The first Happy Death Day was a slasher-tinged riff on Groundhog Day, the 1993 classic in which Bill Murray lives the same day over and over until he learns to be less of a dick. Like that movie, Happy Death Day never explained what caused the time loop in which Tree (Jessica Rothe) woke up every morning hungover in a stranger's dorm room and was murdered every night by a killer in a baby mask. Was an omnipotent being trying to teach Tree a lesson? Did someone put a curse on her, like in the infamous second draft of Groundhog Day's script? The movie provided no answers and few concrete hints.
As in the movie to which Happy Death Day owes its existence, the cause of the anomaly was less important than the journey, and the lessons learned along the way. Happy Death Day 2U throws that out the window and explains everything.
Luckily, though, it doesn't feel like they scrambled to come up with some cockamamey explanation upon learning they'd get to do a sequel. Director Christopher B. Landon even told Insider back in 2017 that he already knew what was causing the time loop, long before a sequel was a sure thing. "It's in my back pocket...if I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to make a sequel, the answer to that question is the premise of my sequel," he said.
I won't spoil what it is, but it doesn't take long into HDD2U until we find out. And as Landon stated in the same interview, the time loop's cause is heavily hinted at in the original--although it's only obvious in retrospect.
So in return for taking out the mystery, what do we get in Happy Death Day 2U? The sequel is a much more potent blend of genres, mixing elements of slashers, comedy, and sci-fi, all with a tongue-in-cheek wit that tells the audience the movie knows exactly what it is. It expands on the cast of characters, introducing some new ones while adding new dimensions to the old ones--literally, the plot this time around involves parallel universes, as anyone who's seen the trailers can surmise.
The movie shifts gears several times, from the opening, in which Carter's (Israel Broussard) hapless roommate Ryan (Phi Vu) finds himself stuck in a death loop of his own, to the out of place narrative cul-de-sac of a comedic heist, to Tree's trip to an alternate universe in which several key parts of her life are different. HDD2U spends a lopsided amount of time on that, and Tree's conundrum ultimately makes up the majority of the film's runtime, which winds up being disappointing after the movie's efforts to flesh out its other characters early on.
Ryan--the douchebag roommate who started every morning of Tree's original loop by referring to her as "fine vagine"--turns out to be an intriguing protagonist in his own right, before the focus shifts entirely back to Tree. And the movie introduces several other students (Sarah Yarkin and Suraj Sharma), as well as the '80s movie-style villainous Dean Bronson (Steve Zissis), all of whom should have been fleshed out more.
Part of the reason they're not may be that Jessica Rothe is so magnetic as protagonist Tree. The ranges of frustration, determination, joy, despair, and fatigue that she displays throughout both movies are justification enough for the series to keep going past number two. The rest of the characters are destined to just be bit players with a protagonist this likable, so it's understandable why the sequel leans into that and keeps the focus mostly on her. The other standout this time around is Rachel Matthews' alpha boss sorority sister Danielle, who winds up playing a fairly different version of the character in Tree's alternate universe.
Ultimately, Happy Death Day 2U works despite the incongruity of its various parts. Jumping between horror, comedy, and sci-fi tones is a difficult balancing act, and HDD2U pulls it off, despite a few stumbles here and there. When it wants to be funny, it definitely is, while there are also legitimate scares that will have some viewers jumping out of their seats. And the sci-fi elements lead to an intriguing--while still hilarious--conclusion that I genuinely hope gets picked up in another Happy Death Day sequel.
The original Happy Death Day easily stands on its own as a complete, self-contained movie. Like Groundhog Day, it didn't need to be explained. But if you're going to expand on a movie like Happy Death Day, this is the way to do it.
The Good
The Bad
Jessica Rothe is an incredibly likable protagonist
Could have spent more time with side characters
Expands on the original without detracting from it
A couple of narrative cul-de-sacs, including an out of place heist section
The upcoming movie Alita: Battle Angel is full of gigantic CG action sequences mixed with live-action locations. Director Robert Rodriguez is bringing James Cameron's vision to life, and along the way, he accidentally made a cameo in the movie.
During the third act of the film, in the Motorball race, Rodriguez has a brief appearance, which he originally voiced until a voice actor came in. "Back then, the voice of the guy who gets kicked, he gets his head knocked off in the Motorball race, and he goes 'Aw, crap,'" Rodriguez explained to GameSpot. "That's still my voice from my original rough version. The crew left it in because they liked how it sounded. I said, 'Hey what's that actor we got?' They said, 'Nah we didn't like him for it. We liked you for it.'"
Cameos aside, Rodriguez accomplished readable, clear action sequences, throughout the film, which includes the Motorball sequence. "That was the most difficult sequence for me because the only way you read a script, an action script or any script, it's not the same writer as who directs it," Rodriguez explained. "So a lot of times, I'll read a script and go 'That's not gonna work,' but not with [James Cameron's] scripts. It's almost like he's seen the whole movie finished in his head, and he's writing down exactly what he's seen. It's so clear, that you can follow it like no other script I've ever read. And so I wanted it to be as clear as that. Where you can follow it, and that was my feeling like I've seen so many of these big movies you just get lost.
"People get lost, so it's great when you hear the audience cheering cause that means they're actually able to follow the action and the drama and Jim had just done such a great job of not making it the sport at all, making it a real character moment where she's actually being hunted down and possibly killed by these guys. Forget the ball game, he's trying to kill them. So you wanted to keep that drama, Jim did it in a very dramatic way, it had high stakes and all the adventures so you just didn't want to lose the audience."
From the major action sequences to the individual characters, Cameron's vision of this world was very specific, and Rodriguez was in awe of the work he put into this world before he came on. This is especially true for the Hunter Warrior Zapan, whose look is very different than how he appears in the manga. "I looked at a painting [Cameron] did," Rodriguez said. "I saw this shot. I think it must be Zapan, and I got a shot of his back, and it had that calendar on it, and it was metal, and I thought that just blew me away. It's like a Ferrari; he puts all of his money into his body and his face. It speaks volumes about his vanity. It's a cool design, and it's sort of a Latin design too which shows that it's a melting pot world world which for sure always had as the graphic novel could.
"You see cultures from all over come around, multiple languages being spoken, different signage. It's a microcosm of what's left of the world. But I just thought that was such a awesome place to start from, to just make him look like a shiny car, and there was a long aspect of design which was finishing it out, finishing the front of him, and how it tied together and yeah it's probably my favorite design but starting with Jim and then it finished… we did the rest of it."
You can see the visually stunning movie, Alita: Battle Angel, for yourself when it opens on Thursday, February 14.
The PlayStation Classic has already had some heavy price drops, but now it's gone lower than we've seen so far. The retailer Walmart has marked it down to $40, which is more than half off the original retail price of $100.
The listing on Walmart.com doesn't signal a limited-time offer, and the last time the mini-console dropped in price it remained roughly at that range for quite a while. Target still has it listed for $60 but may be willing to price match with proof of Walmart's price, while Amazon appears fresh out of new stock, but resellers have used ones for below the $40 price.
The PlayStation Classic was Sony's answer to Nintendo's successful mini-consoles, the NES and SNES Classic. A poor reception led by a spate of bad reviews resulted in quick price drops, though, first hitting $60 just after the holidays, then near $50, and now even lower than that.
"I'd like nothing more than to tell you that the PS Classic is a pleasant surprise, that it will match your excitement and then some," critic Peter Brown wrote in GameSpot's review. "This sadly isn't the case, and short of Sony refreshing it, or the hacking community breaking it open and reconfiguring it, the PS Classic may never be more than a puny PlayStation with good looks."
Red Dead Redemption 2's Online mode may still be in beta, but that hasn't stopped developer Rockstar from updating it with new features. On February 26, more new features will come to Red Dead Online on PS4 and Xbox One, including a new law and bounty system, changes to the mini-map and weapons, and more.
The law and bounty system works similarly to the campaign's equivalent. Essentially, committing serious crimes such as killing other players incur a high bounty and reduce your honor, while minor crimes will reduce your honor only. If your bounty reaches a certain threshold, you will be wanted dead and NPC bounty hunters will attempt to kill you.
Committing dishonorable deeds will also make you stand out to other players. In a set of sweeping changes to the mini-map, players who frequently grief other players--by killing them or their horses outside of a structured mode, free roam mission, event, or competition, for example--will be highlighted to other players by a progressively darkening dot. Blue dots indicate a more honorable player, while redder dots signify a player who has committed more crimes, especially in a short space of time.
Additionally, the visibility of all player dots is to be reduced over long distances. "Your map position won't display to other players unless you are nearby (within 150 meters) and if you are slightly further away you will only appear when firing your weapon," says Rockstar. "Players in other towns or regions, for example, won't be visible. This prevents players from being repeatedly targeted across the map at long distances." Rockstar goes on to say the changes are designed "to minimize certain types of destructive player behavior."
Daily Challenges are also coming in the update, affording players the opportunities to complete tasks--such as foraging for herbs, hunting and skinning animals, clearing hideouts, or winning Feuds--for the rewards of gold nuggets and XP. For more on the update, check out the full list of changes on Rockstar's blog.
Red Dead Online's beta didn't begin until November, though the base game launched in October to critical acclaim. "While Red Dead Redemption was mostly focused on John Marston's story, Red Dead 2 is about the entire Van der Linde gang--as a community, as an idea, and as the death rattle of the Wild West," wrote Kallie Plagge in our Red Dead Redemption 2 review. "It is about Arthur, too, but as the lens through which you view the gang, his very personal, very messy story supports a larger tale. Some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure end up serving that story well, though it does take patience to get through them and understand why. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done."
The Division 2 will have an open beta after all. Ubisoft confirmed the impending beta will run for PC, PS4, and Xbox One from March 1-4, giving you a chance to try it before the full game launch on March 15.
Word of a possible open beta began circulating recently, when the official account mentioned rewards for participation in either the private or open betas. This came just after a community developer mentioned an open beta during a livestream. Participating in the beta will grant you a DC Patriot weapon skin, and completing the Invaded mission will get you a Capitol Hill arm patch.
The private beta was reserved for pre-orders or those drawn randomly, and came with its share of technical hiccups. Ubisoft even recommended restarting every few hours to stave off one bug. It included two main missions, five side missions, open-world activities, a Dark Zone, and an endgame Invaded mission.
The first Division took place in New York City following a pandemic bio-engineered virus that made the social order break down. This sequel moves a few hundred miles south to Washington DC. For more on The Division 2, check out everything we know and our favorite new features. Microsoft recently announced two Division 2 Xbox One bundles. Those will come alongside the game on March 15.
Pokemon Go players have been able to take and share screenshots of Pokemon using the game's improved AR feature, but a dedicated photo mode is on the way soon. Developer Niantic has announced Go Snapshot, a new feature that will allow players to take photos of any Pokemon they have in storage.
The studio hasn't announced when Go Snapshot will launch, but it's slated to roll out "soon." Once it's live, you'll be able to access the feature either by looking at a specific Pokemon in your collection or by selecting the camera in your item bag. After that, you can select a Pokemon you want to photograph and place it anywhere by tapping on the screen.
Any photos you take using the Go Snapshot feature will automatically be saved to your device, allowing you to easily share them with friends and on social media. You can see samples of the kinds of screenshots you can take below; more details about the feature are available on the official Pokemon Go website.
In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic recently confirmed what event-exclusive move players will be able to learn during this month's Community Day. If you can evolve February's featured Pokemon, Swinub, into its final form Mamoswine up to an hour after the event ends, the Pokemon will know the Rock-type attack Ancient Power.
You can only obtain Mamoswine using a new evolutionary item called the Sinnoh Stone, but during this month's Community Day, you'll be able to earn up to 10 of them by battle Team Leaders and other players.
A special Meltan event is also underway in Pokemon Go. From now through March 4, you'll have a chance of encountering Shiny Meltan each time you open the Mystery Box, and the time you need to wait to reopen the item has been reduced by three days.
Destiny 2's weekly reset brings with it Crimson Days, Bungie's Valentine's Day-themed event, as well as a new Ascendant Challenge, which takes you into the strange recesses of the Dreaming City. This is the end of the six-week cycle of challenges, and this one, the Cimmerian Garrison, is one of the spookiest and most involved. Here's where to find the Taken portal and what to do once you're inside.
As always, the first step is to pick up the Ascendant Challenge from Petra--this is what nets you a piece of Powerful gear for completing it. Once that's done, make sure you have a Tincture of Queensfoil. With that in hand, you'll enter the Lost Sector in Rheasilvia, the Chamber of Starlight. You'll need to make your way through the entire thing, as the portal is located just behind the chest that unlocks after killing the boss. While optional, you might as well complete the Lost Sector to make things easier on yourself. With that out of the way, use the Tincture to gain the Ascendance buff, which allows you to see the Taken portal. The exact location can be seen in the video above and map below.
Jump through the portal to head to Cimmerian Garrison, located in the Ascendant Plane. Here, you'll be faced with what amounts to a gauntlet--you'll need to make your way through and kill an enemy at the end. Once you go inside, you'll be chased by three knights. As you progress, you'll have to deal with various enemies, including hobgoblins, shriekers, and thrall with yellow health bars. Take them out as you go, and you'll reach a point where you have to platform across some rocks (because it wouldn't be an Ascendant Challenge without some first-person platforming). Along the way, be mindful of the Taken corruption that will periodically explode with a blast of energy, which can send you falling you to your death if you aren't careful.
Once you're done platforming, you'll have to kill a knight to finish things out, but beware the shrieker that spawns nearby. With the knight dead, open the chest to complete the Ascendant Challenge. There may not be any special rewards inside there, but you'll get a piece of Powerful gear for turning in the associated bounty.
This week's reset marks the end of the Iron Banner as well as The Dawning, and you'll have to wait a bit if you're itching for something new to do. There's one last Forge activity to unlock in Destiny 2's latest expansion, The Black Armory, but it won't become available for to find and unlock until the weekly reset on January 8. In the meantime, though, there's the Izanami Forge, which is the toughest and most involved to unlock yet--check out our guide for help.
It's been nearly 30 years since The Little Mermaid swam into theaters on November 17, 1989, ushering in a new era for Walt Disney animated films. At the time of its production, Disney Studios' animation division was no longer the powerhouse it has once been. Mermaid, however, was just the film the company needed to turn its cartoon division around.
Now, three decades later, The Little Mermaid co-director Ron Clements and directing animator Mark Henn are celebrating the 4K Blu-ray and digital release of the film. To mark the occasion, they sat down with GameSpot to discuss the film's lasting impression on audiences and share a few stories from behind-the-scenes of the production. From creating the film under less-than-ideal circumstances to how legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber nearly composed the movie's music, the tales behind the making of The Little Mermaid are fascinating.
The Little Mermaid's 4K released is loaded with a treasure trove of new special features, including a sing-along cut of the film, giving you the perfect opportunity to scream the lyrics of "Under the Sea" at your television. The digital release is out now, with the 4K and standard Blu-ray arriving on February 26.
GameSpot: When you guys were making this movie, many thought the shine had come off of Disney animation in the '80s. What was it like creating in that environment?
Ron Clements: Well, I mean, first I'd say, of the generation, like say the new generation that started to coming to Disney in the '70s when they started the animation training program at CalArts, I would say a lot of the people felt that same way. That felt like after Walt [Disney] died that the films just maybe weren't quite what those earlier films were. And wanting to sort of see a kind of, everybody wanted to work on something like Snow White or Pinocchio or Bambi or the classic films.
So there was a hunger within that group to want to do something that you could really, really feel good about. A movie that sort of worked on many levels. And we built up to Mermaid with several films leading up to it. But in a certain way, Mermaid was a special film that really was all baby boomers really wanting to prove themselves and just wanting to make the best movie that they possibly could. So that created a very, I'd say, dynamic atmosphere. It wasn't necessarily just a totally happy atmosphere because I think everybody felt the stakes were high and still feeling that the whole part was kind of vulnerable, that if we didn't prove ourselves by a certain point that they might stop doing animation all together. That was always kind of a possibility.
GameSpot: Mark, what was the experience like for you as the directing animator?
Mark Henn: There was definitely a feeling of, it was our turn now and we wanted to make sure that this film was as good as it could possibly be. Thankfully, I would say, we were on an upturn. We maybe didn't recognize it at first but we were, things had arguably bottomed out with say Black Cauldron but we had the new regime change and there was an interest in animation. So Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company. And if you actually look, just from a box office point of view, you could start to see that upturn until you got to The Little Mermaid and then, of course, we didn't know it at the time, but as it turned out in the end, we really made a big jump from that point of view.
GameSpot: This is essentially the film that introduced a new generation of viewers to Disney movies. How exciting is it for you to look back 30 years later and realize it's a movie that still holds such a special place for people, and now future generations?
Clements: Yeah, it's really cool. I mean, for my generation, for the baby boomer generation, there's no real equivalent of that except I would say the Wizard of Oz in the sense that when I was a kid that was shown every year on TV and it seemed like every kid in America watched it. You couldn't put a video in and watch it over and over again.
But at least you could see it multiple times, and it became ingrained and a part of you. And that was kind of a touchstone for our whole generation. Mermaid was the first new film to actually go out on home video. So it really is unique in that respect from any film that came before it in the sense that kids could watch over and over and over again. They could just wear out the whole video.
So it's even hard for me to really know what that might be like cause I didn't really experience that. But certainly, it's thrilling. I mean, these films are so much work, so many people, they take so long to have them endure and have an afterlife. I mean, that's really, really I think, just the coolest thing. And makes all that work feel like it was totally worthwhile.
GameSpot: Can you speak a bit about collaborating with Howard Ashman on the film? When you look at a documentary like Waking Sleeping Beauty, it becomes clear how big a piece of that creative puzzle he was.
Clements: Oh yeah. Howard brought so much. And with his musical theater background, he was a Disney fan as well, and there was serendipity in terms of how everything worked out at that time. I mean, there's actually a possibility, the first person that was approached to do the music for Little Mermaid was Andrew Lloyd Webber, who turned it down at the time. [Co-director] John Musker and myself, we were big fans Little Shop of Horrors, we loved that, but it wasn't our decision. We heard, we had just written a treatment, and certainly we had our treatment, and then we heard from [then Walt Disney Feature Animation president] Peter Schneider that Howard was gonna be involved with the movie 'cause [The Walt Disney Studios chairman] Jeffrey [Katzenberg] had approached Howard and really wanted Howard to just work for Disney. I mean, to do a live-action film or do whatever. And Howard saw a list of films that were in development in both live action and animation and he said, "Regardless of anything else, I would love to write the songs for Little Mermaid." And then, this was around when John Musker and I were just finishing Great Mouse Detective and we were going to New York to do a little promotion and they sort of worked out the time to meet Howard for the first time at [the] Helmsley Palace [Hotel].
And we spent two days with Howard going over the treatment, talking about the songs, and how the songs would fit into the movie, and a lot of what came out of those two days is the movie. We were saying earlier, before that, music has always been a part of, a big part of Disney films. Of course Fantasia, maybe before that, Silly Symphonies, there's something about music and animation, they're just meant to be together. They really fit. And all the Disney films, pretty much I think, had songs in them.
But Mermaid was different in the sense it was much more like a theatrical musical and the songs were integral to the plot and the storytelling and they advanced things and moved things forward. They carried a lot of weight [and it's] very difficult to take any out. There was some pressure to take certain ones out and certain times, but fortunately, it was constructed in such a way that was really hard to do. But yeah, it sort of transformed I think, a little bit, at least what a musical animated film could be. And since then, it's certainly had a huge influence on all the other films.
Henn: Yeah, it kind of set a new model for us. But I was just thinking as I was listening to you how, in a lot of ways, Howard was fairly new. I mean, he had a big hit with Little Shop, but he was, compared to an Andrew Lloyd Webber, who I think was the king at the time [of] theatrical musicals, so it seemed like that woulda been a no-brainer if you were looking to approach somebody. But Howard kind of grew up with us, in a sense, on this film. But yeah, he really brought this whole idea of storytelling through song, not just stopping the story, having a nice song and then picking up where you left off. I mean, he really felt strongly about the songs telling you something and moving the story along. So where you started at the beginning and where you ended, you were further along.
Clements: And one cool thing that I think people may not think about but, when I was a kid musicals were popular. There were a lot of popular musical films, not just Mary Poppins and West Side Story. But films like The Music Man and The Wizard of Oz and Sound of Music, really popular musical films. At the time of Mermaid, and I was just coming off the '80s, things had changed a lot and even Howard's world of musical theater, I think things were a little bit in a slight decline. And somehow there was a whole generation that had a tendency to reject musicals as a way of storytelling because of that sort of uncomfortable feeling, two people are talking to each other and then they sort of burst into song. And it was like, it became, "I don't buy that!" But animation seemed like a place where you could do it. And Howard felt that way too that, that was a place to bring that kind of storytelling. And in a way now, musicals are popular again and embraced again, and in a certain way, I feel like you could attribute that, even though Howard was kind of unhappy at the time and almost felt like the musical theater was in the decline, but he was actually responsible for a lot of things coming back.
And I know Lin Manuel Miranda is a huge fan of Little Mermaid and of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and that really influenced him in his whole life. And so there's something very kinda cool about that.
The Little Mermaid is available on 4K Ultra HD Digital now. It will be released on 4K and standard Blu-ray on February 26.
Apex Legends has already hit a whopping 25 million players after just one week. Respawn is keeping that engine moving with an event that will bring together 48 notable streamers as they throw down on the new battle royale game, and you can watch it all unfold right here. The Apex Legends Challenge pits 48 streamers against each other. It will take place on February 12 and February 19.
Only a week after launch, Apex Legends is already a popular game on Twitch. According to Twitch's public viewing data, it has 427,000 viewers as of the time of writing. That's roughly equal to the next four highest-watched categories combined. Those are League of Legends, Just Chatting, Dota 2, and Fortnite, respectively.
Apex Legends is the latest entry in the battle royale genre, though it also mixes up the formula with distinct hero characters who all have their own sets of skills, a la Overwatch. It's a free-to-play game with cosmetic purchases and two additional hero characters not included as the free set. It's also set in Respawn's Titanfall universe, and the studio has said that more Titanfall is on the way.
"Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses," critic Phil Hornshaw said in GameSpot's review. "Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."
Fortnite's upcoming 7.40 update, as with most Fortnite patches, is sure to change the game's meta with its introduction of new items and weapons. However, developer Epic Games has warned players the game's servers will be brought offline for an as yet unconfirmed duration while the company implements the changes.
Epic confirmed on Twitter that server downtime will begin on February 13 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM GMT / 8 PM AET. We already know some of what's included in the update: a new gun called the Infantry Rifle is on its way "soon" and will almost certainly arrive with version 7.40. In addition, Epic is increasing the reload time for Rocket Launchers and reducing the amount of structure damage Hand Cannons deal, while the Stormwing vehicle will no longer be able to crash through structures. The full list of changes will be available after the update drops.
On top of that, a new set of Overtime challenges will be available following the 7.40 update. Epic hasn't shared any details yet on what these missions will entail, but they're part of the recently announced Share the Love event, and they'll give players an opportunity to earn five new Valentine's Day-themed rewards. Battle Pass holders will also be able to unlock new styles of the Trog, Powder, and Onesie skins.
While Epic hasn't announced when Season 8 of Fortnite will begin, the developer has confirmed that Season 7 ends on February 28, so players only have a little more time to complete any remaining challenges. We've put together tips and guides for the trickier ones in our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup. The developer will also hold two double XP weekends before the season ends to give players another opportunity to level their Battle Pass up; the first is set for February 15-17, while the second takes place February 22-24.
Crackdown 3's release date is nearly here, but an already troubled development doesn't appear to be getting any easier for Microsoft. The publisher has confirmed to GameSpot that playing Crackdown 3 multiplayer with friends will not be possible when the game launches on February 15.
"Players will soon be able to take full advantage of the Xbox platform's Party features so they can experience the fully destructible environments in Crackdown 3 Wrecking Zone with friends," a Microsoft spokesperson stated. "We are always looking for ways to improve our fans' experience, and party functionality will be enabled with an upcoming title update along with our soon to be announced post-launch content."
Wrecking Zone is the name of Crackdown 3's multiplayer segment, which was recently available in beta for Xbox Insiders--this is when the inability to invite friends was discovered. Otherwise, we were impressed by Crackdown 3's multiplayer.
If you're a subscriber to Game Pass, you'll have access to Crackdown 3 on its release day, February 15--along with a raft of other games this month. For more, check out the full Xbox One Game Pass lineup for February.
Nintendo has confirmed it will host its first Nintendo Direct of 2019 on February 13. It is scheduled to take place at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM GMT / 9 AM on February 14, AEST. It is set to last "roughly 35 minutes" and will deliver "information on upcoming Nintendo Switch titles, including new details on Fire Emblem: Three Houses."
As per usual, the Direct will be available to watch on Nintendo's on website, as well as through its YouTube channel. We'll also be hosting it here on GameSpot and providing you with the news as it breaks. Fire Emblem: Three Houses was first announced at E3 2018 with a spring 2019 release window. However, Nintendo hasn't discussed the title since then, so this will be the first time we're given detailed information about the title since its reveal.
Beyond Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Nintendo is also developing Yoshi's Crafted World, Luigi's Mansion 3, a new core Pokemon title, and another entry in the Animal Crossing series for Nintendo Switch. It has not officially confirmed that these titles will be discussed during the Direct, however.
It could be that Nintendo also announces new projects during the Direct. Metroid fans in particular have been hopeful that the Wii's Metroid Prime Trilogy is re-released for Switch. Especially after the recent news that Metroid Prime 4 development has been restarted, and we're unlikely to hear more about the sequel for quite some time.
It may also be possible that Nintendo shows off more the next DLC fighter for Smash Bros. Ultimate, who was revealed to be Persona 5's Joker during The Game Awards in December of 2018. Pokemon developer Game Freak is also working on an RPG called "Town," of which we've seen very little of too. Either way, we'll find out what Nintendo has in store for us soon.
Despite being fired from the production of the hit Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, in September last year director Bryan Singer was announced as director of fantasy movie Red Sonja. However, following various allegations of sexual assault against Singer, it has been reported that the project has been delayed by producers Millennium Films.
According to Variety, the movie was set to start shooting in Bulgaria this year. However, a spokeswoman for Millennium confirmed that the movie is no longer on the studio's slate and plans for its production have been postponed. In addition, distribution rights are no longer for sale at the European Film Market, which is currently taking place in Berlin.
Last month, The Atlantic published a story in which Singer was accused of sexual assault on the set of his 1998 movie Apt Pupil and of sleeping with under-age boys. Singer has denied all charges against him. In addition, Singer was fired by Fox from Bohemian Rhapsody in December 2017 after repeated absences from the set. Singer is also known as the director of several X-Men movies, including the original 2000 film and 2017's X-Men: Apocalypse.
This news of Red Sonja's delay comes two weeks after Millennium boss Avi Lerner defended Singer and insisted that he was still in place as Red Sonja's director. "The over $800 million Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed, making it the highest grossing drama in film history, is testament to his remarkable vision and acumen," said Lerner at the time. "I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision. In America people are innocent until proven otherwise."
The character of Red Sonja first appeared in a 1973 issue of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian comic, and subsequently appeared in her own title. A previous movie was made in 1986, with Brigitte Nielsen in the lead role and co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but this was a commercial and critical failure. A new movie version has been in development for many years--at one stage Alita: Battle Angel director Robert Rodriguez was slated to direct.
2018's Aquaman brought in more than $1.1 billion at the box office, making it one of the most commercially successful movies of the year. Success at that level pretty much guaranteed a sequel would happen, and now Warner Bros. is reportedly starting to lay the groundwork for it.
According to The Wrap, Warner Bros. has hired the first movie's co-writer, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, to come back to write the script for the sequel. However, it's unclear if James Wan, who directed the first Aquaman, will return for the follow-up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wan is in the midst of making a deal with Warner Bros. to produce the sequel, however.
With more than $1.1 billion globally at the box office, Aquaman is DC's biggest hit since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. It was reported that Warner Bros. would make Aquaman 2 before the first movie even hit theatres, so it is no surprise at all that the film is advancing through the early stages of development.
In December, THR said Aquaman actress Amber Heard was paid at least $1 million to appear as Mera in the film. For the sequel, Heard will earn more, according to the report. Aquaman actor Jason Momoa will presumably get a bigger payday for the rumoured sequel as well.
In addition to Aquaman 2, Warner Bros. THR says Warner Bros. is developing a Aquaman spinoff called The Trench that is a horror movie. The film will reportedly have a smaller budget than Aquaman and other tentpole DC films, and it won't feature the stars of the mainline Aquaman.
The Division 2 will have an open beta, apparently. The Division's official Twitter account made a casual reference to an "Open Beta" when talking to a fan about rewards. [Update: Sure enough, Ubisoft has officially confirmed that a Division 2 open beta is on the way. It will take place in early March.]
Players can earn the Capitol Hill Arm Patch for completing the Invaded mission in the previous, pre-order exclusive Private beta, or the upcoming and unannounced Open Beta, the tweet said. Players who simply participate in either beta will earn the DC Patriot Weapon Skin.
There are 2 rewards available for playing the Beta: Earn the Capitol Hill Arm Patch by completing the Invaded Mission in the Private or Open Beta Earn the DC Patriot Weapon Skin by participating in any of the The Division 2 Betas
Headlines about an open beta for The Division 2 made the rounds today after a community developer mentioned an "open beta" during a livestream.
As mentioned, you had to pre-order The Division 2 to get access to the Private beta that ran earlier this month. The open beta will presumably be ... open for everyone to play. It's not clear at this stage if the content will differ from the Private beta to the Open beta, but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
The Division 2 launches on March 15 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out all of GameSpot's written and video content for the game here.
Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda will appear in an upcoming episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. According to Entertainment Weekly, Miranda will play Amy Santiago's brother, David Santiago, in the March 7 episode "The Golden Child." The episode will reportedly focus on their sibling rivalry.
Miranda most recently starred in Disney's new Mary Poppins movie opposite Emily Blunt. He is perhaps known for creating hit Broadway shows Hamilton and In The Heights. He also co-wrote songs for the Moana soundtrack, which earned him an Academy award nomination.
Miranda has also appeared in TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Inside Amy Schumer, and BoJack Horseman, among many others.
Brie Larson put in some serious training to prepare for her new superhero movie Captain Marvel. Larson tweeted a video today of what she called a "training highlight" that was pushing a 5,000-pound Jeep that had a full tank of gas. She pushed it for a full minute, and don't worry, someone was behind the wheel to make sure things didn't go wrong.
You can watch the video below, which chronicles the final twenty seconds of the mighty push.
A training highlight - pushing Jason Walsh's almost 5000lbs Jeep(with a full tank of gas and Alyssa behind the wheel for safety!)for 60 seconds. In Captain Marvel @nike Metcons! It's a strong vibe but I like it. pic.twitter.com/f98n6so8TU
The 29-year-old Oscar winner did a lot more than just push heavy cars to prepare for her starring title role in Captain Marvel. She told E! News that a major part of the Captain Marvel character is her strength, so she wanted to make sure her body was in shape.
To that end, Larson said she spent three months training 4.5 hours every day. "If I was seeing this movie, I think it would mean so much more to me knowing there was that type of dedication put into it and that it's not, 'Girls are strong with CGI,'" Larson said. "It's, 'Girls are strong [period]!'"
By the end of her training, Larson said she could deadlift 215 pounds and perform 400-pound hip thrusts.
Captain Marvel hits theatres on March 8, and it'll be followed by Avengers: Endgame in April. Larson is set to reprise her role as Captain Marvel in that film. You can watch the latest TV trailer for Captain Marvel in the video embed above.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios boss Shawn Layden has laid down a ambitious prediction for where he thinks the video game industry could be headed. Speaking to Game Informer, Layden said he foresees some kind of "post-console" world where PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo are more unified than ever. While Layden maintains that PlayStation is the "best gaming experience," he said Xbox One and Nintendo Switch offer "great experiences" as well, and PlayStation should do more to recognize that.
"I don't want to put too fine a point on this because it might upset some of the people I work with, but I think effectively, we're looking at kind of a post-console world where you can have quality gaming experiences across a variety of technologies," he said. "Sure, PS4 and PS4 Pro provide what, of course, we think is the best gaming experience, but the other consoles out there, be it Switch, Xbox One X, or tablets, or phones--there are great experiences across all these. What we need to do is recognize all that."
He added: "We're not little gaming ghettos that are not federated or aligned at all. We're all part of the same gaming community, we just come at it through different doorways. I think the future will be an extension of that metaphor. Your platform is not your hideaway. It's just your doorway to all these other gamer folk."
That's an intriguing and surprising quote to hear from a PlayStation higher-up given that what Layden is suggesting is just about the opposite of what Sony's approach has been in recent years. Controversially, the company initially said it wouldn't allow cross-play between PS4 and other consoles because PlayStation is the best place to play. The company has since relented, and games like Fortnite and Rocket League support cross-play between PS4 and competing consoles.
"I think you're going to see platforms get more homogenised," Hines said. "Because truthfully, there's really not a reason for [competing consoles] to be different. You don't buy a DVD and then worry about which DVD player you have. You just buy a DVD and anything that plays DVDs works. And I think games are going to start to move closer and closer to that."
Also in the interview, Layden talked about how the transition between console generations can be problematic and difficult.
"One of the terrible circumstances of our gaming industry is that every time we launch a new console technology, we sort of put the last generation to bed," he said. "That doesn't occur in movies. That doesn't occur in music, but it occurs all the time in games."
Sony's game-streaming service, PlayStation Now, allows PS4 users to play PS3 games, but this is not the kind of true backwards compatibility that Xbox One offers. On PS4, you have to pay to play games through PlayStation Now, while Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature recognizes the games you owned on Xbox 360 and lets you play them on Xbox One.
Layden also spoke about why Sony is not attending E3 this year. Expanding on what he told GameSpot sister site CNET, Layden said Sony just doesn't have much to talk about.
"This year, coming to 2019, I'll be honest--we just didn't have a new story to tell. And when Sony rings the bell for everyone to come 'round, they have an expectation for something that is completely new and amazing. We looked at the lineup and we can probably only give fans a lot of updates on things they already know, so how does this work for us?"
He added that Sony right now is releasing fewer games than it ever has in its history. "We're doing fewer games at any given time than any time before in our history. Back in the day, when we were doing 15-20 games at a time; there was always a new game. Something was in a window that we could have that conversation about. But 2019, for us, that confluence just didn't occur."
Game Informer's full interview with Layden is fascinating and in-depth--you can read it here.
We may be hearing more from Layden on the subject of a "post-console" world very soon. Layden will give the keynote address at the DICE Summit this week in Las Vegas. His speech is titled "Beyond Generations," so you can expect he'll give some predictions about the future of gaming.
Sony has announced a management re-shuffling for its PlayStation business. The massive company announced today that Jim Ryan, the longtime PlayStation executive who most recently served as Deputy President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, will become SIE's president and CEO. The move is effective April 1, 2019--this is not a joke.
John Kodera, the current president and CEO of SIE, will become Deputy President. In that position he will "dedicate his focus on creating innovative user experiences and further enhancing the network area," Sony said in a statement.
Ryan, who has worked at Sony for a quarter of a century, will report directly to Sony's overall president and CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida. PlayStation is big business for Sony. Yoshida said in a statement that Sony's video game division, which is called Game & Network Services, is now Sony's overall largest business when it comes to sales and operating income. He also said gaming is a "growth driver" for Sony going forward.
"This industry is relentlessly fast-moving, and to remain the market leader, we must constantly evolve ourselves with a sense of urgency," Yoshida said. "Based on extensive discussions with John, I have decided to change the management structure of SIE to ensure sustainable evolution of the PlayStation platform and further growth of the network area."
Yoshida said Kodera, the outgoing SIE CEO, will work towards further expanding PlayStation Network. It is already a massive service; it counts more than 90 million monthly active users globally, Sony said.
As for Ryan, he said it is a "huge honor" to become the president and CEO of SIE. "I've seen the PlayStation business grow and change massively since the very early days, and I hope to be able to put that experience to good use in reinforcing the foundations of the Game & Network Service business, and in evolving the entertainment that PlayStation offers to its engaged and passionate community," he said.
Ryan originally joined Sony in 1994, holding various positions as he climbed the corporate ladder. In 2011, Sony appointed him as the president of SIEE, a position that saw him leading PlayStation's business endeavours across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Prior to his appointment to SIE Deputy President in January 2018, Ryan was SIE's head of global sales and marketing.
Ryan is known for his candid and sometimes controversial comments in interviews. In 2017, Ryan explained why Sony didn't at the time allow cross-play by saying doing so could potentially expose children to "external influences" that it could not directly control. Xbox leader Phil Spencer responded by calling out Ryan's comments as being unhealthy for the video game industry overall.
In other Sony news, the company is skipping E3 this year--and here's why.
Pokemon Go's next Community Day is quickly approaching. The event is scheduled to take place around the world this Saturday, February 16, and developer Niantic has now shared a few more details about it, including what special event-exclusive move players will be able to learn this time.
As previously revealed, the featured Pokemon for this month's Community Day will be Swinub, a Ground/Ice-type originally from Gold and Silver. If you manage to evolve it into its final form, Mamoswine, up to an hour after the event ends, the Pokemon will know the Rock-type attack Ancient Power. You don't need to catch a Swinub during the Community Day in order for it to learn Ancient Power, but it does need to evolve by the end of the event.
While Swinub and its first evolution, Piloswine, were introduced in the series' second-generation games, Mamoswine wasn't added until the Gen 4 installments Diamond and Pearl. In those titles, Piloswine would only evolve into Mamoswine after learning Ancient Power; in Go, however, the Pokemon evolves with a new evolutionary item called the Sinnoh Stone, which can be earned through Trainer Battles.
To make it easier to get a Mamoswine, Niantic is giving players a chance to earn up to five Sinnoh Stones by battling other trainers during the Community Day, as well as an additional five by battling the Team Leaders. As an added bonus, you'll also get triple the normal amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon during the event.
In addition to the upcoming Community Day, a special Meltan event is currently underway in Pokemon Go. Through March 4, players will have a chance of encountering Shiny Meltan each time they open the Mystery Box in Go. Moreover, the time you need to wait to open the Mystery Box has been reduced by three days, allowing you to find Meltan much more quickly than before.
Total War: Three Kingdoms, the latest entry in the strategy series, is not going to make it out on time. Developer Creative Assembly announced today that the title will now arrive on May 23, which is around three months later than its previously scheduled March 7 release date.
Creative Assembly brand director Rob Bartholomew said in a statement that the team needed "a little more time" to ensure that the "revolutionary" features and systems in the game are ready. Creative Assembly will also spend the extra time working on fixing bugs, adding polish, and ensuring the localization is done right.
"We all know those little details make a big difference," Bartholomew said. "We're lucky to be in a position to do the right thing for our games, and in this case it means taking the time to get everything ready for you. It's more important to give you a game that you can enjoy to the fullest, rather than stick to a release date just because. We know not everyone's going to be happy about this, but ultimately, we believe this the best thing for the game and our players."
The delay does not affect pre-orders, Creative Assembly said. However, if you do run into an issues with your pre-order, Creative Assembly said you should reach out to the retailer where you pre-ordered or to publisher Sega's support staff.
While Three Kingdoms won't be out on time, fans don't have to wait much longer to see more of the game in action. The next live gameplay stream will take place on Wednesday, February 13, with another one coming a week later. More details are available on the Total War website.
Treyarch is continuing to steadily roll out new updates and content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The developer has given fans a glimpse at what lays ahead for the popular shooter this week, including a double XP weekend event across all three game modes, new multiplayer and Blackout playlists for the PS4 version, and more.
Beginning February 14, Treyarch is kicking off a Valentine's Quad Feed weekend. Throughout the weekend, players will earn double XP and weapon XP in multiplayer mode, double XP and Nebulium Plasma in Zombies, and twice as many Merits in the Blackout battle royale mode. The event is scheduled to end at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on Tuesday, February 19.
Before that, Treyarch will kick off two special modes on PS4 on February 12. First is the Arms Race Team Deathmatch playlist for multiplayer, which will reward players with 150 points, rather than the usual 100, for every enemy killed. Blackout, meanwhile, will get another iteration of Close Quarters Frenzy. The collapse occurs even more quickly in this mode, and the only weapons you'll find are SMGs, shotguns, pistols, and Bowie Knives.
Speaking of Blackout, it appears Treyarch has something big planned for the mode. On Twitter, the official Call of Duty account shared a brief, cryptic video featuring a blueprint of Blackout's map (below). The blueprint is then marked up with numerous red Xs, capped off with a large one in the lower right corner of the map. Treyarch hasn't shared any further information about what this means, but it appears to suggest that some big tweaks will be made to the map in the near future.
Finally, Treyarch is teasing that it will preview "new content coming to all modes in our next Operation" this week. The studio didn't provide any more details beyond that, but we'll likely learn more when it shares the full patch notes for this week's update on February 12.
Apex Legends, the free-to-play battle royale game from Titanfall developer Respawn, continues to soar. More than 25 million players have now tried Apex Legends, Respawn's Vince Zampella announced in a blog post. Additionally, the game reached "well over" 2 million peak concurrent players over the weekend, he said.
"What a week! Since we launched Apex Legends last week on Monday we've seen the creation of an Apex Legends community that is excited, thriving, and full of great feedback and ideas," Zampella said. "Our goal is to build this game with you, our community, so keep giving us your feedback because we really are listening."
Zampella also announced some new events for Apex Legends. The Apex Legends Challenge, which is sponsored by Twitch, is a streamer event where 48 of the "biggest streamers" on Twitch will compete against each other. The event takes place on February 12 and February 19. You can watch it here on Twitch. Apex Legends is wildly popular on Twitch. Today, it has at this writing 409,000 viewers, which is well ahead of Fortnite, which has 168,000 viewers, according to Twitch's public viewing data.
Additionally, Apex Legends will host a Valentine's Day event where players can get Valentine's Day-themed loot, though no other details are available yet. And finally, the Apex Legends battle pass premieres in March. It kicks off the game's Season One, and this will include new characters, weapons, and loot, among other things.
In addition to Apex Legends, Respawn is working on something new in the Titanfall universe to release later this year, though whether or not it is the much-requested Titanfall 3 remains to be seen. Additionally, Respawn is developing a Star Wars game called Jedi: Fallen Order, and it is also slated to launch in 2019.
"Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses," reviewer Phil Hornshaw said. "Respawn's intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it's an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future."
Activision Blizzard is set to report earnings for the all-important holiday quarter tomorrow, Tuesday February 12, and things aren't looking good at this stage. The company's share price dropped by as much as six percent on Monday, and that's notable for at least a couple of reasons.
First, Monday was the first full day of stock trading following the reports of "hundreds" of layoffs hitting the company this week. Second, The Los Angeles Times reports that analysts are expecting Activision Blizzard's sales to fall by two percent to $7.28 billion when the company reports earnings on Tuesday. Investors want to see positive growth trajectories, and the prediction of a downturn may have spooked them.
Regarding the rumoured layoffs, Business Insider reported that the cutbacks are "part of restructuring aimed at centralizing functions and boosting profit." Activision Blizzard reportedly employed around 9,800 people at the end of 2017.
Jason Schreier of Kotaku said he spoke to people close to Activision Blizzard on Monday, and they told him that they are still in the dark about potential upcoming layoffs. Schreier also reported that the rumored Activision Blizzard layoffs may primarily affect people in non-development roles, including marketing and sales. One team that could be affected is Activision's Destiny division. Given that Activision and Bungie split up, the internal team at Activision dedicated to Destiny could be hit. Sources told Kotaku that some former Destiny team members at Activision could move into positions at other Activision teams, but the opportunities are described as "limited."
It's been tough sledding across the video game industry of late, as Electronic Arts recently reported it had a difficult quarter after Battlefield V failed to sell up to expectations. Additionally, Take-Two's share price slid last week after the company offered guidance that was many millions below what analysts were expecting in terms of profit.
GameSpot will have all the important details from Activision Blizzard's earnings report tomorrow, so keep checking back for more.
Upon finishing the first episode of DC Universe's Doom Patrol, I couldn't help but wonder, "Why can't the DC Cinematic Universe make movies this unique and fun?" Doom Patrol isn't trying to fit itself into a box, creating yet another paint-by-numbers superhero story. This is a show speaking to its fanbase that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a refreshing take on a genre that--at times--feels beaten to death.
DC Universe is well on a roll with its original programming. The first original series, Titans, was a huge success and Young Justice continued the adventures of characters we know and love in a dynamite follow up. As for Doom Patrol, it knows knows what it is and doesn't care what you think, which is the most endearing thing about it.
From the first moments of the premiere, you know you're in for something different. "Ready for a story about superheroes? More TV superheroes, just what the world needs. Be honest, have you hung yourself yet?" Those words, spewed into a mic by none other than Alan Tudyk--who plays the villain Mr. Nobody--open up this first episode. This is unlike any other superhero television series, and I couldn't have been happier.
Doom Patrol, on its surface, is a story of a group of superheroes living in mansion, and they're all a bit out there. They're not really a team at this point. They're more of a group of freaks living out of the public eye. There's Robotman, the brain of former racecar driver Cliff Steele living in a metal robot; Elasti-Girl, former Hollywood star who occasionally turns into a blob-like creature; Negative Man, a military pilot who was in a horrific crash but didn't die; and Crazy Jane, a woman with multiple personalities that all have their own superpowers. The head of this household is scientific genius, who is exceptionally secretive, The Chief. Eventually, Cyborg will join as well, but we're not there just yet.
Episode 1 is the essential "origin" episode where we're introduced to these characters and get to know how most of them came to be who they are now. However, the show makes the audience well aware that these are all deeply flawed people. For example, Cliff Steele may seem like a family man, but it's quickly apparent he's not faithful to his marriage, and he's a bit of a jerk. In fact, most of members of this team--aside from Negative Man--have unlikable flaws made plain during their origins, and the quirky tone for the series carries over into their character traits.
It's familiar territory for the viewer, which is a nice way to get the audience invested in the show, when what you have coming down the line are things like pocket universes, an indescribable villain, and a giant blob destroying a town. But Doom Patrol isn't all just wacky weirdness. There is a lot of heart to the story, characters getting to know each other, dealing with past regrets, and a lot of engaging conversations that are written exceptionally well. That may sound very much like a CW series, but the angst and the needlessly over dramatic moments are nowhere to be found.
These characters are incredibly well-defined for a pilot episode. We get a glimmer of their pasts, who they are in the present, and that's about it. Throughout it all, the audience gets to piece the rest together themselves, rather than get blasted with an info-dump of exposition. The writing is a journey for the characters, not a flashcard of facts. And quirky tone aside, the pacing is exceptionally well done. One person who steals the show is Crazy Jane, played by Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black). Guerrero has to take on the role of playing 64 different personality types, all contained within one vessel. Her range here is amazing, as she jumps between these different personalities--some of which are extremely hostile and others are passive and infantile.
Episode 1 does more than tell the typical origin story; it is a "call to arms" for these potential heroes. They head to town, but everything goes to hell, and they need to save the day from Mr. Nobody and his farting donkey. Yes, you read that right. As soon as you feel like you have a grasp on what's happening, this show drops something incredibly dumb or weird in the middle of your lap. It's up to you to figure out whether this will make sense in the grand scheme of things, even as it just gets more bizarre.
Flatulent animals aside, where the show gets a bit confusing, primarily for those who watched Titans, is how this fits into DC's world. Is this a part of a the same world as Titans? On Doom Patrol, the role of the Chief is played by Timothy Dalton, but on Titans, he was played by Bruno Bichir, and there is no mention on Doom Patrol of Beast Boy. Maybe I'm expecting it because every studio loves creating shared universes now, and Doom Patrol debuted on Episode 4 of Titans. While this is a little bit of an annoyance, it's the only one throughout Episode 1.
If you're looking for a traditional superhero story with familiar faces, Doom Patrol will be a bit of a disappointment. However, what makes this opening offering so wonderful is that it isn't more of the same. These unfamiliar DC characters are super weird, this show has a very off-beat and humorous tone, and it is unpredictable. It's the exact opposite of a palate cleanser. DC Universe's newest original series is vastly different from its previous offerings, which is what is so intriguing about it. For as great as I thought Titans was, this somehow blows that out of the water. Doom Patrol won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.
Season 8 of Fortnite is just around the corner now, but not before developer Epic Games rolls out another patch for the hit battle royale game. Update 7.40 is slated to arrive on all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile--sometime this week, and it appears it'll introduce yet another new weapon to the game.
Fortnite's in-game News feed is teasing the arrival of a new type of gun called the Infantry Rifle. Its description doesn't offer many details on how it'll handle, but the gun is listed as "coming soon." Considering that Epic frequently advertises new weapons and items in the News feed just prior to its latest updates, the Infantry Rifle will presumably arrive as part of this week's 7.40 patch.
That isn't the only change Epic has in store for Fortnite this week. In a post on Reddit, the developer detailed a number of balance and gameplay adjustments it is implementing with the 7.40 update. Full patch notes will be available once the update goes live, but among other things, Epic is increasing the reload time for Rocket Launchers and reducing the amount of structure damage Hand Cannons deal. Additionally, the Stormwing vehicle will no longer be able to crash through structures.
On top of that, a new set of Overtime challenges will be available following the 7.40 update. Epic hasn't shared any details yet on what these missions will entail, but they're part of the recently announced Share the Love event, and they'll give players an opportunity to earn five new Valentine's Day-themed rewards. Battle Pass holders will also be able to unlock new styles of the Trog, Powder, and Onesie skins.
While Epic hasn't announced when Season 8 of Fortnite will begin, the developer has confirmed that Season 7 ends on February 28, so players only have a little more time to complete any remaining challenges. We've put together tips and guides for the trickier ones in our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup. The developer will also hold two double XP weekends before the season ends to give players another opportunity to level their Battle Pass up; the first is set for February 15-17, while the second takes place February 22-24.
Rainbow Six Siege's next downloadable content will be Burnt Horizon, a set of operators and environments that pay homage to the continent of Australia. It accompanied the announcement with a short teaser that shows the Outback Map.
According to the announcement, the new DLC will include two new operators: one attacker and one defender. How exactly they'll function is left a bit of a mystery, though. The two are said to be old friends from the SASR, and they're described as stoic and quick-witted, respectively. The overview of the map shows a dusty, isolated area of the red desert. As usual, the new map will be released for free, and season pass holders will get the two new operators right away. Everyone else will have to wait an extra week and then grind for in-game currency to unlock them.
More details on the operators and the new map will be coming during the Six Invitational tournament in Montreal on February 17. It will be aired on the Rainbow Six Twitch channel.
Rainbow Six Siege launched in 2015 with generally positive reviews, but Ubisoft has kept it going long after launch. It has been regularly adding new operators and maps, along with lots of regular rebalancing. The live game model has paid off for the studio, even earning it a spot among the 2018 Steam Awards in the "Better With Friends" category.
Scary movies based on urban legends are nothing new. As long as the horror genre has existed, old stories and folklore have been mined for content, whether it was The Amityville Horror or Candyman. Now, thanks to an upcoming film, there's one more piece of folklore coming to the big screen.
The Curse of La Llorona is based on a Latin American folk tale about the "Weeping Woman," who is a ghost that cries over the loss of her children after drowning them. A trailer for the new film, which stars Linda Cardellini as the subject of La Llorona's torment, is putting a bit of a new spin on the story.
In the trailer, Cardellini's Anna Garcia is a social worker who, as a synopsis for the film explains it, "[ignores] the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment." Soon enough, she can no longer ignore that is happening, as the weeping woman is coming for her own kids and leads her to figure out how to vanquish the spirit. The synopsis continues, "Their only hope to survive La Llorona's deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide."
This isn't the first time La Llorona has been adapted. In addition to the story being portrayed more than once in Mexican cinema, the legend was the basis of the pilot for the Supernatural TV series. What's more, before this film was ever announced, a Curse of La Llorona haunted attraction was featured at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights at both the Hollywood and Orlando parks.
The film comes from producer James Wan (The Conjuring series of films) and director Michael Chaves, who is making his feature directorial debut and already attached to helm The Conjuring 3. Joining Cardellini in the film's cast are Raymond Cruz (Major Crimes), Patricia Velasquez (The L Word), and Sean Patrick Thomas (Halloween: Resurrection). The Curse of La Llorona is in theaters on April 19.
Bandai Namco is bringing the biggest Shonen heroes and villains together in Jump Force, a three-on-three tag-team arena brawler launching for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15. The game is a veritable who's who of manga and anime characters, featuring a star-studded cast drawn from a wide variety of Shonen Jump comics over its 50 year history, including Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Bleach, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, Rurouni Kenshin, Black Clover, and more.
Jump Force sees the denizens of the Shonen Jump multiverse cross over into the real world to stop a new evil threatening all of their worlds. The game tells an original story and features more than 40 playable characters in total, including Goku, Vegeta, Izuku Midoriya, Ichigo, Luffy, and many others, with non-playable appearances by the likes of Death Note's Light Yagami and Ryuk.
Like most of today's biggest releases, Jump Force will be available in standard and various special editions, and Bandai Namco is offering a few pre-order bonuses to entice you to reserve a copy ahead of its release. To help you figure out which version you should pick up, you can find details on what's available in each of these editions below.
Jump Force Pre-Order Bonuses
Depending on where you reserve a copy of Jump Force, you'll receive a few different bonus items. Doing so at most retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy will net you a free lobby vehicle and three exclusive costumes (pictured above). If you reserve the title at GameStop, you'll also receive a free physical wall scroll, while pre-purchasing it digitally on the PlayStation Store will get you a Jump Force PS4 theme.
Jump Force Standard Edition
The standard edition is the most basic version. It retails for $60 and comes with the base game for your platform of choice. Here's where you can purchase it:
The Deluxe edition of Jump Force is available for PS4 and Xbox One. It costs $90 and comes with the base game, as well as its Characters Pass, which grants four-day early access to nine planned DLC characters.
The Ultimate Edition of Jump Force costs $100. It includes all of the contents of the Deluxe edition and and packs in an additional 16 exclusive avatar shirts and the Jump Start pack, which features an assortment of consumable items to help you out in the game. Purchasing the Ultimate edition will also allow you to play the game three days early, beginning February 12.
The priciest option, the Collector's edition of Jump Force, costs $260. Along with the base game, it comes with an assortment of physical goodies, including a steelbook case, three art boards, and a diorama statue featuring Goku, Luffy, and Naruto. However, quantities are limited.
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