" retconned Eddie's origin story to give him deadly cancer prior to his bonding with Venom. It was the symbiote that kept Eddie alive and rid him of his disease--which sort of plays out on screen. It's just that in the movie, Eddie's not actually sick, Venom is the thing that is both hurting him and saving him.
13. John Jameson
This one is blink-and-you-miss-it, but if you're paying close enough attention to the beginning of Venom, you might catch a name dropped in reference to the catastrophic crash that brings the symbiotes to Earth. One of the scientists in the clean up crew mentions that the craft had been piloted by "Jameson," which, in any other circumstance would probably just be a throwaway line--but not here. The name Jameson is actually a shout-out to comics character John Jameson who, in addition to being the son of J. Jonah Jameson (yes, that J. Jonah Jameson) was also the astronaut famous for bringing the symbiotes to Earth.
14. Meanwhile, in another universe…
The second of Venom's post-credits scenes doesn't actually have much to do with Venom at all. It's a teaser for Sony's other Spider-Man movie, the fully animated Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, which is heading for theaters this fall. Though Eddie and Venom have nothing to do with Miles Morales and his cartoon adventures, the title card does put Venom the movie into an interesting context within Sony's not-actually-shared universe of movies. If the "Spider-Verse" encompasses any and all forms of Spider-Man stories, then Venom is most definitely part of that web somewhere, right? We're not recommending you hold your breath for a Tom Hardy shout-out or cameo in Into The Spider-Verse, but hey, stranger things have happened.
By Kallie Plagge on Oct 12, 2018 05:28 am
Best of the Best
Xbox One launched over four years ago, which means over four years of games! As such, it can be hard to decide what to play. From exclusives to the top multi-platform games to indies, there's a lot to choose from--and even though people joke that the Xbox One has no games, that's just not true! We've picked out the best Xbox One games so far. This includes many of the games that received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our Best Xbox One Game list in the years those games released. It also includes Assassin's Creed: Origins, which was one of GameSpot's top Xbox One games of 2017 due to its performance on the Xbox One X. While there are plenty of new games, we haven't included the hundreds of backwards compatible games on Xbox One, which includes many original Xbox and Xbox 360 favorites. Xbox also has a subscription service called which lets you download and play a selection of over 100 games that varies slightly from month to month. For more Xbox One games, see our roundups of the best cheap games on Xbox One, and make sure to check out our gallery of the Xbox One exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest Xbox One games of 2018 for everything coming to the console.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10
"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Valkyria Chronicles 4 -- 8/10
"Ultimately, this is a return to form for the Valkyria Chronicles series as a whole. It stays so true to the franchise's first iteration that it'll feel as if almost no time has passed in the decade or so since the original game first came out. In revisiting the concerns and the environments of the first, it makes the most of those parallels and invites comparison in a way that highlights its strengths. Valkyria Chronicles 4 doesn't necessarily tell a new tale, but it doesn't have to; for all of its clichés and expected twists, there's a charm to the game's unwillingness to let up as it drives you and your friends forward at a rapid clip towards its bittersweet end." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition -- 10/10
"From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made in both its original and Definitive incarnations, with the latter proving that even the most complicated role-players can be ported successfully to gamepad-limited consoles. This immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [Read the review] -- Brett Todd
PES 2019 -- 9/10
"For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it's fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red. The lack of licences for top-tier leagues remains a disheartening sticking point, but PES continues to make brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time. It might be lacking off the pitch, but put it on the field against the competition and a famous giant killing wouldn't be all that surprising." [Read the review] -- Richard Wakeling
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10
"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10
"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Cuphead -- 8/10
"Everything you've heard about Cuphead is true. It is a difficult side-scrolling shooter with relentless boss battles that demand rapid-fire actions and reactions. Think for too long, and you won't stand a chance against the game's toughest enemies. Battles may only last three minutes at most, but they feel far longer when you know that you can only absorb three hits before you have to start from scratch. When you are navigating your way around bullets, smaller enemies, and pitfalls, while simultaneously trying to damage your primary target, toppling Cuphead's imposing bosses is both a monumental and rewarding task." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Assassin's Creed Origins -- 7/10
"Assassin's Creed has undergone many changes in its long and storied history, and Origins feels like the first step in the start of a new journey. It has its fair share of problems, but the vision for its future is one worth pursuing." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review] -- Mary Kish
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10
"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Overwatch -- 9/10
"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Battlefield 1 -- 9/10
"EA DICE splendidly interprets the early 20th century as a world in technological transition while humanizing the war's participants through well crafted, albeit fictional, narrative vignettes. Combined with an enthralling multiplayer component, the overall result is the studio's best work since Battlefield: Bad Company 2." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Titanfall 2 -- 9/10
"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Dishonored 2 -- 8/10
"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Forza Horizon 3 -- 9/10
"With Forza Horizon 3, Turn 10 and Playground Games affirm the series' status as the driving game for everyone. The new emphasis on off-road options isn't at the expense of traditional races, thanks to the sheer volume of activities. All the while, Playground Games' calculated kitchen-sink design philosophy and rich reward system persistently tempt you to explore beyond your comfort zone, whether it's gifting your first Ariel Nomad buggy or reminding you that stunt races can impress thousands of fans. Enhancing your own brand might feel like a strange motivation to hit the road, but pulling off sick e-drifts on a mile-long series of curves makes the PR work worthwhile." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Inside -- 8/10
"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Dark Souls III -- 8/10
"Dark Souls III is a game of valleys and peaks, down through dungeons and up over castle walls. It's a plummet into places we shouldn't be--an escape from places we don't belong. But of course, we fight our way through the darkness, and find our way out. There are a few stumbles along the way, but in the end, Dark Souls III is well worth the riveting climb." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- 10/10
"Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Halo 5: Guardians -- 8/10
"Halo 5: Guardians is fueled by new ideas and propelled by some of the boldest changes to this storied franchise yet. Some of these changes fail, but others succeed, and although Halo 5 falters at times, it whisks us through black holes and across war torn tropical islands at a rapid pace. We can only surrender to its velocity." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Rise of the Tomb Raider -- 9/10
"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Ori and the Blind Forest -- 9/10
"It consistently surprises you with new tricks: gravitational divergences, new ways to move through its spaces, and carefully designed levels that require you to think quickly and respond. It is not as snappy as, say, a typical Mario platformer, seeking instead a broader gameplay arc stretching across a single, interconnected world. It's a superb and thematically consistent approach that allows Ori and the Blind Forest to build joy on a bed of heartache, adding a new layer of mechanical complexity with each ray of hope." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- 10/10
"There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that's so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Fallout 4 -- 9/10
"Fallout 4 is an engrossing game that lures you in with mystery and the promise of adventure. Its wretched wasteland can be captivating, and you never know what odd person or settlement lies around the next bend. Fallout 4 uses its dark world as a canvas for exciting combat and gripping stories, and when you dig deeper into its post-nuclear-apocalypse version of Boston--defending yourself from violent scavengers and using your wits to climb social ladders--you become attached to the new you, and ultimately invested in the fate of your new world." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- 8/10
"This is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I'm hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- 9/10
"Inquisition's characters and world recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer's block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition -- 8/10
"Lara herself is so well crafted that I grew attached to her exploits and was sad to say goodbye when the credits rolled. And the exquisite visual design is so breathtaking that I continually found myself staring at the scenery instead of pushing onward. Tomb Raider is a great reinvention of this enduring franchise that made me eager to see where Lara goes in her future." [read the full review] -- Tom McShea
Forza Motorsport 5 -- 9/10
"All of this combined makes Forza Motorsport 5 an outstanding improvement to an already excellent racing franchise. It's far more than just a great racing sim, or a gorgeous showcase for the types of feats the Xbox One hardware is capable of. This is a game built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- 8/10
"Despite this, Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting." [Read the review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Forza Horizon 4 -- 8/10
"There's such a diverse range of activities stuffed into every corner of Horizon 4, and meaningful changes contribute to smart driving dynamics and a more consistent sense of achievement. Everything you do in Horizon feels valuable, no matter how big or small--from the basic thrills of speeding a fast car down a gorgeous mountain highway to spending time tinkering with your favorite ride to manage seasonal road conditions to just hanging out with friends and strangers online and goofing off in friendly games. The charm of the Horizon series is as palpable as ever, a winning, all-inclusive recipe that celebrates the joy of driving above all else." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran
By Matt Espineli on Oct 12, 2018 05:22 am
As you play Assassin's Creed Odyssey, you'll inevitably come across several battles and conflicts that'll test your wits and reflexes. As a Spartan-turned-mercenary/proto-Assassin, you'll need to rely on every tool at your disposal to fight against the warring armies and mysterious cults that seek to take over Ancient Greece. Like last year's Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey blends together RPG elements within the framework of an open-world action-adventure game, allowing you to explore and uncover resources at your leisure, while strengthening your character in the areas that you wish. However, the level of customization for your character in Odyssey is far more flexible, giving you more room to specialize the protagonist across several different archetypes. Centering around the Warrior, Hunter, and Assassin archetypes, these areas are tied to melee, long-range, and stealth respectively. Each archetype possesses its own set of abilities and passive skills that add new options for you to take advantage of, many of which can be used in clever ways for some effective combos. With the amount of skills to choose from, you're free to respec your character at any time, allowing you to rebuild them to make a stronger and more refined adventurer. In this feature, we've come up with several tips to help you out in battle, and along with our selection of the most useful abilities to overcome the deadly foes of Ancient Greece. Of course, this is all spoiler free, and only focuses on the core skills that can be unlocked from general progression. For more info on the series' new entry, check out our full Assassin's Creed Odyssey review along with our look back on every Assassin's Creed game we've reviewed over its 11-year history.
Critical Assassination
When sneaking up on your foe to pull off an assassination, you may discover that they're more powerful than you estimated as they survive your would-be killing blow To avoid this common occurrence, it's good to invest in the Critical Assassination skill. With this enabled, you can spend a single bar of Adrenaline to put some extra force into your silent attacks, allowing you to take out enemies that are more powerful than usual. When fully upgraded, this skill can deal three times as much Assassin damage than normal.
Sixth Sense
When performing stealth, there's the occasional chance that a guard may catch you in the corner of their eye. As a precaution, the Sixth Sense ability in the Hunter tree would be a valuable skill to have. With this enabled, you'll be given a short grace period after being noticed by guards, slowing down time and allowing you to get a shot off from your bow. If your aim is sharp, you might be able to land a headshot, keeping you in the clear. Upgrading this ability further can extend the slow-mo duration and increase your Hunter damage.
Spartan Kick
As one of Odyssey's most useful and versatile abilities, the Spartan Kick is a fast and vicious strike that can push foes back several feet--and it's also a lot of fun to use. As one of the first abilities you can acquire in the Warrior tree, the kick is especially effective for forcing an overly aggressive enemy back, or sending an unsuspecting foe flying. However, elite enemies are able to resist the pushback from this move, only resulting in normal damage. When upgraded to its max potential, the Spartan Kick will also let out a shockwave, stunning nearby enemies. You'll occasionally find enemies standing at the edge of cliff, and you'll find that it's difficult to resist the urge to kick them off and see them fly off into the distance.
Arrow Master
As a hunter, you may find yourself in situations that can make you rethink how you'll want to engage enemies at long-range. The Arrow Master skill will grant you the ability to craft different arrow types, opening up new ways to take on opponents. After the initial unlock, you can create flame and paralyzing arrows. Fire arrow are pretty self-explanatory--they ignite targets. The paralyzing arrows, however, can knock out and stun enemies. This is useful when you want to clear through locations without getting any blood on your hands, or when you want to recruit some elite enemies to your ship's crew. Upgrading the Arrow Master ability will allow you to craft Poison and Explosive arrows, which can be extremely effective in both stealth and combat.
Shield Breaker
While you can't use shields in Odyssey, the many foes you come across take advantage of them readily. While you can parry strikes and dodge their attacks, sometimes it's better to get rid of their shield altogether. With the Shield Breaker move, you can yank an enemy's shield out of their hands and bash them with it. However, Elite enemies wielding shields will require a bit more force to strip. Upgrading Shield Breaker to its max will not only deal more damage to the single target, it will also shatter the shield outright--harming nearby foes in the process.
Devastating Shot
When using the bow, you're most effective when you can fire off quick and powerful shots. With the Devastating Shot ability, one of the most useful skills in the Hunter tree, you can charge up a powerful shot to take out enemies in a single blow--at the cost of an Adrenaline bar. If you have the Arrow Master skill unlocked, the special arrows will also have increased effectiveness. Upgrading this ability further will increase the damage done from a single shot, with the max level hurling enemies back with incredible force. While this is useful for getting a clean kill while simultaneously pushing a body into some bushes, it's also invaluable during combat when dealing damage from a distance.
Second Wind
You'll often come across fights that get overwhelming quickly. With this in mind, it's useful to have a skill at the ready when you need a pick-me-up. As the closest thing to a healing potion, the Second Wind ability will regain a portion of your health at the cost of some Adrenaline. When upgraded to maximum, this ability can restore up to half your life, while also negating the effects of fire and poison damage outright. This is especially useful when fighting against foes that use special elemental weapons.
Overpower Attacks
Similar to Origins, you can use up a significant portion of your adrenaline to unleash a deadly attack. By pressing both the light and heavy attacks, the Overpower Attack will cause massive damage to a single enemy, with some light damage done to surrounding targets. This can be especially handy when up against elite and legendary foes with lots of health and plenty of skills to dish out. Depending on your weapon type, you'll see different types of Overpower Attacks.
Rush Assassination
During your infiltration missions, there may come a time when you need to take out a set of foes quick and quietly. Using the Rush Assassination, you can launch a series of quick assassinations. You'll immediately take down the first tagged enemy by throwing your Spear of Leonidas which activates a slow-mo effect to give you time to pick your next target. While the first rank of Rush Assassination only allows for two quick kills, upgrading it further can extend the chain to up to four different enemies. Though bear in mind, just like normal assassinations, some enemies are more powerful than they appear--resulting in heavy damage instead of an instant kill.
Hero Strike
As a blend between the Warrior and Assassin skill-sets, the Hero Strike executes a fatal multi-hit move. While it seems like a more elaborate version of an assassination (that's not too far off,) this skill is also usable during combat. The Hero Strike is an incredibly powerful ability that gets in quick damage, and when fully upgraded, it uses maximum Assassin strength to deal greater damage--which is especially deadly to foes in combat encounters.
Stealth Master
With the amount of bases and enemy compounds you'll need to sneak into, it's important that you know how to move undetected. With the Stealth Master skill, noise made during traversal will be minimized, and enemies will have a more difficult time seeing you while in the crouched position. Upgrading the skill further will make your stealth traversal more efficient and also increase your Assassin and Hunter attack power during night time.
Battlecry Of Ares
When you're up against multiple enemies, you may need to call upon your inner strength to even the odds. After you've invested points into the Overpower Attacks skill, you can acquire the Battlecry of Ares ability to amplify your base damage for a short period of time, while also increasing your defense against enemy attacks. As the peak ability in the Warrior tree, this ability is at its best when used with other skills like Overpower, Spartan Kick, and Shield Breaker. When fully upgraded, this special buffs becomes even more useful, with repeated attacks boosting damage power and activation that requires no Adrenaline.
By Mat Elfring on Oct 12, 2018 03:57 am
If you're a fan of all things anime, you more than likely have a few collectibles set up around your house. There were tons of places at the recent New York Comic-Con to satisfy all your anime cravings. You could pick up DVDs, mangas, clothing, and more, all featuring your favorite series and characters. At the Tamashii Nations and Bluefin Distribution booth, some of the coolest action figures and statues at the show were shown off, many of which are currently available for purchase on Bluefin's website. From Dragon Ball to Cowboy Bebop to Naruto and much, much more, Tamashii Nations' booth had some incredible-looking statues and action figures that look like they were plucked right from their respective animes. Here are some of the coolest collectibles we saw during the show. If you're looking for more collectibles from the New York show, check out the most rare and expensive Funko Pop figures, and for more anime, check out the best anime you can watch on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon, Funimation, and HIDIVE this fall in the US.
By Matt Espineli on Oct 12, 2018 03:30 am
Assassin's Creed Odyssey further develops the RPG stylings of its predecessor. Not only is the game's world much larger than ever before, but there's a wealth of new mechanics and systems added to mix things up. A territory system has you aligning yourself with the competing powers of the Peloponnesian War to carve out the land. Dialogue choices give you more freedom to guide the direction of your journey in subtle yet meaningful ways. And this is all in addition to a slew of improvements that have been made to Origin's pre-existing systems. If you're a returning Assassin's Creed player or a newcomer entirely, many of the new features and mechanics may confuse you. To help you wrap your head over all the new systems in Odyssey, we've gathered 11 useful tips that should help you become the best spartan mercenary/proto-Assassin you can be! Assassin's Odyssey is out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. As an interesting aside, the game will also be available to play on Google Chrome thanks to a new test the search giant is conducting to measure the strength of its game streaming technology. However, Google will only be choosing a select few users from those who sign up via its official website. For more Assassin's Creed Odyssey guides, check out our guide highlighting the best skills you can unlock, as well as our recap of the franchise's story so far. If you're curious about our thoughts on the game, be sure to read our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review. GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari said in his review: "While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Assassin's Creed Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting." In the meantime, got any handy beginner's tips you don't see here? Let us know in the comments below.
Play Exploration Mode
This isn't so much a tip as a strong recommendation. One of the most meaningful features added into Odyssey is Exploration Mode, a navigation option that strips away markers and quest objectives, forcing you to rely on your investigative and observation skills instead. The mode offers a more challenging experience that's well worth the effort.
What Are The Best Side Quests?
Odyssey has some great side quests that offer stories that range from tense and serious, to funny and light-hearted. Some even tie back into the main narrative. With so much content in Odyssey you might be wondering which side quests are worth your time. You'll find two types of quests in the world. First are quests indicated on the map by these gold and black diamonds. These are the major side quests that are the most involved and in our experience are always worth your time. The other kinds of quests are much smaller, usually consisting of a simple task. You can find these on the map with white and black diamond markers or at Message/Bounty Boards. The quality of these quests vary with some being fun small objectives like defending a philosopher, and others being noticeably lame, like this one where you just need to walk a couple hundred meters and talk to an NPC to complete it. If you're the kind of person who isn't interested in doing everything possible and just wants to see the good stuff, we recommend avoiding these smaller quests completely and only doing the major side quests with the gold and black markers.
Finding And Upgrading Weapons And Armor
Weapons and armor play an even greater role in Odyssey, allowing you to customize your look. There are several ways to get awesome new gear. Completing major side quests is a pretty straightforward option, and the quest menu even shows what reward you will earn. Mercenaries are another great way to earn loot. You can check the mercenaries menu to see a detailed description of the loot each has, and then track the one you want to find. This is the most reliable way to search for something specific. There are also conquest battles, which reward you with a random piece of Epic loot. If you find a piece of armor that has stats you like or just looks cool, you can always upgrade it at a blacksmith, bringing it up to your current level. This is an awesome way to ensure Legendary gear you get early on remains viable in the late game. You can enhance gear further with engravings, which give you bonuses like increased damage against certain enemy types or boosts to specific abilities.
Don't Forget Engravings
The best way to find engravings are from the puzzle tablets that contain riddles on them similar to Origins' Papyrus puzzles. Following the clues to the treasure rewards you with a new engraving. Engravings can be upgraded by completing an associated goal or challenge so keep an eye on those to maximize their potential. Engravings aren't just one-time use items either so don't worry about saving one for later, and just put it on. You can also swap engravings whenever you want, but it will cost you a small fee.
Sell Your Stuff And Break It Down
If you're the sort of person who likes to pick up everything that comes your way, you're liable to start stockpiling weapons and armor really quickly. Don't hold on to that stuff! Make sure to break it down for resources in the inventory menu or to visit merchants to sell them for a reasonable profit. You never want to be hoarding items, as you'll need the money and resources from selling or dismantling to better your current loadout and ship. You'll also accumulate a bunch of items that serve no purpose other than to be sold at a shop. Make sure to offload these under the option of "Sell All Trade Goods" in the Sell menu.
Get These Abilities!
Unlike Origins, Odyssey allows you acquire and swap abilities. You get a skill tree for Hunter, Warrior, and Assassin, and you start with eight slots to equip abilities--four for ranged attacks, and four for melee attacks. If you're looking for some suggestions, we've got them. Shield enemies can be a real pain in a large fight so pick up Shield Breaker, which lets you rip their shields off and hit them with it for damage. If you want to take care of captains or enemies with large health bars quickly, get Hero Strike, which uses the damage statistic normally used for assassin attacks. If you prefer the stealthy approach, Rush Assassination lets you break the laws of physics by throwing your spear and then basically teleporting next to the target. You can also chain this attack, making it a handy way to take out a base in a quiet and efficient manner. Critical Assassination is also key as it lets you deal more damage, allowing you to assassinate high-level enemies. Finally you should get Spartan Kick, which is perfect for knocking enemies off cliffs or walls and is also just really fun.
You Can Restat At Any Time
Being able to respec at any time is a useful new feature that lets you experiment with different character builds. So if at any moment you think you've dumped too many points into one category over another, simply hold down the left stick in the skills menu to reallocate all the points you've earned thus far.
How To Get Materials
Collecting resources and materials is a major component of Odyssey. You need them to upgrade your equipment and ship. Thankfully it's not much of a headache to collect these resources. For starters, you always want to dismantle unused equipment for materials. You also have the option to sell equipment to vendors, but the resources are much more valuable than the money, which you'll still earn in other ways You'll find common resources like wood in forests and iron in caves, but you if you really need more, vendors will also sell them. A hot tip is to always loot War Supplies before you burn them in an enemy camp. These carry large quantities of materials and you don't want to miss out on them.
Earn Loot With Conquest Battles
As a mercenary, you are a soldier for hire in the war between Sparta and Athens and can use this to your advantage. Every region is controlled by one of the two factions. You'll first need to lower the occupying nation's grip by burning War Supplies, pillaging nation chests, killing their soldiers, and assassinating their leader. Once you've lowered the meter enough, a conquest battle becomes available. You can fight for either side by visiting their camp. Yes, you can side with the army whose supplies you just spent the last few hours burning down--I guess they're a forgiving bunch. Siding with the defending army presents you one piece of Epic gear, while siding with the invading army nets you two pieces of Epic gear, but the battle will be tougher. In our experience it's always worth siding with the invading army for that extra loot. When participating in the battle itself, always keep an eye out on the two meters up top and make sure you're staying ahead. It's best to ignore the basic soldiers and focus on the captains and hero units who show up since eliminating them is the quickest way to win. Because of how easily multiple soldiers can overwhelm you, it's a good idea to pick abilities that deal damage to multiple enemies at once, such as Rain of Destruction. Our final tip is not to wait too long to start the conquest battle once it's available, as the opportunity can be lost if you wait too long. Thankfully, you can repeat this process in a region as many times as you want, keeping the war going forever and your inventory filled with loot.
Quick-Save And Manual Saves Are Your Friend
If you're a traditional Assassin's Creed player, chances are you might not notice there are a manual and quick-save options in Odyssey. Given the more pivotal choices you'll have to make as the game progresses, you may want to backpedal a few times. Fortunately, the game is not too brutal when it comes to autosaves, but make sure to utilize this feature in order to give yourself a proper backup plan when events go south on account of a horrible decision you made.
A Moment Of Meditation
Like Origins, you can advance time of day by simply holding the map button. Previously this was an ability you had to acquire via the skill tree, but you're given it early on this time around without having to spend a skill point; though, the game doesn't make a big show of it so you might even notice it's there. Regardless, advancing time is handy when you want to attack camps at night since the majority of guards tend to sleep, making it easier for you to sneak about.
By Mat Elfring on Oct 12, 2018 03:05 am
Venom is a weird character. It's an alien symbiote that had a special bond with Spider-Man, and the character is one of the few surviving ones from the '90s comic boom to survive and thrive. The symbiote's powers are bizarre and at times, ever changing. He is one of the weirder characters to come out of that decade of Marvel comics. Venom--the one we're familiar with that bonded with Eddie Brock--has been around for 30 years in the comics, and since then, the symbiotic alien has bonded with some really weird people/creatures and had some team ups with unexpected heroes and villains. We're going through the history of the character to find the 10 weirdest. If you're interested in more Venom, make sure to check out Sony's new movie of the same name, hitting theaters on Friday, October 5. If you'd like to know more, check out our video detailing the history of Venom and Eddie Brock, who the villain of the movie is, and while it may not have Venom in it, there is also a new trailer for December's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Venom And A Dinosaur
During the buddy road trip story, Old Man Logan, Hawkeye, and Logan find themselves being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex that's hosting the Venom symbiote as the duo travels across Illinois. Venom had been tracking and following them since South Dakota, and felt that bonding with a T-Rex was the best way to attack them. Venom-Rex was quickly destroyed by Black Bolt.
Venom And Hulk
In a one-shot comic, Venom--now trying to be a good guy--is saving people from the aftermath of an earthquake, but he crosses paths with the Hulk--who is totally smart during this time--and the two fight each other. Venom proves he's changed his ways by teaming up with Hulk to become a professional wrestler. That's where the comic ends. We never get closure on this very important storyline.
Venom and Deadpool
During the miniseries Back in Black, which takes place during the '80s, Venom bonds with Deadpool--before it bonds with Eddie Brock, when Spider-Man is still running around in his black suit, which is pretty confusing as far as continuity and canon go. It's a weird miniseries and makes you wonder if all of this is inside Deadpool's head; however, there are some fun scenes of Venompool eating people's heads and severed arms.
Venom And A Giant Space Panda
Pik Rollo--who looks exactly like a giant space panda--was on a mission to kill Venom/Flash Thompson. Venom was traversing the cosmos, and found himself an enemy to Mercurio, an old Thor villain from space. Mercurio hired Pik Rollo to kill Venom, but Pik and Venom found themselves working together in order to take out Mercurio. Even after taking down the enemy, Pik and Venom's partnership continued in the Venom: Space Knight series.
Venom Joins The Thunderbolts
Things with Venom got a bit weird during the '00s when one of Spider-Man's old school villains, Scorpion, found himself permanently teaming up with the symbiote. From there, he joined the Thunderbolts and was tasked with the hunting down the Secret Avengers. As far as continuity goes, this is the first time we've seen Venom successfully work on a team.
Venom Joins The Dark Avengers
With Mac Gargan still wearing the Symbiote, Venom got to be on the Avengers. This wasn't the traditional Avengers though. This was a Norman Osborn-run Avengers team called the Dark Avengers. During this time, Gargan went under the guise as Sinister Spider-Man, which looked exactly like Spider-Man in his black suit. No one thought they'd ever see Venom on an actual Avengers team.
Venom Joins The Guardians Of The Galaxy
When you think about Venom, you tend to think about Eddie Brock's fights with Spider-Man throughout the years. However, in 2011, Spider-Man's former bully, Flash Thompson had bonded with the Venom symbiote to become Agent Venom. That's not a particularly weird team-up, but Venom did briefly become a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and went on adventures with them, including to the Symbiote's home planet. Seeing Venom as part of Marvel's greatest cosmic team was jarring to say the least.
Venom And Wolverine, Working For Apocalypse
In a tale that comes from a distant time, the X-Men find themselves 1,000 years in the future, fighting Apocalypse. One of the Four Horsemen just happens to be Venom. In a even more bizarre turn, Venom is bonded with none other than Wolverine. It is one of the weirdest, most overpowered turns for the character, in a surprisingly good story.
Venom And Nightwatch
Everyone's favorite '90s Marvel character Nightwatch had a quick team-up with some no-name symbiote named Venom. The Spawn look alike--who was alive for roughly three years during the '90s--got all his powers, from strength to speed to pain suppression, from the nanites in the suit. He and Venom teamed up to take down some shadowy villains in a storyline that really only had Venom in it to sell more issues of the series.
Zombie Venom And A Bunch Of Zombies
In the mid-2000s Marvel mini-series Marvel Zombies, a zombified Eddie Brock was still the host for the Venom symbiote. In this world full of the walking dead, Venom teamed up with other undead supervillains in order to fight off reanimated superheroes. It was a big cash-in on the growing re-popularity of the zombie genre, and it was actually a pretty fun series, regardless of how weird a zombie-Venom was.
By Mat Elfring on Oct 12, 2018 02:36 am
After the soul-shattering ending of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel movie fans needed a palate cleanser, something fun. That's exactly what Ant-Man and The Wasp was. The down-to-Earth and grounded story carried heavy themes of father/daughter relationships while providing laughs the whole way through. Well, it was as grounded of a story you can tell about people who grow, shrink, phase through walls, and enter the teeny, tiny Quantum Realm. While the film has already been released digitally, it's coming to DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, October 16. With the release comes quite a few special features--many of which are available digitally as well. One of the more interesting additions to the home release is the commentary from director Peyton Reed. Throughout the movie, Reed detailed every aspect of the story, directing his first sequel, the themes, and how certain scenes came together, including the final tag which connects Ant-Man and The Wasp to Infinity War. We picked out the most interesting and insightful moments from the audio commentary that shed light of the movie-making process. If you're interested in picking up Ant-Man and The Wasp, check out our pre-order guide detailing all different editions as well as what's on the special features.
Wasp In Ant-Man 1 Was Made To Look Like Pfeiffer
"In the first movie, we see the original Wasp and we sort of just see her eyes through the mask," explained director Peyton Reed. "Long before we cast Michelle Pfeiffer, obviously, in the second movie. But I remember talking to casting and visual effects and saying, 'well, hey eyes--that we see through the mask--she should look like Michelle Pfeiffer.' Michelle was always my dream casting for that role, that was before we even knew we'd be making a second movie."
Pym Labs Was A Huge Set
The Quantum Tunnel set, which was designed by Shepherd Frankel, was the largest physical set that has ever been built for a Marvel movie. Reed said the inspiration for the set came from the Irwin Allen TV series The Time Tunnel.
How Ghost Was Chosen For The Movie
Reed said he loved the design of the Iron Man villain. "When we were figuring out who the main antagonist in this movie was going to be, we looked in these giant Marvel encyclopedias that had every hero, every villain, every sort of ancillary character, and I loved the design of Ghost, just the visual look of Ghost in the comics," he said. "That seemed really striking to me and the powerset… This idea of phasing seemed like there was something there that was formidable for this partnership of Ant-Man and Wasp to go up against."
Why Ghost Was Changed To A Woman For The Movie
"In the comics, Ghost is a man, a computer hacker, and sort of an anti-corporate vigilante, and we basically just took the basic idea of that character and adapted Ghost to our story," Reed explained. "And part of that was doing a gender swap, which made sense for our movie, where we have this strong thematic of fathers and daughters, whether it's Hank and Hope or Scott and Cassie. And in this movie, even though Bill Foster and Ava Star are not father and daughter, they're sort of this figurative father/daughter relationship there. So it felt really smart to do the gender swap for that reason."
Why Bill Foster Is In The Movie
Reed owned all the Black Goliath comics as a child and said that he loves the character. However, that's not the only reason Foster appeared in the movie. "I liked the idea of giving Hank Pym a foil in this movie, another super-scientist that when they're together, they're alpha males and think they're the smartest guy in the room," Reed said. "And when we got Laurence Fishburne for the movie, it thrilled me."
Laurence Fishburne Is A Huge Comic Book Fan
While on set, Fishburne read graphic novels during his off time, many of which Reed had never heard of. Reed said Fishburne was well-versed in all things Marvel and DC.
Cassie Lang's Teacher's Name
Reed said he named Cassie's teacher Mrs. Broadwell after his 8th and 9th grade English teacher. He spoke highly of her and wanted to pay homage.
Ghost's House Was To Give The Movie A Horror Vibe
It's a concrete modernist building in Newnan, Georgia, and Reed said that this scene is their movie's version of a haunted house in the middle of the woods. They even added a wolf howl to the scene to add more of a supernatural feel to it.
Ghost's Father Is From The Comics
Reed discussed Ghost's father, Elihas Starr, who in the comics was a supervillain named Egghead. They didn't want to use Egghead as a villain, but they wanted to give a nod to Marvel Comics fans.
Young Laurence Fishburne Was Played By His Son
Reed says they paid extra care to the young versions of Fishburne, Pfeiffer, and Douglas when it came to the digital aging, as they are three extremely recognizable faces in Hollywood, now and 30 years ago. Fishburne's son, Langston, was the stand in for his father during those younger scenes, before they altered Laurence's face.
Making Sure Hank Pym Isn't Just Another Tony Stark
Both Pym and Stark are genius inventors, but Reed mentioned during the commentary that he wanted to separate the two. Many times, Pym--mainly out of necessity--has to cannibalize his own tech to create something new, while Stark would just get new materials. While both Pym and Stark are geniuses in their own right, they operate very differently.
Keeping The Movie Short
Reed mentions that he wants the movie under two hours in length for a couple of reasons: "One, I knew we were going to be following Infinity War, which was going to be this massive, massive epic. But most importantly just because this is a comedy, and it's an action-comedy, and it didn't want it to overstay its welcome. So, a great part of the post-production process was just the tightening and finessing of this movie." He continued saying that there were careful in not cutting out things that would pay off later.
Stan Lee's Cameo
Reed said, "it felt like a good luck charm to have our first shot of the movie be Stan Lee." It was shot in Georgia, but was a very "San Francisco joke."
The Ultimate Happy Ending, Until It's Not
Reed wanted viewers to have some sense of the aftermath of Infinity War, but on a microlevel, not just focusing on everyone on Earth. However, before he could get to that, he wanted this film to have everything resolved and wrapped up. "So we finally landed on the structure that felt like the very specific Ant-Man and The Wasp way of dealing with the events of the end of Infinity War, which was to tie up all our character stories in this kind of too neat resolution, where it's almost too pretty of a bow on every story. Scott is off house arrest. He's able to go to the house and pick up Cassie and see his daughter. The X-Con guys land the Karapetyan account because he's seen them on TV having captured Sonny Burch. Hank and Janet, of course, are reunited and they go on a well-earned vacation on a remote island… And then, of course, we cut to Them, the classic, giant ant movie from the '50s. And Scott, Hope, and Cassie are at a drive-in theater." It's all very clean and lulling the audience into a false sense of security, before the bombshell is dropped.
Dust To Dust: The Final Tag
"Part of the thing here was to hit the audience with as much random information as possible… There's a lot for the audience to take in," Reed said. After the ending was tied up nicely, Reed wanted to give the audience an idea of what's next in their lives. He said they wanted to build some misleads for the audience. Everyone but Scott turning to dust is a shocking moment, and that's the point he wanted to drive home.
By Dan Auty on Oct 12, 2018 01:45 am
Fall has arrived, and so far 2018 has been a mix of huge hits, critical smashes, and inevitably, a few disappointments. Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, and Mission Impossible: Fallout have smashed records, and while Solo: A Star Wars Story proved to be a commercial disappointment, there's still plenty of excitement for next year's Episode IX, which is now in production. All the big summer movies might have been released, but there's still loads to look forward to in the rest of 2018. There DC's Aquaman and the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, the return of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider's Web, and latest Fantastic Beasts movie. The classic Halloween series returns just in time for, well, Halloween, and Stepbrothers stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly reunite for Holmes & Watson. There's the big awards-season movie such as Widows and If Beale Street Could Talk, plus a lot of seasonal fair, including a new version of The Grinch and the return of Mary Poppins. So here's what you can look forward to over the rest of the year...
Halloween
The Halloween series might be one of longest-running and most profitable horror franchises in movie history, but most fans would agree that every entry hasn't necessarily been a good one. The last time Michael Myers stalked the screen was in Rob Zombie's hugely divisive remakes a decade ago, but now, on the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's original movie, the killer also known as The Shape is back. Plot details for this latest Halloween are under wraps, but it's got an impressive pedigree. It's directed by acclaimed indie auteur David Gordon Green and produced by Blumhouse Films, which has scored major successes in recent years with the likes of Get Out, Paranormal Activity, and the Purge movies. Original star Jamie Lee Curtis returns, and if that wasn't enough, Carpenter himself is creatively involved and providing another iconic soundtrack. Could this be the Halloween reboot that finally gets it right? Release date: October 19
Hunter Killer
Gerard Butler might not quite be an A-list star, but he continues to get leading man work in a seemingly endless series of action movies. In the last 18 months, we've had the heist thriller Den of Thieves and disaster movie Geostorm, and now there's Hunter Killer. In this one, Butler plays a submarine commander who is sent into enemy waters to save the Russian president and avert World War 3. The supporting cast includes Gary Oldman and Common, and while it probably (ok, definitely) won't be subtle or clever, it should be fun. Release date: October 26
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Disney's series of live-action fairy tale adaptations has proved to be box office gold over the past few years, and this is the studio's latest offering. While the title might not be as recognisable as The Jungle Book or Beauty and the Beast, expect it to make serious money this fall. It's based on the classic 19th century fairytale and stars Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman, with Mackenzie Foy in the lead role as Clara, a young girl who is pulled into a mysterious, magical world on Christmas Eve. Release date: November 2
Bohemian Rhapsody
This biopic of Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been in development for many years, with various directors and stars attached to the project. Even when the cameras started rolling the problems didn't stop--director Bryan Singer was fired by the studio during production, to be replaced by British filmmaker Dexter Fletcher. But the movie is now finished and set for release in November. Mr. Robot star Remi Malek takes on the role of the iconic frontman, and it charts the rise of the band through the '70s to their world-conquering success in the '80s. It's produced by the band, and the trailer suggests that it might be more a celebration of the music than a look at the darker side of Mercury's life. But it looks like an absolute must-see for Queen fans. Release date: November 2
Suspiria
David Gordon Green's upcoming Halloween reboot/sequel isn't the only late-70s horror classic getting a remake from an acclaimed director in 2018. Dario Argento's supernatural masterpiece Suspiria has been updated by Luca Guadagnino, the Italian filmmaker behind last year's Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name. This is a tale of a ballet school run by ancient, evil witches, and it stars Dakota Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz as students who uncover the school's dark secrets. Argento's original movie is noted for its incredible visual style and thunderous soundtrack; Radiohead's Thom Yorke is providing the score for the remake, and hopefully Guadagnino will deliver something just as stylish. Release date: November 2
Overlord
There were rumours earlier this year that this JJ Abrams-produced World War II horror film would form the next part of the Cloverfield universe. After all, 10 Cloverfield Lane and this year's The Cloverfield Paradox started life as unconnected movies with different titles before being rewritten to form part of Abrams' loose sci-fi series, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had the same thing in mind for Overlord. Abrams has subsequently denied this is the case, and the first trailer revealed last week certainly seems to point to this being a standalone movie. Either way, it looks like a suitably scary movie in which a squad of US soldiers are forced to parachute into occupied France, where they encounter a group of Nazis performing some terrifying experiments. Release date: November 9
The Grinch
The classic Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Saved Christmas was adapted into a hit Jim Carrey movie 18 years ago, and a new animated version hits the screen in November. Doctor Strange and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch will provide the voice of the Holiday-hating title character, and the first trailer arrived last week. The movie was actually meant to be released last year, but the trailer is colourful and fun and the movie will hopefully be worth the wait. Release date: November 9
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Although David Fincher's 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo was a commercial disappointment, the lead character, Lisbeth Salander, is returning to the screen. The Girl in the Spider's Web is based on the first Salander novel written by another author (Larson died in 2004), and stars The Crown's Claire Foy as the iconic hacker, taking over from Rooney Mara. Despite the change of actress, the movie is set to be a similarly dark tale of crime and revenge. Salander is described as "the girl who hurts men who hurt women," and the recent first trailer gives us a brutal taste of what to expect when it arrives in November. Release date: November 9
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Harry Potter series might have finished in 2011, but the wider movie universe goes from strength to strength. The success of 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them led to the announcement of a further four movies, the first of which arrives in November. Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander, with Jude Law as the young Dumbledore, who enlists the help of Newt to help defeat the dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). David Yates directs once more, from a screenplay by Potter creator JK Rowling. Release date: November 16
Instant Family
Mark Wahlberg was last seen running, jumping, and shooting people in the action thriller Mile 22, but his next movie is a lot more light-hearted. It's a comedy in which he and Rose Byrne (Insidious, Bridesmaids) play a couple who decide to foster three siblings, with predictably chaotic results. The movie reunites Wahlberg with his Transformers: The Last Knight co-star Isabela Moner, who will next be seen playing Dora the Explorer. Release date: November 16
Widows
Ocean's Eight isn't the only high-profile heist movie coming our way in 2018. Widows is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and is written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. The movies focuses on four women whose husbands are killed in a failed heist, who then decide to finish the job themselves. It's based on a British TV show of the same name from the 1980s, and the star-studded cast includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, and Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya. Films like 12 Years and Shame proved that McQueen can deliver prestigious, acclaimed dramas, so hopes are high that he is equally adept at making edgy crime thrillers. Release date: November 18
Creed 2
While most thought that the legendary movie boxer Rocky Balboa had finally hung up his gloves, the 2015 spin-off Creed not only gave the character one of his finest movies, it paved the way for director Ryan Coogler to get the job of directing Marvel's wildly successful Black Panther. Coogler won't be back for the sequel, but star Michael B. Jordan is, once again playing the son of the original movies' Apollo Creed. Rocky creator and star Sylvester Stallone is back too, as both co-star and co-writer. Steven Caple Jr. directs this time, and it's rumoured that Creed 2 will bring back another iconic character from the original series--Rocky IV's Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
Release date: November 21
Robin Hood
Ridley Scott's 2010 version of the the Robin Hood myth wasn't a critical or commercial success, but that hasn't stopped yet another version of the story heading to screens in 2018. This time we have a younger Robin, with Kingsman star Taron Egerton in the lead role. The cast also includes Jamie Foxx as Little John and Rogue One's Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and it's directed by TV director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror). The first trailer is suitably action-packed, but we'll find out in November if this Hood is any good. Release date: November 21
Ralph Breaks the Internet
The 2012 animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph was a critical and commercial hit, and the sequel arrives in November. It focuses on the arcade game villain-turned-hero of the title, who this time enters the internet after the arcade his game lives in goes online. John C. Reilly is the voice of Ralph, with Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Taraji P. Henson, and James Corden also part of the voice cast. Release date: November 21
If Beale Street Could Talk
It was always going to be hard for director Barry Jenkins to follow his acclaimed, Oscar-winning drama Moonlight, but If Beale Street Could Talk looks like he might have made something just as good. Based on the classic novel by James Baldwin, the film is set in Harlem of the early '70s, and focuses on a pregnant woman who must race against time to free her wrongly-imprisoned boyfriend from jail. The fantastic first trailer was recently released, and the movie looks every bit as powerful and stylish as Moonlight. Expect lots of awards buzz for this one. Release date: November 30
Mortal Engines
While Peter Jackson's first post-Hobbit directorial effort is yet to be revealed, he is heavily involved with this upcoming sci-fi adventure. Jackson produces and co-writes alongside his regular collaborator Fran Walsh, while Christian Rivers--who has worked with Jackson since his early horror days--makes his directorial debut. Mortal Engines is an adaptation of the first of four YA novels written by Philip Reeve and is set in a post apocalyptic steampunk world where motorised cities-on-wheels are at war with one another. As you'd expect from Jackson, it all looks truly spectacular, and if the storytelling matches the level of visual invention, it should make a lavish treat this Christmas. Release date: December 14
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily one of our most anticipated films of the year. Produced by Lord and Miller of The Lego Movie fame, and starring Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Spider-Verse will take us into the, well, spider-verse. That means Spider-folks from various parallel universes will make appearances, from Spider-Man Noir (played by Nicholas Cage) to Spider-Ham, a cartoon pig in a Spider-Man outfit, voiced by comedian John Mulaney. It's not just the humorous cameos we're looking forward to, though, as Into the Spider-Verse overall looks like one of the coolest Spider-Man movies ever made. Release date: December 14
Mary Poppins Returns
In what must be one of the longest gaps between an original movie and its sequel, the follow-up to the 1964 family classic Mary Poppins arrives just in time for Christmas. Set in 1935, 25 years after the first movie, it sees the much-loved magical nanny return to London for another adventure. Emily Blunt takes over from Julie Andrews in the title role, while the cast also includes Colin Firth, Emily Mortimer, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep. There's also a role for Dick Van Dyke, who co-starred with Andrews in the original. It might have been 54 since the original movie, but the perennial popularity of that Disney classic ensures that the sequel is a guaranteed hit. Release date: December 19
Aquaman
The DC universe has had a bumpy ride so far, with only Wonder Woman connecting with both audiences and critics. But there's every reason to be hopeful that Aquaman could do the same. Director James Wan is a skilled genre operator, whether delivering crowd-pleasing horror (Saw, The Conjuring) or blockbuster action (Furious 7), and there's a killer cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Defoe, Nicole Kidman, and '80s action icon Dolph Lungren, plus Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera. Wan recently debunked the rumour that the film would be overstuffed with multiple villains, and promises an "emotional and powerful" origin movie. Release date: December 21
Bumblebee
The future of the Transformers franchise might be uncertain, but we're definitely getting at least one more movie. The spin-off Bumblebee arrives in December and will focus on the earlier adventures of the much-loved yellow VW Autobot. It's set in California in the 1980s and stars Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as a young woman who finds Bumblebee in a trash heap. WWE star John Cena also features in the cast, and the recent trailer suggests that this is going to be a more family-orientated movie than the main Transformers series. It's directed by Travis Knight, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated animated movie Kubo And The Two Strings. Release date: December 21
Holmes & Watson
The stories of Sherlock Holmes have been adapted for the screen many, many times over the decades, but we can guarantee that no previous version will be as funny as Holmes & Watson. This comedic take on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stars Will Ferrell as Holmes and John C. Reilly as Dr Watson, with Ralph Fiennes as the evil Moriarty. Ferrell has been been attached to the project for a decade--and it was actually filmed nearly two years ago--but it finally reaches the screen in December. Step Brothers stars Ferrell and Reilly are a great double-act and the recent trailer suggests a wild and silly period romp. Release date: December 21
By Meg Downey on Oct 12, 2018 01:42 am
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spoilers ahead! (Duh!)
During New York Comic-Con, Sony held a Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse panel that delivered a huge surprise: the first 35 minutes of the movie were shown to panel-goers. This wasn't a final cut though, as some sections of the footage were unfinished, and more than likely, there will still be some edits before the movie hits theaters. However, because a giant chunk of the movie was screened, that means there were plenty of spoilers for Spider-Verse, well before its December release. That's right: This post is full of spoilers for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in case you couldn't tell from the headline. Please proceed at your own risk, and feel free to go away if you want to see the movie totally fresh come its December release. Now, with a handful of full trailers out in the wild, we've already got a pretty good idea of exactly what Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is going to be about. It's the first big screen animated Spider-Man movie focused on not Peter Parker, but Miles Morales, a fan-favorite character introduced in Marvel's Ultimate line back in 2011. But don't panic, Pete fans--classic Spider-Man is still in the movie, but care of an interdimensional rift in the multiverse (the "Spider-Verse") that drops an alternate reality Peter Parker into Miles's world. This Peter just so happens to be a 40-year-old in the middle of a disastrous mid-life crisis, but, hey, he's still Spider-Man. Kind of. Burnt out Pete isn't the only Spider-Man in the mix, either. The Spider-Verse encompasses every alternate reality incarnation of the hero, including cartoon animals and noir detectives, and they've all been thrown into the mix, with Miles caught right in the middle. For a spoiler free discussion of the footage, check out our video on everything we learned about Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse at NYCC. When you're done, check out all the craziest Funko Pops we found at the con, what we learned about the new Hellboy reboot, and our breakdown of the new Star Trek Discover Season 2 trailer. New York Comic Con 2018 Coverage
1. Opening Credits
Into The Spider-Verse has a couple of fun easter eggs right off the bat, before the actual movie even begins to roll. Things kick off with the requisite studio logos and title cards--but there's one that stands out. An "Approved By The Comics Code Authority" stamp materializes on screen moments before the movie actually starts, which is a major nod not just to Spider-Man's source medium, but to comics history. In the 1950s, the Comics Code Authority was enacted as a sort of self-policing content rating for comics during the height of moral panic. During this time, every comic book sold had an official stamp on the cover--kind of like an MPAA rating--to let readers know it followed the code's rules. The code evolved over time and gradually became less and less puritalical, but stamps continued to appear on certain comics until as recently as 2011.
2. Miles' Home Life
The bulk of the first 35 minutes focuses on Miles' life as a normal, decidedly non-superpowered kid in Brooklyn. We spend a considerable amount of time with Miles and his dad, Officer Jefferson David, and his mom Rio. There's a lot of work put into building the tension between Miles and his dad, specifically, while Jefferson puts (extremely well intentioned) pressure on his son to stay on the straight and narrow. Miles goes to the prestigious Visions Academy, a boarding school near his home that comics fans will recognize. His father is a major proponent of Miles succeeding in all things, even at the cost of his free time or at the expense of Miles' burgeoning graffiti art hobby while Rio is more relaxed. Also, those scenes from the trailer of Jefferson making Miles say he loves him from the cop car? Expect that joke within the first ten minutes.
3. Uncle Aaron
A face we haven't seen in the trailers shows up relatively early on. Miles' uncle Aaron Davis is one of his secret mentors. The exact opposite of his brother Jefferson, Aaron is a slacker who possibly skews toward the criminal. Miles' father deeply disapproves of Miles and Aaron spending any time together, so Miles has to sneak out to meet him. It's not clear whether Aaron's comic book history or connection to the supervillain identity Prowler are making the jump to the big screen here. In the first 35 minutes, the most criminal thing Aaron does is take Miles out tagging in an abandoned subway station.
4. Miles' Spider-Man
The Spider-Man of Miles' world is a 26-year-old blonde Peter Parker who seems to be the archetypal hero. The opening credits features the montage of Peter listing off his own origin story that we saw in a trailer, checking off his major successes--including a hilarious shout-out to Spider-Man 3's infamous dance scene. Perhaps more importantly, we also learn that the Peter of Miles' world is also a comic book character--as in Miles' world has taken the real life story of Spider-Man's adventures and turned them into stories to be sold as comics. However, even with the comics available (Miles is definitely a fan) Spider-Man's identity in Miles' world remains a secret.
5. The Spider Bite
We see exactly how, where, and why Miles is bitten by his very own radioactive spider during the scene when he's out tagging with Aaron. Deep in the abandoned subway station, a strange, possibly half cybernetic spider with the label "42" on its thorax sneaks through tunnels and eventually lands on Miles' hand, where it chomps down. The spider is heavily implied to have come from an alternate dimension--though Miles obviously doesn't know that and doesn't think much of the bite when he first gets it.
6. Gwen Stacy
We don't get much Gwen in the first 35 minutes--and we don't see Spider-Gwen at all--but we do learn that she's a very recent transfer student to Visions and, potentially, there's more to that story than she's letting on. She doesn't want to give her name as "Gwen" when Miles asks for it, and awkwardly hesitates to call herself "Gwenda" instead.
7. Kingpin
The reason the maybe-alternate-dimension spider was in the subway network to begin with was revealed shortly after Miles was bitten. Kingpin had taken up in one of the larger chambers in the network and had built himself a giant machine that, presumably, was trying to tear through reality itself. This is definitely not the Kingpin fans will be familiar with from the Netflix universe shows. Hulking and highly stylized, this Kingpin speaks loudly with a thick New York accent and decidedly short temper. He's less intellectual art collecting crime lord and more brutish mafia don.
8. Green Goblin
Kingpin is aided by two villains in his interdimensional scheme--the first of which is Green Goblin, who is unlike any Green Goblin we've seen. More a dragon than a man, even more monstrous than the Ultimate incarnation of Norman Osborn from the comics. It's never made clear whether or not it's Norman Osborn or not. Worth noting--upon seeing this particular version of the character, Miles seems slightly confused, as if maybe this isn't the Green Goblin from his Earth at all.
9. Prowler
Kingpin's second henchman is none other than Prowler, who is wearing an almost Tron-like light up purple catsuit and full face mask. You can spot this character clearly during the post-credits scene of Venom where he's chasing Miles' down. This Prowler is never unmasked and never speaks, so it's obviously not clear just who it is but chances are--based on Miles' and his uncle's close relationship--it's not Aaron Davis like it is over in the Ultimate comics. However, that obviously doesn't rule out the possibility of a suprise Aaron reveal, or even an alternate reality Aaron trying to kill Miles for Fisk. Alternatively, this Prowler is actually just the original incarnation, Hobie Brown.
10. The Death of Spider-Man
Anyone who has watched the trailers knows that the Spider-Man of Miles' universe is dead--but the first 35 minutes of footage has us experience that death in real time. And guess what? It's extremely sad. While trying to stop the Kingpin and his henchmen from powering up their dimensional rifting machine, Peter has to protect Miles, who stumbled on the fight while trying to navigate his new Spider-senses. Pete is dragged through the dimensional vortex of the machine by Green Goblin and then crushed in a major explosion as the machine emits a massive energy pulse. As Miles watches, hiding and helpless, Kingpin corners Peter and unmasks him. They have a brief exchange that amounts to Pete trying to barter for his life by offering to tell Kingpin what he saw within the vortex as the Goblin pulled him through, but follows his offer up by saying he "knows what Fisk is trying to do" and that it "won't bring them back." The "them" in question is never elaborated on because Fisk, in a fit of rage, crushes Peter and kills him.
11. Mary Jane & The Funeral
Spider-Man's funeral is, unsurprisingly, an incredibly sad affair. In death, the world learns that he was actually 26-year-old Peter Parker, and his name and face is broadcast around the world in time for his funeral. At the wake, Mary Jane, who we learn was married to Pete in this reality, gives a heartfelt speech to mourners, over half of whom show up in Spider-Man masks. Miles is in attendance and decides from that moment that he must pick up where Pete left off.
12. Stan Lee's Cameo
We get to see an animated version of Stan Lee as a costume store sales clerk. Miles shows up to buy himself an off-the-rack Spider-Man costume. He asks if he can return it if it doesn't fit but Lee responds, "it always fits, eventually." The heartfelt moment is tempered by a sight gag of a sign that says "No Refunds. No Exchanges" hanging next to Lee's head on the till.
13. The Other Spider-Man
After the dimensional energy pulse ripples through the city, we see another Peter Parker getting sucked up into a vortex, sent through a wormhole, and deposited in Brooklyn. As the footage begins winding down, we get another Peter Parker origin montage, but this one is, well, a lot different. In voiceover this Pete explains who he is, how he saved the city, how he fell in love with MJ and was married, but then he keeps going, detailing injuries, growing tensions in his marriage, a divorce, getting out of shape, getting too hurt to keep fighting, falling into a pit of depression--you get the idea. This is the deadbeat, mid-life-crisis Peter Parker we've seen in the trailers who winds up mentoring Peter--a shabby brunette with salt-and-pepper around his hairline and a general distaste for superheroics. That's where the footage ended, and we'll have to wait until December 14 to find out the rest of what happens in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
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