By Anonymous on May 19, 2016 12:05 am
Suicide Squad actress Margot Robbie has spoofed the character Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. In a video from Vogue, Robbie recreates the scene from the 2000 movie, but with a silly, Australian twist. It's a pretty excellent take on the memorable American Psycho scene, faithfully capturing the spirit of the actual movie. But this time there is more placenta cream and Vegemite. Take a look: The video was directed by Catfish directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost to promote a new issue of Vogue that features Robbie on the cover. For a comparison, check out American Psycho's "intro to Patrick Bateman" scene here on YouTube. Robbie plays Harley Quinn in this August's Suicide Squad. She is also apparently going to reprise that role in an unannounced film that will feature a number of other female superheroes and villains. She also plays Jane in this summer's The Legend of Tarzan alongside Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan.
By Anonymous on May 19, 2016 12:00 am
World of Warcraft's first five expansions are now all included with the base game. The latest expansion, Warlords of Draenor, recently disappeared from the Battle.net store and a Blizzard customer support representative confirmed on Reddit that it's because the expansion is now free. Warlords of Draenor saw a price change to $10 in April. Paying for the expansion got you a character boost to level 90. It's not completely clear if the boost is now included with the base game, as we're hearing conflicting reports. However, World of Warcraft's shop page on Battle.net does not mention the character boost. We've contacted Blizzard for clarification and will update this article as we learn more.  Warlords of Draenor released in 2014 and introduced higher quality visuals and animations. It also allowed players to construct bases that could house armories, workshops, and more. It received a score of 8 in GameSpot's review, which said, "Warlords of Draenor has revitalized World of Warcraft with a huge amount of new content and refinement of the basic gameplay. Unlike the debacle of the New Game Enhancement of Star Wars Galaxies, Blizzard has not taken away anything with the stat changes, but instead finally fixed the "stat inflation" that had built with each expansion." The Draenor expansion becoming free is in part to get ready for World of Warcraft's next expansion, Legion. It releases August 30 and introduces the Demon Hunter class, raises the level cap to 110, and features new dungeons and raids. It also includes a character boost to level 100. World of Warcraft costs $20 and comes with a month's subscription. After that, a month costs $15 but can be discounted if multiple months are bought at once. If you want to get caught up, you can check out GameSpot's gallery titled, "A History of World of Warcraft So Far." It details everything that's happened from the base game's launch in 2004 leading up to the release of Legion. There's also a Warcraft movie coming to theaters on June 10. It stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Toby Kebbell, and Robert Kazinsky. You can watch trailers that focus on some of the movie's characters through the links below. Additionally, you can check out more of GameSpot's Warcraft-themed coverage at the following links.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 11:51 pm
 Doom graphics comparison shows how taking on the demonic invasion looks across PC, XONE, and PS4. Let us know which you like the best.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 11:02 pm
 From Doom's freezing plasma rifle stun bomb to the gauss cannon's devastating siege mode, check out these weapon mods.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 10:30 pm
 After some stolen glances and eyebrow wiggles, could a new couple enter the Westeros dating scene? The GameSpot of Thrones gang certainly think so! Beware: show spoilers within.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 10:30 pm
 (Produced in partnership with Sega) Vampires vs Dwarves, Greenskins vs Griffins, Dave runs you through the big players of Total War: Warhammer in two minutes.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 10:19 pm
Big news today for Assassin's Creed Identity, as Ubisoft has launched the game on Android and released a big update. Identity was released for iOS devices in February; it costs $5 on both iOS and Android. One thing to note about the Android version is that it requires the Jelly Bean 4.1 update or newer. As for the update, it's called Forlì, and introduces a new campaign called A Crimson Sunset. Here is the official description for the update: "Players can explore a map from Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood in two different settings, Dusk and Siege. Additionally, four brand-new story missions are included in the update as well as a completely new type of contract mission, Crow Hunt." What's more, Ubisoft says the update improves Identity's daily challenges and adds more item packs and outfits. It also adds Weibo and Uplay support, which allows you to play across devices. The Forlì update costs $2. Check out the video above to see it in action. Identity, which soft-launched back in September 2014, is billed by Ubisoft as the first Assassin's Creed action-RPG for mobile devices (but not the first Assassin's Creed mobile game). You create and customize Assassin characters (classes include Berserker, Shadow Blade, Trickster, and Thief) and then send them to battle in Renaissance Italy, the setting of Assassin's Creed II. You can control the Assassin characters either with virtual analogue sticks or tap-to-move instructions. Additionally, Identity supports gamepads. Go to iTunes or Google Play to pick up Identity. As for the mainline Assassin's Creed series, there won't be a new game this year. However, fans of the franchise can see the Michael Fassbender-staring Assassin's Creed movie in December.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 09:32 pm
Epic Games today announced a free beta weekend event for its upcoming MOBA Paragon. From May 26-30, anyone on PlayStation 4 and PC can jump in and play. The only catch is that you need to register by Wednesday, May 25, to secure a spot in the beta event. You can register right here on Paragon's website. Epic has also put out a new trailer to promote the beta weekend; check it out: Right now, Paragon is playable through a paid early access period. A free open beta is scheduled for this summer before the game's full release. You can check out more Paragon heroes in action through the links below:
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 07:46 am
In Doom, I see a world brimming with demons, explosions, and hellfire. I see familiar faces screaming, with bloodthirsty eyes and unwavering stares. Playing it delivers the same cathartic craze the original Doom and Doom II did in the early '90s: overwhelmed by the horrors around every turn, but empowered with an impressive collection of weapons at the ready. But the new Doom is louder and faster than the old model. Its battles ask more of you, and its heavy-metal soundtrack causes your body to quiver from turbulent surges of adrenaline. From the outset two things are made immediately clear: you were born to kill demons, and you'll do anything it takes. You will wrench countless jaws from their joints and eviscerate the swollen flesh of your enemies between bouts of furious gunfire. These powerful moments carry what, at its core, is a simple game. The cadence of Doom's campaign is unwavering to the point of predictability as you make multiple round-trips between Mars and the depths of hell. Each location bears its own distinct but static identity, and your return trips inspire more deja vu than surprise as you tread familiar ground on either side of the dimensional portal you're charged with dismantling. Into the belly of the beast we go.          You rarely take an unexpected turn, but any bothersome feelings this gives you are washed away the moment you enter battle. Doom equips you with a range of weapons that start simple and grow ever more elaborate. Not all are created equal, and there are some you will ignore for their lack of stopping power, but many are formidable, and a near constant stream of upgrades allows you to tweak your favorites in order to give them greater functionality and strength--more cause for attachment to, and wonder in, the power at your fingertips. This power extends to Glory Kills, Doom's contextual dismemberment techniques that can be triggered when you cause an enemy to stagger. They are the embodiment of gore fetishization, offering multiple ways to tear enemies into pieces, dependant on your angle of approach. Glory Kills are also strategically valuable. Enemies occasionally drop health items and ammo when felled by a gun, but you're guaranteed an injection of health when you flay your opponents using your bare hands--and occasionally with a body part of their own. This incentivizes you to rush in even when on the brink, offering hope at the end of a potentially deadly tunnel. Similarly, you also collect a chainsaw that can rip demons in half as a one-hit kill, which causes ammo to spout from their corpses. Your chainsaw requires precious fuel and should be used sparingly, and figuring out the best time to use it becomes a tense mind game of its own. The rhythm of combat--which almost always begins as a plainly presented lockdown in a room--grows increasingly hard and fast over the course of Doom's thirteen missions. Larger and more dangerous demons appear over time, and in greater numbers. As you weave and leap around maze-like arenas to improve your vantage and search for much-needed supplies, you function like a magnet, drawing enemies toward you. As you do, the once-disparate groups in an arena become concentrated. The effect of this is that you can put your explosive munitions to good use and inflict heaps of damage to multiple enemies at once. But there is a downside: you can quickly back yourself into a corner as you retreat. Despite this danger, herding enemies is par for the course in Doom as it's often the most viable tactic. This plays into the cyclical murderous bliss of Doom: round and round we go. The tension of facing increasingly durable enemies gives this system longevity despite its repetitiveness. Bipedal imps give way to towering, bloated monstrosities, powerful stampeding beasts, and disembodied flaming skulls. To keep up with the horde, you must use resources earned for your past feats to modify and upgrade your weapons with new capabilities. This steadily feeds into your brash and violent persona in order to maintain the high of combat in the face of your growing tolerance for all things brutal. Where a shotgun blast to the face was once satisfying and effective enough, you ultimately desire the thrill and power of unleashing a mortar-like cluster bomb from your double-barrelled best friend. When he's spent, you'll be thankful you upgraded your heavy assault rifle with micro-missiles that pierce the air with a subtle whistle before lodging under the skin of a demon and exploding, one after another. Where a shotgun blast to the face was once satisfying and effective enough, you ultimately desire the thrill and power of unleashing a mortar-like cluster bomb from your double-barrelled best friend.
Upgrades can be earned by sweeping maps of demons, or discovered by exploring every inch of Doom's environments. Both techniques demand diligence. Secrets and hidden areas aren't new to Doom, but the variety of rewards you can reap are greater than ever. Every bit of hardware, including weapons, armor, and their underlying software, can be augmented in multiple ways. Nevertheless, you come across your fair share of upgrades even if you stay on the beaten path, and you'll probably want to as the thrill of combat gets under your skin. The process of awkwardly platforming your way across Doom's maps grows increasingly tiresome as your pulse drops to a murmur, and your patience for anything other than combat wears thin. The advent of Rune Challenges mixes this up a bit, offering self-contained tasks that momentarily take you out of missions and into tiny arenas where you need to defeat enemies under strict conditions. As enjoyable as these can be, they don't hold a candle to mission combat and eventually become an afterthought as you seek your next battle. When Doom funnels you from one location to the next, it introduces brief moments that tell your story, and the story of the energy-obsessed Union Aerospace Corporation. It's the UAC's ill-conceived decision to tap into Hell's energy resources that created the portal between dimensions in the first place, and though you are an agent of the UAC in a way, yours is a reluctant enlistment. The tale of your involvement carries a certain gravitas in the way it speaks of legends and dark messiahs, but it ultimately amounts to little more than window dressing to justify your actions. Say "hello" to my not-so-little friend.          When your journey comes to a close, you will have spent close to a dozen hours in the thick of it, the last of which are punctuated with riveting boss fights and seemingly impossible odds. With a flush arsenal and enhanced physical abilities, you may opt to return to previous missions and find items you may have missed, or lay waste at higher difficulty levels, but multiplayer awaits those who seek something new. Apart from a few multiplayer-exclusive weapons and the ability to play as demons during portions of a match, there's actually very little new about Doom's multiplayer. Its modes are few, delivering the expected assortment of match types, including team deathmatch and domination challenges, and a couple fun diversions like freeze tag. By and large, you won't find much in multiplayer that hasn't been done before, but what's there is enjoyable in small doses thanks to the fast pace of combat and the explosive nature of Doom's weaponry. Doom is straightforward and simple, but it serves its purpose: to thrust you into increasingly dire scenarios fueled by rage and the spirit of heavy metal.
More impressive than multiplayer is Snap Map, a mode that allows you to create and share both multi- and single-player maps online. Tutorials walk you through the steps involved in creating a map, which is intuitive to begin with. Beyond ease-of-use, Snap Map will live or die through the creativeness of the community, which has already made a strong showing, delivering a range of maps that range from brutal to absurdly entertaining. More than multiplayer, Snap Map is the cherry on top of the new Doom. But without a doubt, the loud and chaotic campaign is Doom's strongest component. It's straightforward and simple, but it serves its purpose: to thrust you into increasingly dire scenarios fueled by rage and the spirit of heavy metal. Many shooters chase the thrill Doom delivers, but few are as potent in their execution. It captures the essence of what made the classic Doom games touchstones of their day, and translates it to suit modern palates with impressively rendered hellscapes and a steady influx of tantalizing upgrades. Doom is the product of a tradition as old as shooters, and while it's not the model to follow in every case, modern shooters could learn a thing or two from Doom's honed and unadulterated identity.
By Anonymous on May 18, 2016 02:28 am
What to Read After Watching Civil War
Besides the famous arc it's based on, Captain America: Civil War is packed with plot points from other comics. Whether it's an underground Avengers team or the concept of multiple Winter Soldiers, these concepts have appeared in some shape or form in past stories. If you're interested in seeing how these concepts and plot points played out in the past, here are some comics that cover or expand on what you saw on screen. Be wary; there are major spoilers from the film ahead! You can also read our review of Captain America: Civil War. But if you want a spoiler-free look at the film, check out our video discussing our thoughts.
Marvel's Civil War (2006) by Mark Millar
Now that you've seen the film's interpretation of Civil War, you should check out how the comics did it. The crossover event retains the concept of a government legislation overseeing superhero actions, but it tells a different story from the film with completely different plot points. Reading this story is recommended, as it establishes greater context for the stories ahead.
Captain America: Red Menace (2007) by Ed Brubaker
If you're itching to see how Steve Rogers found Bucky after his brainwashing wore off, read the "Red Menace" arc of Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America. It follows Rogers as he tries to foil a terrorist plot by Crossbones, the villain you saw in the beginning of the Captain America: Civil War. The struggle eventually led Cap to Bucky, who at this point is acting covertly to seek vengeance against the men who recently used him as a tool for murder. While it's possible to dive into this one directly, we recommend starting from the beginning of Brubaker's run, beginning with the "Winter Soldier" arc (Issues 1-14).
Black Panther: Who is Black Panther? (2006) by Reginald Hudlin
The film had its own rendition of the Black Panther's origins, but if you're curious to see what that story looked like in the comics, check out Reginald Hudlin's run on the character. It's a modern re-telling of the Black Panther's origins that tells similar story beats, with T'Challa taking on the mantle as he seeks vengeance against Ulysses Klaw, the man who killed his father. Alternatively, you can also check out Stan Lee's and Jack Kirby's classic rendition of the Black Panther's origins in issues 52-53 of Fantastic Four Vol. 1 (1966).
Captain America: No Escape (2011) by Ed Brubaker
Captain America: No Escape is the story to read if you were infatuated with Zemo and his desire for revenge. After the events of Civil War in the comics, Bucky assumes the role of Captain America, leading a successful career as a crimefighter and member of the Avengers. However, Baron Zemo--longtime nemesis of Captain America in the comics--catches wind of Bucky's activity and plots to reveal his history as the Winter Soldier, which could mean a whole lot of trouble for his stint as Captain America. What follows turns into a psychological drama--similar to the one witnessed at the end of Captain America: Civil War--that threatens not only Bucky's future but everything he has ever believed.
Winter Soldier: The Complete Collection (2014) by Ed Brubaker
The film's concept of multiple Winter Soldiers was taken from Ed Brubaker's run on The Winter Soldier solo series. In that story, Bucky has to track down and take out three ex-Russian super soldiers that he helped train during his time as a brainwashed assassin. The espionage drama in this arc is thrilling, capturing the same tone and style seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The New Avengers Vol. 6 (2007) and The Mighty Avengers Vol. 1 (2007) by Brian Michael Bendis
Similar to the film, the end of Civil War split the Avengers into two different teams. Where one operates as a government-sanctioned team, the other fights crime covertly, outside the eyes of the law. If you were fascinated by the concept of a rogue Avengers team, Brian Michael Bendis' run on The New Avengers shows what it would look like if the superhero team had to operate in a post-Civil War universe. Alternatively, if you're interested in seeing the Avengers operating as a government-sanctioned team, check out Bendis' The Mighty Avengers.
Iron Man: Civil War (2007) by Brian Michael Bendis
If you came out of Captain America: Civil War more fascinated by Iron Man's point of view, read Brian Michael Bendis' Iron Man: Civil War. The two-issue series expands on Tony Stark's motivations and beliefs, providing more insight on why he chose to side with the government. It also sheds light on his decaying relationship with Captain America throughout the conflict.
Spider-Man: Civil War (2007) by J. Michael Straczynski
Like the film, Tony Stark also took to mentoring Spider-Man during the events of Civil War in the comics. You can see what this relationship looks like in J. Michael Straczynski's Spider-Man: Civil War, where Spider-Man becomes Tony's protege. However, this relationship is deceiving in nature compared to the film, as Tony only mentors Spider-Man to gain the public's favor.
Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch--A Year in the Life (1985) by Steve Englehart
If you enjoyed the romantic vibes between Vision and the Scarlet Witch in Captain America: Civil War, then you'll be happy to know that the two are actually a couple in the comics. Both characters appear in a 12-issue series by Steve Englehart where they embark on crime fighting adventures as a married couple.
By Anonymous on May 17, 2016 01:02 am
Serenity and wonder fill my ears when I first open Stellaris. Pulling from the same lived-in future aesthetic of games like Mass Effect, Stellaris opens with an invitation. It wants you to explore, it wants you learn, to unearth secrets your galaxy has held for millennia. As I do, astral outlines and nebulae dot my galactic map. Carved out into large chunks are the cosmos' remaining empires. The Kalaxenen Order. The Sibulan Core Worlds. The Bruggan Consciousness. And my own nascent superpower--the Reaper Commonwealth. We'd coexisted with our neighbors peacefully for centuries, but we were out of space and desperate for some breathing room. Our scientists yearned to comb through the rest of the galaxy's hyperspace lanes and long-forgotten ruins. And our priests were compelled to spread the will of the divine. So the galaxy erupted in war. War always seemed to follow me in Stellaris. That's partly because it's hard to expand indefinitely without frustrating someone, but also because there's a few hitches hiding within the layers of Paradox Interactive's latest grand strategy game. If you've ever played Civilization or any of its 4X descendants, you'll be familiar with Stellaris' basics. You helm a new civilization at the start of its journey. You can choose how they'll govern, what their guiding principles are, and how they'll develop technologically. If you choose to play alone, each of your opponents will have a randomly generated set of traits all their own- ranging from despotic fantastical pacifists to xenophobic materialists. Human players are just as likely to come up with creative personality combinations too. When you start a match, you're dipping your toes into an ocean of possibilities, eager to yield as your people explore and grow. That principle is reflected in Stellaris' pacing. Before locking down your starting solar system and working to build out its infrastructure, you'll scour neighboring stars for potential colony sites and resources. Then move in with settlers and engineers to start exploiting virgin territory.            Along the way, you'll find all manner of long-lost technology, pre-industrial civilizations and other space-faring races. Each often comes with a "quest" line of sorts that develops into its own narrative thread. On one of my first planets, I discovered an advanced subterranean people. I had to decide upon a diplomatic strategy for them, whether I wanted to give them access to technology, and if I'd be willing to bail them out if they ran into trouble. It was a small piece of Stellaris, but my relationship with these people became one of my most valued. In time, they paid me back for all the favors I'd done, and supported the empire at large. But even if they hadn't, I felt connected to them. I caught myself roleplaying my interactions with them, trying to live up to my empire's own benevolent spiritual collectivist beliefs. It's this kind of ongoing, deterministic narrative scaffolding that forms Stellaris' backbone. Where most other strategy titles are content to focus on conquest and victory, Stellaris wants its relationships and the story you weave as your people grow to be the focus. That runs straight to the core of Stellaris, too. As you encounter new species, you'll be able to integrate them as citizens in your civilization. And you'll have to balance their prejudices and ideologies against those of your own citizens, decide whether they can vote, and even help them settle new planets that might be tough or inhospitable for your own race. These dynamics can have massive effects on intergalactic politics as well. If you enslave or purge (read: genocide) another race, other civilizations will remember your sins and hold centuries-long grudges. If you catch yourself sandwiched between two stronger empires, you'll have a tough time of advancing the game without creating some powerful alliances or risking a costly war. These dynamics start coming into play when you hit the mid-game. After you've got your basic group established, as your borders and those of your neighbors start grinding against one another, you'll have to find more creative ways to keep up the early game's strong momentum. If you're not careful, you can be boxed in by ancient and powerful civilizations. Grand strategy games often devolve into war at some point, but conflict with these giants is a quick path to eradication. Instead, it helps to build a multi-racial empire with several disconnected settlements. When one front stalls, you can push another and keep your populace moving so that there's always something to do and someone to manage. It also helps to play on a map with few other empires so you can grow a quite a bit before you start running into problems. It's not easy, and it's a bit strange that you have to finagle the game into maintaining a solid pace, but those problems also stem from some of Stellaris' best decisions, even though they don't always work out the way they should. For example, research in Stellaris works quite a bit different than in most 4X games. There's no static tree you climb, moving from agriculture to calendars and then to crop rotation. Instead you'll receive several "cards" from a deck of possibilities. Some, like sapient artificial intelligence, are rarer than others and represent major leaps forward in tech that can also help you break away from the pack. Others are weighted to show up more often to give everyone the same basic tools to start with. In theory, this keeps any one game from feeling too similar to any other. That works to a point, but it also means that you can pass up some critical piece of infrastructure tech and you might not see it for a while, or if you're unlucky, never again. It forces some tough decisions that, while engaging, don't always make sense. There doesn't seem to be any real reason that I have to lose out on colony ships for a better research facility. On balance, though it's a welcome change, and I got more out of it than I lost. Stellaris is filled with intrigue and promise.Technology plays into galactic diplomacy as well. Some hyper-advanced civilization may find your development pathetic and offer to bring you under their wing as a protectorate, giving you major bonuses to research and a benevolent overseer that can keep you safe from the big bullies on the block--or at least try. The catch here, is that if you develop past a certain point, you become your overlord's vassal. With that, they can, in time absorb your civilization completely. Or, you can request--and likely fight--for your independence, often at a time when their resources are spread thin with another war or even a recession. It's here--with warfare and diplomacy--where Stellaris takes the most risks, and their payoffs can vary from match to match. Those with pacifistic civilizations might try to form strong bonds with others and form powerful peacemaking coalitions. Others will, no doubt, flex their muscles and conquer all the can. Bringing everything from psychic warriors and specially designed war ships to bear down on their foes. And while these two outlets for Stellaris' systems each work well on their own, their dependent upon so many of the game's other novelties that they don't fit together all the time. Stellaris is strange in that it wants you to play on its terms, but within that you have amazing latitude.
The semi-random nature of research means that you won't always be able to guide your people to what they need. Plus, negotiating federations can be difficult when meeting new races depends upon you breaking out of your starting area--something that can sometimes be impossible if you're surrounded by super-hostile enemies. When it works, though, an alliance can help you leap ahead and match your elder rivals. Trade with someone who pities you can provide a massive influx of cash to fuel your economy, and, within short order you might have a diverse enough population to colonize a dozen or more extra planets. That, in turn, gives you more people to crew ships, drive research, and more complex internal politics to manage. But that's just it, it's based on chance. You can tilt things in your favor and increase the likelihood of a more exciting game, but that's never a solid guarantee. Stellaris is strange in that it wants you to play on its terms, but within that you have amazing latitude. Its emphasis on exploration is exhilarating. It makes each run feel inviting and special. But that doesn't always hold. Some games run through to the end and hit all the right notes at all the right times. Others are best left running in the background as you crunch for better technology so you can break free of your narrow corner in the galaxy. This could be helped if you could sneak, or stealth ships through enemy territory to colonize far-flung worlds. Or, if you could have finer control of research. Or, if you could overwhelm enemy fleets with superior tactics, despite a massive technological disadvantage. Instead, you're at Stellaris' mercy. It is fortunate then, that more often than not Stellaris doesn't just work, it excels, but that makes its breaking points feel that much more agonizing because it wouldn't have taken much tweaking to smooth them out.
By Anonymous on May 16, 2016 04:30 pm
Every week, we take a look at some of the most bizarre, exciting, and downright unique things to happen in comics. Check out our choices of the strange and wacky things that shouldn't be overlooked from this week's releases. There may be some tiny spoilers ahead.
The Dark and Bloody #4
Best Nightmare-Inducing Imagery When someone you know turns into a giant, murderous crow, with the intentions of tearing you apart, you're going to have nightmares for the rest of your life.
The Dark and Bloody #4
Most Intense Scene Following that frightening moment, readers are treated to two pages of some intense moments as the human-crow beast attacks. Apparently, a shotgun is still the easiest way to deal with crow people.
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6
Best Scene We Acted Out With Our Toys as Kids As a child, you probably played with all of your toys, no matter what company the licenses came from. This week, Batman and Shredder had one epic battle, which was a moment stripped right from when we were kids.
Starfire #12
Best Time to Quit Drinking If you're ever wondering when you should call it a night after drinking, just look into the sky. If you see an orange woman riding a flying dolphin, it's time to go to bed.
Vision #7
Best Joke The Vision tries to connect with his ex-wife, Scarlet Witch, in bed by telling a joke, with an incredibly dry delivery. It's still a solid joke though.
Gwenpool #2
Best Way to Get a Hero's Attention If you see Thor in the sky, lots of people are going to be yelling "Thor" to get her attention. However, if you want to make sure she'll turn around, call her by her birth-name.
Earth 2: Society #12
Best Surprise Return There was a huge surprise at the end of Earth 2 this week. One of the oldest supervillains at DC comics, Ultra-Humanite, made his return.
Web Warriors #7
Best Mixture of a '90s Character and an Animal Doctor Doom is pretty cool. Doom 2099 is pretty cool as well. What if you took the concept of Doom 2099 and made him a duck? Well, you'd get Ducktor Doom 2099. It's ridiculous and wonderful all at the same time.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3
Best Power Rangers Replacement If there's a Putty loose in town, and the Power Rangers aren't available, who are you going to call? Well, Bulk and Skull got all dressed up to try and help some people that needed to be saved from a Putty.
Kennel Block Blues #4
Best Song and Dance Number During a Prison Escape Trying to escape from prison can be intense and nerve-wracking. The easiest way to get back on all that stress is to turn it into a giant musical number.
All-New, All-Different Avengers #9
Best Stern Talking To After a new Wasp meets the Avengers, Jarvis gets pretty upset and gives her a quick history lesson about who Janet Van Dyne was.
Deadpool #11
Best and Weirdest Getaway Deadpool has always been a weird character, but the end of last week's issue was super-weird, as Deadpool found himself on a horse, running from Mounties.
Silk #8
Best Almost Escape Spider-Gwen may have an amazing amount of agility, but she's not perfect. She almost makes an escape in issue #8 of Silk, but gets shocked at the end. That's it this week. Let us know in the comments below what other Best Stuff you dug this past week. If you want to participate or felt we missed some other Best Stuff, don't complain, contribute! Each week you can @reply us on Twitter at @GManFromHeck and @ImMatElfring by Fridays using the hashtag#BestStuffInComics. We'll give you a shout out and I'll think you're pretty groovy.
By Anonymous on May 14, 2016 09:32 pm
Soft Body is a playable kaleidoscope, an ever-changing symphony of motion, color, and sound. It's a mixture of different genres, combining the best aspects of bullet hell games, puzzle games, and Snake to create a challenging and mesmerizing experience. You control two snakes that either move in unison or independently, dependent on the given level. The control inputs typically only require the left and right analog sticks. Using them, you guide snakes around a geometric landscape filled with angular enemies that emit waves of projectiles. You have to complete a collection of small objectives in order to beat each level, which usually involves moving a small ball or circular object around a maze, "painting" borders by touching or merely coming close enough to them, and destroying nearby enemies. The objectives remain simple and straightforward throughout, but the layout and challenges vastly differ from puzzle to puzzle. Despite their variance, none of the puzzles stray too far from Soft Body's established rule set, and each design features the similar visual stylings and effects while also introducing new colors and contrasts. While minimal, Soft Body's controls can be disorienting, particularly when you have to control each snake independently. It is a game of trial and error, requiring precision and careful navigation. In its worst moments, some puzzles devolve into a series objectives with no apparent connective tissue, including levels with two maze-like objectives located at opposite corners of the screen and divided by a large barrier that needs to be "painted" in order to complete the level. The void in between each of these objectives was basically a minefield of projectiles and enemies that felt added in for sheer navigational challenge alone and gradually grew more tiresome. These moments are rare, but their design still comes across as haphazard when compared to more organized levels whose puzzles follow a more logical flow. Tiny visual and aural flourishes breathe life into Soft Body's two-dimensional stages. When the snakes under your control come into contact with objects, particle effects spout onto the screen. When you complete your objectives, decorative background shapes spin and shake in excitement. These elements are enhanced by Soft Body's sound design, which is just as minimalist yet striking as the visuals, adding impact to each interaction between snakes and their environment. Every touch, hit, or movement around borders generates electronic chirps, and both the sights and sounds blend together to create a captivating, Zen-like experience. Visual and aural flourishes breathe life into Soft Body's two-dimensional stages.
For such a bizarre, abstract game, Soft Body has a consistent visual language that communicates when and how enemies will act. Your foes take the forms of circles, squares, and triangles, each of which has a specific animation telegraphing its upcoming attacks. One circular "turret" latches its aim onto your snake and follows its movement for several seconds before the line representing its aim solidifies and the turret fires a projectile. Squares have a core that slowly swells toward the borders of the full shape, releasing a wave of deadly, circular projectiles once it reaches its edges. These enemies never break from Soft Body's established rule set and language, making it consistent to solve despite its ever-changing presentation.            Experimentation and identifying the reactions of the environment are essential to solving Soft Body's puzzles, since new elements are sprinkled in throughout, often without any explanation. In one level, I saw a triangular border surrounding an enemy inside. Despite not having seen triangles in the game prior to that point, I swam up alongside it and discovered I could paint it to be my color. This speaks to the strength of a well-designed puzzle game: when the rules are consistent and the challenge is set up around that core rule set, solving puzzles remains satisfying in the long run. Soft Body embraces that concept while refusing to limit itself to being one predictable string of levels. Soft Body is captivating. It's the fish tank to my inner cat, a fascinating display of methodical movement, clever sound, and unusually satisfying puzzle solving. It's a minimalist, meditative arcade throwback whose simplicity sometimes backfires into chaotic design, but more frequently delivers challenging and beautiful puzzles.
By Anonymous on May 14, 2016 09:30 pm
In Tastee: Lethal Tactics, your plan is more important than the action that follows. It's a game of bets and bluffs, and if you telegraph your next move, you'll likely lose. Tastee doesn't always communicate its ideas effectively, and there are frustrating barriers to hurdle, but there's a tense, layered, turn-based strategy game waiting on the other side. It all revolves around simultaneous turn-based combat in two phases. In the planning stage, you direct the stance, movement, vision cones, and attacks of four individual mercenaries fighting your opponents. In the action phase, you watch your plan unfold--all while the enemy does the same. This forces you to think on several levels as you extract briefcases of money, defend control points, and eliminate enemy soldiers from an overhead view. You not only have to plan out your own attacks--you also need to consider the route your opponent might have in mind. So while your sniper may have one doorway covered, and your grenadier is ready to move around the corner of that building to get in position, this could all fall apart in the action phase if your opponent anticipated it. The resulting clashes are whiteknuckled displays of who saw the bigger picture in the planning phase. This structure isn't new--Tastee borrows from games such as Frozen Synapse and Laser Defense Squad, which use similar phase-based combat systems that emphasize careful planning over reactionary tactics. As was the case in those titles, you spend most of your time in the planning stage, your squad members frozen in place, trying to think two steps ahead of the opponent. Facing another human exacerbates the tension of the missions. Tastee's AI performs well, but matches become cutthroat poker games when you can relate to, and exploit, another player's perspective. Vision cones are essential to your battle plans.Considering the numerous mechanical layers at play, and the nuance they display on each level, there's a steep learning curve to Tastee's combat. In fact, its tutorial only teaches the bare fundamentals of movement, aiming, and attacking before thrusting you onto the battlefield, either in multiplayer or the single-player missions. Because of Tastee's unforgiving difficulty--characters can die from only one bullet--most of your learning is based on trial and error. I spent almost two hours before I completed a mission without any casualties. The 30 single-player missions focus loosely on a band of 12 misfit mercenaries fighting against the drug cartels in a desert wasteland. The story is sparse and and repetitive, and serves mainly to introduce new characters, complete with unique abilities to use on subsequent missions: flashbangs, door breaches, ricochet grenades, and enhanced sniper rifles, to name a few. They're some of the game's best aspects, as they create stronger attachments to their respective owners. The loss of each soldier isn't permanent, but reverberates throughout the rest of your mission --losing a mercenary means losing a useful superpower, as it were. Augustus' Scout ability, for instance, lets you spot nearby enemies through the fog of war. If you can deduce which direction a soldier is running, and where he'll emerge from behind cover, you can set a sniper's sights on that exact spot. These abilities seem simple at first, but reveal deeper uses as you learn them. There are numerous mechanical layers at play at any one moment.
Tastee's stellar map design is the catalyst for all of this planning and subsequent action. Missions span a variety of sandswept urban locales, from construction yards to abandoned shanty towns. Concrete walls funnel soldiers through choke points, wooden boards create complex sightlines, and low barriers provide opportunities for cover. The environments present a fine attention to detail, both in how they force your squad into precarious scenarios and how they allow you to master your surroundings. There's a sadistic thrill to circling your opponent's squad, eliminating them one by one, and setting up ambushes to stop their attempts at escape. Maps can become something of a conundrum, however. Tastee's bigger arenas play host to numerous smaller encounters and nuanced skirmishes, lending a sense of cohesion to the separate huts, garages, and gas stations. The problem is, these bigger maps add to the confusion that sometimes rears its head in Tastee. During the action phase, it's usually useful to zoom out from the map to see your overall plan unfolding. But the bigger the map, the less I understand the tactics of Tastee's world. There are more opportunities for distant snipers and random grenadiers to kill you on a whim. Often, I have no idea where I went wrong--what mistake sent things south. These sprawling locales are well designed in how they encourage tense individual encounters, but when they keep you at a distance from the action, it's hard to see what's happening on a minute level. The grasp I usually have on the tactical situation dissipates, leaving me confused.          Tastee's user interface doesn't do it any favors either. Instead of crowding the edges of the screen, characters' abilities and commands manifest in an arc above their heads. While this streamlines the process of selecting a mercenary, giving them a chain of commands, and setting waypoints throughout the map, it leads to several more frustrations. For one, characters' selection boxes often overlap. In close-quarters battles, it's often tough to target the wrong character. Secondly, cancelling commands or waypoints is laborious, forcing you to parse through tiny buttons on a small list for sometimes minutes on end, in an effort to finalize your plan. Despite these annoyances, it's hard to deny the thrill of Tastee's firefights: moving your mercenaries into position, covering almost every sightline, worrying about that one you can't cover, and wincing as a shotgunner misses his target by a few inches--this is Tastee at its best. Tastee is also clever in the way it disguises its systems in order to teach you through experience. It's an intelligent, difficult game with a high barrier of entry, and without patience, you might not see how great it can be. But once you see the layers hidden beneath the surface, Tastee Lethal Tactics becomes an intricate game of cutthroat poker. It just takes a bit of frustration to buy in.
By Anonymous on May 14, 2016 04:00 pm
Recap!
Weekly Recap: Star Wars Battlefront 2, April NPD, Disney Infinity Canceled
Did you step away this week? Here is a roundup of all the big news and some stories you may have missed. Click "Next Image" to get started.
More Battlefront
EA made it official this week, announcing that Star Wars Battlefront 2 is in development and pegged for release in 2017. The company said it hopes to launch at least one new Star Wars game every year for the next three or four years. [Full story]
PS4 On Top
The NPD Group made its month announcement this week about physical sales from the past month in the United States. The PlayStation 4 was again the top-selling console of the month, while Dark Souls III was the No. 1 best-selling game. For more, check out these stories: hardware, software.
To Infinity And....
Disney Infinity is no more. The House of Mouse announced this week as part of its latest earnings report that it was cancelling Disney Infinity and closing developer Avalanche. The company is taking a $147 million hit as a result of the shut down. Additionally, Disney will no longer make games internally at all, but instead license its games out to other studios, like Electronic Arts. [Full story]
Not This Year
Mass Effect: Andromeda, the latest entry in BioWare's spacefaring RPG series, will not make it out this year as previously expected. The game is now due to arrive in early 2017, BioWare announced this week. The delay was necessary to give the team time to "deliver everything the game can be and should be." [Full story]
Incredible
DICE environment artist Simon Barle has created Bloodborne's Hunter's Dream location in Unreal Engine 4--in his spare. The results are incredible.
Even Arby's
Even fast food chain Arby's is psyched about the next Pokemon games. This week, after the game's release date was announced, Arby's shared this cool photo:
Huge Update
Ubisoft's team-based tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege received a huge new update this week that made a number of fixes and balance adjustments; oh, and it also added unicorns. Really. Full patch notes.
Big Sale
The PlayStation Network is currently hosting a big sale on games from Ubisoft and Focus Home, among others. The deals are good for all major platforms, including PS4, PS3, and PlayStation Vita. Here is a roundup of some of the best deals.
What Could Have Been
Some footage of an unannounced and unreleased Star Wars RTS has emerged online. The untitled project would have had stylized visuals and was based on the classic-era Star Wars films. Take a look.
Everything Eventually Gets Remade in GTA 5
Battlefield 1's trailer was really cool and ultra-popular. Now, it's been remade in Grand Theft Auto V, where it can be appreciated in a sillier light. Have a look.
Free DLC Alert
Free DLC alert. EA Sports has added a new course, Banff Springs, to Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Additionally, the update fixes some bugs and adds new audio lines for some PGA Tour golfers. Full patch notes here.
Like A Phoenix
Prey 2 might be announced at E3 2016, according to a new report from Kotaku. The first version of the game was essentially tossed out, so we're expecting to see basically Prey 2.0.
Microsoft Nixed It, Apparently
According to former Lionhead Studios developer John McCormack, the developer wanted to put a black woman on the cover of Fable III--but Microsoft nixed the idea. "They were going, 'You can't have a black person on the cover, and you can't have a woman. And you want a black woman,'" McCormack told Eurogamer. "And I was like, 'Yes, I do, because it's about be whatever hero you want.' [Microsoft said], 'No. It's a white guy. That's just the way it is. We know what sells and that's fucking it. Stop the arguing.' I was like, 'Fuck you!' That was a huge fight. "They said, 'What's the most unsuccessful Disney film?' I was like, 'I don't know.' They went, 'Princess and the Frog. Work it out.' I was like, 'Fuck you, man." I hated it.
Dated
The Banner Saga 2's console versions finally have a launch date. The game will launch on PS4 and Xbox One on July 26, Stoic and publisher Versus Evil announced this week. A new trailer has also been released. Check it out here.
Success!
Consortium sequel The Tower's Fig crowdfunding campaign wrapped up this week. It raised a total of $348,538 from 3,046 backers. The developers only asked for $300,000, meaning it was a big success. The Tower is now Fig's fourth successfully funded game. You can read more about it here.
Coming Soon
Time Machine VR, a new exploration adventure game, will launch on May 19 for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, developer Minority Media announced this week. You play as a time-travelling scientist who is tasked with going back to the Jurassic era to face dinosaurs who to find the answer for a plague that is destroying earth in the modern day. You can get the name now, an Early Access version, on Steam.
Sneak Peak
Want a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Warcraft movie? Director Duncan Jones filmed himself on Periscope walking around the set, showing off props, and more. You can re-watch the video here.
Stumped (Kinda)
Stephen Colbert is something of a wizard when it comes to his knowledge of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. But now, he's finally been stumped. Actor Ryan Gosling recently appeared on his show and asked him a question that Colbert had no answer to. You can probably imagine there is some trickery going on here. Watch the full video here to find out how it went down.
Lego Dimensions Expands
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment this week released three new fun packs for its toys-to-life game Lego Dimensions. They are for characters include Bane (DC Comics), Slimer (Ghostbusters), and Lego Ninjago. These are Wave 5 Fun Packs. You can learn more about these and others at the Lego Dimensions website.
Say Hello to Riley
The crowdfunding campaign for robot security device Riley, described as the "world's smartest home companion," is entering its final hours. The Indiegogo campaign has already cleared its $50,000 goal (funding stands at more than $163,000 right now), but you still have time to make a pledge, as the campaign ends later today. Head to the Indiegogo page here to learn more.
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