This week sees the release of the next major Switch game, Splatoon 2. Nintendo's colorful shooter launches on July 21, and like its Wii Upredecessor, it puts a unique twist on team-based shooters. In the series' signature mode, Turf Wars, two teams of four compete to cover the most terrain with their shade of ink.
While Splatoon 2 shares many similarities with the original, Nintendo had added new content as well to round out this sequel. Along with new weapons, gear, and special abilities, Splatoon 2 features an expanded single-player campaign that has players blasting through levels on a quest to find the missing Squid Sister, Callie. There's also a new Horde mode called Salmon Run, in which a team of players take on waves of Salmonid enemies and collect their eggs.
Reviews for Splatoon 2 have begun surfacing online, and as always, we've compiled an overview of the game's critical reception. Below you'll find excerpts of reviews from various publications, along with the score each awarded the game. For a wider look at what critics think of Splatoon 2, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
"At first glance, Splatoon 2 seems very similar to the first game. But all the small changes, and even the bigger ones in single player and League Battles, make for a fresh take on the already unique shooter. If you played a lot of the original, the sequel has enough to keep you coming back, and if you're new to the game, it's a fantastic place to jump in." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]
Polygon -- 8/10
"What the first Splatoon did well is still built into the sequel's barnacle-encrusted DNA, and now it's on a system that you can stuff in your bag or play on the couch. It's baffling that Splatoon 2's best feature is held back by a frustrating lack of proper online support, and in many ways, it's the same game with some new tricks. But there are still enough imaginative additions for anyone who played the first game to death, especially via its strange, captivating supporting cast. It may be much more of the same, but the same is still pretty fresh." -- Chelsea Stark [Full review]
IGN -- Review In Progress
"It feels as if the paint had just begun to dry on Splatoon after its release on the Wii U in 2015 when Nintendo applied a fresh coat and relaunched it with Splatoon 2 on the Switch. That may be why this sequel feels less like a whole new game than a new version of the first one that rolls up the best post-launch updates to the colorful and adorably non-violent team-based shooter and adds some new toys. Of course, considering the first game is a lot of fun, that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you missed it for lack of a Wii U. And despite some questionable choices that can leave you trapped in matchmaking purgatory, the addition of a standout and clever take on a co-op horde mode provides some seriously addicting fun that has me coming back for more." -- Brendan Graeber [Full review in progress]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"So yes, Splatoon 2 is more of the same. It's a lot more of the same, seeing how it folds in all the improvements and additions that were introduced to the original over time and gives returning maps a significant makeover. It's going to be a lot more of the same--with the potential for some new surprises--given how Splatoon 2 is going to benefit from the same steady roll-out of new weapons, maps and modes. By any reasonable measure, this is a better game than its predecessor, and not just on quantity alone. It no longer benefits from the shock of the new--for that, you have to look towards the outstanding Arms--but it's most definitely an improvement on what remains one of Nintendo's finest games in many a year. It was only inevitable, though, that this one was never going to feel quite as fresh." -- Martin Robinson [Full review]
US Gamer -- 4/5
"As for me, like a good pop song being woefully addictive, I'll likely be singing Splatoon 2's tune well past its launch. While I was initially disappointed by how familiar the game felt, I still got a big goofy grin as I splatted my way to victory time and time again. It amounted to some of the most fun I've had in any multiplayer game in years. Probably, to be honest, since the last time squid kids splashed paint onto my screen. In the meantime, when Splatoon 3 inevitably hits in a few years I hope something spices up the tried and true splatting formula now that more than the twenty people who owned a Wii U can finally give the charming, innovative shooter a spin. Until then, as Pearl and Marina would say, Splatoon 2's off the hook. (That's slang for cool, I think. Don't ask me.)" -- Caty McCarthy [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4/5
"If these gripes appear minor, that's because they are. They came nowhere near ruining my time with Splatoon 2. It's the most multiplayer fun I've had in a while: the bright colours and squelchy sounds draw you into a mechanically complex shooter that you could spend weeks trying to master--and still learn new tricks. Splatoon 2 doesn't improve much on the excellent original, but it's a timely reminder of just how fun it is to throw a bucket of paint at a man with a pointy head until he explodes." -- Samuel Horti [Full review]
3D brawler Absolver is coming soon, and today Devolver Digital announced that it's getting a special edition and a pre-order discount. In addition, the publisher released a new gameplay trailer showing off some of the game's weapons and abilities, which you can watch in the embed below.
Absolver's special edition is a limited version that most notably includes a 1:1 scale model of the Prospect's Mask, the mask that your character wears in-game. It also includes an art book and stickers. If you buy the PS4 special edition, you'll get a limited-run, physical version of the game, as well, while PC purchasers get a Steam key. Only 3,250 copies each of the PS4 and PC special editions will be made. It costs $75.
If you pre-order either the standard version or the special edition of the game starting today, you'll receive two pieces of in-game DLC: the Labyrinth Prospect mask and the Uring Priest gear set. If you buy the standard version, you'll also get a 10% discount, bringing the game's price down to $27 (normally $30).
Absolver is a 3D action and fighting game that emphasizes multiplayer, one-on-one combat, and it launches on August 29. It has a very involved fighting system that is based on four different "stances" as well as different movesets. There's a cooperative, adventure element as well. You can read our preview from E3 2016 here; we were also able to see it at E3 2017 and came away impressed with the way it's been improved.
It's almost time for SummerSlam, but before we can get to the summer event, we're making a stop at the Smackdown brand-exclusive PPV Battleground. Taking place on Sunday, July 23, three titles will be on the line, with the most anticipated one being WWE Champion Jinder Mahal taking on Randy Orton in a Punjabi Prison match. Here is who is on the card and our predictions.
Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. Lana
(Five-Way Elimination Match to determine Naomi's opponent at SummerSlam)
Naomi has been the Smackdown's Women's Champion since she beat Alexa Bliss at Wrestlemania this past spring. Since then, she's gone through the division racking up victory after victory. Now, the rest of the women on Smackdown will fight each other in an elimination match to determine who will take on the champ at SummerSlam.
Although we would love to see Becky Lynch take on Naomi at SummerSlam, we're going to go out on a limb and say that Tamina is going to take this one. She's the only one out of the five women that hasn't been in the championship picture, and while Lynch seems like the logical choice, we're thinking WWE might shake things up a bit by having Tamina win.
Our prediction: Tamina wins
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens
(For the United States Championship)
At a recent house show, Kevin Owens lost the United States Championship to AJ Styles, which was a baffling surprise considering titles almost never change hands at non-televised events. "The New Face of America" no longer has the object that made Kevin Owens great again, so he's getting a chance to win his championship back at Battleground.
Owens and Styles are a couple of the top performers at the company, so this match will be a barnburner. That being said, in order to keep this rivalry going, Owens needs to win the title back, so they can have a rubber match at SummerSlam. Also, Owens is the new face of America, and he needs his United States Championship.
Our prediction: Owens wins
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin
Filling out the Battleground card are two of Smackdown's up-and-coming stars, Shinsuke Nakamura and Money in the Bank winner Baron Corbin. This is going to be a very interesting match, considering both wrestlers have very different styles.
Corbin will reach main event status very soon, if not by the end of Battleground, and Nakamura hasn't been given an exceptionally great storyline as of yet. However, we're thinking this match will showcase The Artist's abilities, since he has so much to gain from winning this match. Corbin will be fine, as he still has his Money in the Bank contract by his side. Because of all this, we're giving the win to Nakamura.
Our prediction: Nakamura wins
The Usos (c) vs. The New Day
(For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The New Day will take on The Usos once again at Battleground, and hopefully, The Usos won't use the championship advantage to give them the edge. As far as the tag team division goes, this is the rivalry to watch--although we do love what Breezango is doing.
This is a tough call, since both of these teams are at the top of their game. However, with SummerSlam coming up next month, it seems like we may get a repeat of this match, with larger odds. For that to happen, New Day should win this match; however, much like last month, we see New Day winning by count out or DQ, which means the Usos would keep their belts.
Our prediction: The New Day wins
John Cena vs. Rusev (Flag Match)
Rusev has returned to television, and he's taking on John Cena, again. The whole "America vs. Not America" story is the angle one more time as the two battle each other in a Flag Match, in which you can only win by capturing the opponent's flag--which are at opposite turnbuckles--and raising said flag in your corner.
Apparently, the main event for Battleground didn't give the WWE Universe enough chances to chant "USA" during the PPV. When Rusev had the United States Championship, Cena/Rusev was a fantastic rivalry, but this time, there's nothing on the line, aside from pride. Because of John Cena's return to television, and jumping back and forth between Smackdown and Raw is being highlighted by WWE, we're giving Cena the win.
Our prediction: Cena wins, crowd chants "USA" a whole bunch.
Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Randy Orton (Punjabi Prison Match)
(For the WWE Championship)
Closing out the PPV is yet another Jinder Mahal/Randy Orton battle for the WWE Championship. The two will square-off in a Punjabi Prison match. Two steel-enforced bamboo cages surround the ring--the first is 16 feet tall and the second is 20 feet tall. In order to win, you have to escape.
In order for Mahal to establish himself as a real champion, he needs to win this match, so he can face his next opponent. For the most part, Mahal has been involved in this rivalry for months, aside from a squash match here and there. What fans want to see out of the champ is for him to take on more than just Randy Orton, which will help legitimize Mahal. That being said, the modern-day maharajah will come out on top.
Our prediction: Mahal wins, crowd chants "USA" a whole bunch.
Secondary prediction: Baron Corbin wins after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and professional Intimidating Large Man Terry Crews is a well-known fan of Overwatch, having campaigned to play the role of one of its characters. While he still loves that game, he--like many other people--has found a new passion: Playerunknown's Battlegrounds.
Battlegrounds remains in Early Access but has made an impressive debut during its first few months on Steam. Just recently, it surpassed the all-time peak concurrent player count of Grand Theft Auto V, bringing it to number four on the list. Among those players are Crews and his son, with whom he frequently plays video games.
"[Our favorite] was Overwatch at first; we loved Overwatch, we still love it," Crews told PC Gamer. "But then we got into Playerunknown's Battlegrounds. PUBG? Holy cow, we can't get enough."
Crews also drew a comparison between the battle royale-style game and a real-life activity: "You know what? It's a safe way to do paintball. You are literally in this world and then they start closing the battlefield around you, and people are trying to kill you--my son and I have been having so much fun on PUBG that, right now, that's my go-to game."
The actor went on to share his enthusiasm for virtual reality, noting that he recently got an Oculus Rift and finds it "a lot smoother" than the HTC Vive. Of VR, he said, "It's totally the future, but you gotta work on making the stories as interesting as possible."
Battlegrounds is coming to Xbox One later this year, though a release date has not been announced. The Xbox One X version will support both 4K and HDR.
Titanfall 2's next DLC pack has been revealed, and its biggest addition is Frontier Defense, a cooperative, wave-based mode. It's coming next week on July 25, and the mode and two new maps will be free to all players.
In a blog post today, developer Respawn announced that Frontier Defense is on the way and will support five maps at launch. It's a four-player co-op mode that's much like other horde modes, although this one will, of course, feature Titans. It's very similar to the Frontier Defense mode that was added to the first Titanfall in a post-launch update.
There are five waves of increasingly strong enemies to defeat, and killing them gets you money that you can spend on tools and items. Frontier Defense has five difficulty levels to choose from, and a new Titan progression system that unlocks upgrades for your Titan. You can watch the mode's trailer above.
In addition, the DLC comes with two maps. The first, called Rise, is a remaster from the original game that emphasizes long sight lines. "The towering, sheer walls and a system of convenient zip lines provide Pilots with means to get around quickly while Titans do battle in the long corridors below," Respawn stated. "Pilots can also set up ambushes in the guts of this complex pipeworks, while titans can lock down large sections of the battlefield at critical junctures."
Township, meanwhile, is a new map for the Pilot vs. Pilot gametype Live Fire. "A new modular construction of a residential firefight," Respawn wrote. "Cover is sparse for Pilots bold enough to leave the safety of a few houses. Windows and rooftops decide who controls the map, but dense interiors can always hold surprises."
Finally, there'll be a few new cosmetic items to purchase alongside the free content. New Elite Warpaints are coming for Titans and weapons. Owning the new weapon Warpaints gives you a 10% chance to earn a double XP token at the end of a match, and it grants a merit boost for your teammates. Until August 28, these are available in a bundle; after that, they'll have to be purchased individually. The Titan Warpaints, on the other hand, give you and your teammates an XP boost in Frontier Defense. These Warpaints are only available until August 28. You can see all of the new cosmetics below.
Blizzard has announced Doomfist, the newest hero to join Overwatch, will be available from July 27. The confirmation was made alongside the release of a hero preview video, which you can watch above.
In the video, various members of the Overwatch development team talk about the history behind Doomfist's development and also how the character's brawler style harkens back to classic fighting games.
There's also some insight into the morality and motivation behind Doomfist. Although the character is technically considered to be a villain, game director Jeff Kaplan talks about Doomfist doesn't believe himself to be bad, and instead is focused on "perpetuating strength and honor." This has led to other people perceiving him as a villain.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is the upcoming prequel to the critically acclaimed game Life is Strange and will focus on the character Chloe Price. If you played the previous episodic adventure game, you'll recognize her as lead character Max Caulfield's friend. Set three years before Life is Strange, the game will tell Chloe's story, and developer Deck Nine is giving audiences a preview in the video above.
"The rawness of her hurt and her pain is the thing that makes her such a dynamic and powerful character," said Rhianna Devries, who voices Chloe Price in the game. Much of the story will revolve around Chloe's struggles following the death of her father and her relationship with the character Rachel.
Ashly Burch, who voiced Chloe is the first game, previously tweeted that she was unable to reprise her role in the prequel because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Instead, she'll be returning to Before the Storm as a writing consultant. "We heard about [Chloe and Rachel's relationship] in the first game a lot, and it's a lot of what motivates Chloe, and being able actually see it and have the players experience it I think will be really special and fun," she said.
Episode 1, called Awake, will be released on August 31 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The first of three episodes to come, you can preorder the entire game for $17. There's also a deluxe edition for $25 that includes a bonus episode (where you can play as Max Caulfield "one last time"), a mixtape mode, and an exclusive outfit pack.
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds is one of the most popular games that's released this year, and it's consistently been near the top on Steam in terms of active players. It's gaining enough attention that other companies are starting to take note. Today during Ubisoft's earnings call, CEO Yves Guillemot mentioned that the company is watching Battlegrounds with interest, and that it might do something similar down the line.
In response to a question about the rise of Battlegrounds, Guillemot responded that the game doesn't pose a threat to Ubisoft's properties, but instead it presents an opportunity. Rainbow Six Siege and Ubisoft's other shooters are doing well regardless of Battlegrounds' performance. However, there's a possibility that Ubisoft could make its own version of Battlegrounds' gameplay.
"[Battlegrounds] is doing a fantastic job," Guillemot said. "Rainbow Six continues to grow, and the time spent on the game is increasing, so we didn't see any competition from that game. But we look at what those guys are doing, and it's a type of gameplay that is very interesting and that maybe is something you'll see in some of the DLCs we do on some of our games in the future."
Even though he did not announce anything, his statement reveals that Ubisoft is thinking seriously about Battlegrounds--and that its future products might be influenced by it.
Destiny 2's full release isn't until September, but Bungie is opening the game up to a portion of the playerbase today, July 18, with the highly anticipated beta.
People who pre-ordered the game on PlayStation 4 can start playing right now, while Xbox One pre-order players can jump in this time tomorrow, July 19. If you don't pre-order, you can start playing when the beta opens to everyone on July 21. The beta is also coming to PC, but now until August; keep checking back with GameSpot for more on the PC beta.
The Destiny 2 beta includes the game's first campaign mission, Homecoming, along with the Inverted Spire Strike and Crucible content. The Strike and Crucible content require a subscription to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, while the campaign mission doesn't.
Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare has announced Aaryn Flynn, general manager of its Edmonton-based studio, will be leaving. Casey Hudson, who initially left BioWare in August 2014, will return to take up the position as his replacement.
In a post on the BioWare Blog, Flynn confirmed he will be "working with [Hudson] over the next couple of weeks to help catch him up and do my part to set him up for success to be the best GM he can be," before leaving at the end of July.
"The last few years have been transformative for me, from having time to reflect on what I most want to do, to working with new technologies at platform scale," Hudson said in a separate blog post. "And now, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to return to lead BioWare--a studio that I think of as home."
Further reports have indicated that a small team is now working on Andromeda to push out fixes and support its multiplayer portion. However, many developers from BioWare Montreal, which led development on Andromeda, have moved on to other projects. Some are now believed to be at EA Motive, which is contributing to the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront II (as well as another project that won't be out until at least 2018, if not later).
BioWare Edmonton, meanwhile, has unveiled its new IP, Anthem, which is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018. Gameplay of Anthem was shown during E3 2017, and it was previously described as an action IP "built around a live service" that features a "disruptive new social design."
The Dragon Ball FighterZ roster continues to grow. This time, another pair of characters have been revealed for the new Dragon Ball fighting game, and they're two rather obvious choices: Piccolo and Krillin.
The two fighters were unveiled in the latest issue of Japanese magazine V-Jump (via Gematsu), which also provided some brief information on each. While Piccolo and Krillin lack the power of the Saiyans on the roster, each one compensates for that with some unique abilities. According to Gematsu, Piccolo can extended his arms to grab opponents and can fire beam attacks at high speeds. Krillin, on the other hand, can use classic Dragon Ball moves like the Kamehameha and Afterimage Technique to battle foes. His signature Destructo Disc attack is also impossible to block, and players can control the trajectory of Krillin's Ki blasts.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2018. The game is being developed by Arc System Works, the studio behind the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue franchises. Bandai Namco has said that the game could possibly come to Switch as well, though the publisher is focusing on the console's upcoming port of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 first.
Ubisoft today reported the results of its first fiscal quarter of 2017, which ended on June 30. It was a positive one for the publisher, as it saw sales increase the absence of any major new releases during the period.
Sales for the quarter were €202.1 million, an increase of 45.2% compared with the same period a year ago and higher than Ubisoft projected. A whopping 80.4% of that came in the form of digital revenue, up from 75.3% last year. The back catalog (meaning games not released during this period) made up 94.3% of total sales, up from 91.1%.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
In lieu of any new games from this quarter to discuss, Ghost Recon: Wildlands (which launched in March) was singled out as the "biggest hit" of the year. Ubisoft says this is true when combining its physical and digital sales on all platforms in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan through the first half of the year.
A breakdown of sales by region and platform revealed little change in the former category. However, PS4 sales accounted for a much bigger portion of overall sales than last year. During this quarter, it accounted for 44%, compared with 22% for Xbox One. Last year, they accounted for 31% and 23%, respectively. PC declined to 21% from 26% last year.
There was little else of note shared in today's earnings report. However, the positive outcome is significant considering the looming threat of a takeover by Vivendi, as Ubisoft hopes to continue to demonstrate that its strategy is working effectively.
Grand Theft Auto V's latest weekly update has arrived. As always, it's focused on delivering new content and bonuses in GTA Online, the highlight of which is an upgraded version of an existing vehicle.
The Karin Technical--which you might remember from the Series A Funding heist as the pickup truck with a gun mounted in the back--is now available and with new customization options. The Karin Technical Custom can be upgraded in the Mobile Operations Center's Vehicle Workshop Module, letting you deck it out with armor, a better weapon, and more. You can get a glimpse at what it can look like in the image below.
GTA Online players can also jump in the game now to receive a 25% boost to Arms Manufacturing through July 24. You can also get a free black Ammu-Nation hoodie by completing a sell mission from your Bunker during that time, while bodyguards and associates see their salaries doubled. The ongoing double GTA$ and RP bonuses offered when playing the recently added Overtime Rumble Adversary mode have been extended and also run through July 24.
As for discounts, a number of things are 25% off right now. These include:
Phantom Wedge (both standard and SecuroServ trade prices)
Annihilator
Buzzard
Vehicle Armor
Bulletproof Tires
From now through July 24, the Premium Race is Into the Dam, with the Blazer Aqua as the only option. As always, it offers big GTA$ rewards for the top three finishers, while everyone earns triple RP. Meanwhile, the weekly Time Trial is Sawmill and offers solid GTA$ and RP rewards for anyone who can beat the target time.
The upcoming action comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle has assembled one of the best casts of the year and they are showcased on a new series of posters.
The movie is the sequel to the 2014 hit Kingsman: The Secret Service, and the posters feature Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, and Pedro Pascal, alongside returning cast members Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, and Colin Firth. Check them out in the gallery below:
The posters were released alongside a teaser for the movie's upcoming panel at San Diego Comic-Con, which is set to take place on Friday, July 20. It is promised to be "a panel like no other," and many of the cast are expected to be there.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is directed by Matthew Vaughn, who also helmed the first movie. The trailer was released in April--check it out here.
In a interview with Collider, Egerton hinted at what fans could expect from the new movie. "It's f***ing mental," he said. "But it's what people like and it's what Matthew is good at. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's awesome. It's bigger and it feels more ambitious, really.
"There are more characters, the world is explored in more detail. This weird version of reality where these spies exist is kind of explored more. We discover a sister organization based in America called the Statesman... they're richer than us, they've got cool s**t."
Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrives in theaters on September 22, 2017.
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Take a look at the intro cinematic that gives us our first look at Destiny 2's antagonist. He is not nice.
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