By Anonymous on Oct 22, 2017 11:30 pm Mike and Jake delve deeper into the appeal of challenging games, and whether games such as Cuphead should be compared to Dark Souls anymore.
With the release of the Nintendo Switch earlier this year and the revamping of its six-year-old handheld, the 3DS, 2017 has undoubtedly been a big year for Nintendo. We're already deep into Nintendo's fall releases, but there's plenty more coming through this fall and holiday season.
In a graphic shared via Facebook, Nintendo details every major release on Switch and 3DS since the end of August. You can get a good peek of it below, or check out all the details a little further down.
We teamed up with Blizzard to give away ten (10) BlizzCon 2017 Virtual Tickets that include in-game freebies! Entry is open Worldwide. Yup, you read that correctly... WORLDWIDE. Competition ends Monday, October 23rd at 12:00PM PT and ten winners will be contacted via email. Scroll down to enter below.
The Virtual Ticket let's you stream BlizzCon 2017 from the comfort of your own couch, live and in high definition. You'll get coverage of both days of the show, including panels, contests, interviews, the closing ceremony, and more, along with some in-game goodies. This year's BlizzCon takes place November 3rd & 4th.
The in-game freebies you get include:
Overwatch: BlizzCon 2017 Winston Skin
World of Warcraft: Stormwind Skychaser and Orgrimmar Interceptor
StarCraft II: Junker SCV, Probe, and Drone Skins
Heroes of the Storm: Nexus Razorback Mount
Diablo III: Murkromancer Pet
Hearthstone: Mystery Goodie
Enter below (the additional entries are optional to increase your chances of winning):
Resident Evil: Revelations' mini-game, Ghost Ship Panic, is an old-school score attack shooter. In loading screens, players will take down different varieties of Ooze, Rachel Ooze, and Scagdead with a cursor. Kills and combos will earn BP for use in the title's Raid mode. You can see more of the game in action below.
Ghouls 'n Homunculi is a play on Capcom's 1988 title Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Instead of taking the knight Arthur's shoes, players will play as Barry Burton as he explores an island filled with eerie enemies. Similar to Ghost Ship Panic, this platformer mini-game will earn rewards to be used in Raid mode.
Resident Evil: Revelations and Revelations 2 will be available on Nintendo Switch on November 28. Both titles are already available on Xbox One and PS4.
By Anonymous on Oct 22, 2017 08:30 pm (Sponsored by PlayStation) Funhaus's Lawrence Sonntag races against former GT Gamer turned Pro Driver, Ricardo Sanchez, in the Finals of Gran Turismo Sport's Race On.
Every decade has its share of great horror movies, and the very best have become true cinematic classics that are every bit as important as more "prestigious" films. From Bride of Frankenstein, Psycho, and Night of the Living Dead to Halloween, The Exorcist, and The Shining, these are movies which even the most casual horror fan knows, and they continue to influence the genre today. But what are the other films that true horror fans need to have seen? Everyone has their favorites, but we've gathered 22 movies that all lovers of zombies, ghosts, killers, and demons need to check out. How many have you seen?
Black Sunday (1960)
Mario Bava is the godfather of Italian horror, and one of the most influential filmmakers ever to work in the genre. Black Sunday is perhaps his finest film; a striking, dreamlike slice of gothic madness that feels very different to the movies that were being served up by better known horror flick production houses such as Hammer at that time. Black Sunday is best known for the opening scene in which Barbara Steele has a metal mask hammered onto her face, but the whole movie is a macabre must-see.
Society (1990)
There's no other horror movie quite like Society. A satire of 1980s class and privilege, it plays out like a weird, gloopy soap opera, as ex-Baywatch star Billy Warlock discovers that his privileged, status-obsessed friends and parents are in fact shape-shifting, power-mad sex mutants. Directed by Re-Animator producer Brian Yuzna, Society is funny, cheesy, disturbing, and a deeply subversive one-off.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
The silent era threw up many great horror movies, but few have the power of Robert Wiene's masterpiece of German Expressionism. Wiene adopted a surreal, dreamlike tone for this story of an insane hypnotist who uses his power to make others commit terrible crimes. The weird set design, crazy camera angles, and shocking final twist made the film feel way of ahead of its time, and they still impress today.
Martin (1977)
In the years between his undead masterpieces Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, George Romero tried his hand at a few non-zombie movies, the best of which was this vampire classic. A disturbing tale of addiction and urban alienation, Martin took familiar vampire myths and placed them in the real world, as a lonely young man attempts to fit in with regular society while fighting an uncontrollable lust for blood.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Part of the 3D craze of the 1950s, Creature from the Black Lagoon might play out like a more typical '50s monster movie when watched today, but it still holds an eerie power. The creature is one of all the all-time great movie monsters, and the underwater sequences are still hugely impressive, as the iconic Gill-Man glides and dives through the water, stalking scientist Julie Adams, with whom he is besotted.
Re-Animator (1985)
The 1980s was the decade of comedy horror, and there are few better than Re-Animator. Stuart Gordon's adaptation of HP Lovecraft's short story features a hilariously unhinged performance from Jeffrey Combs as maverick doctor Herbert West, who is obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. Re-Animator has it all--great characters, a hilariously sharp script, wonderfully meaty make-up effects, and tons of madcap energy.
Freaks (1932)
While most infamous horror films have been endlessly copied, remade, and recycled, there is no other movie like Tod Browning's Freaks. After the success of the Bela Lugosi-starring Dracula, Browning used the leeway he had with the studio to make this tragic story of life among a family of circus freaks. At heart this is a moving family drama about outsiders, but the movie's nightmarish tone and disturbing imagery led to over 20 minutes of cuts. Sadly, the full version is lost forever, but even in its truncated form, Freaks remains one of the most notorious movies of all time.
Pulse (2001)
Part of the wave of Japanese horror that followed the success of The Ring in the early 2000s, Pulse stands apart from the rest. It's weird, ambitious, funny, and very, very scary. While many of the individual elements might be familiar to fans of Japanese horror--long-haired ghosts, freaky children, young people being menaced by an unseen terror--director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's treatment of this material is anything but traditional. The film is a strange, surreal experience that strains the boundaries of logic and combines a persistent sense of impending doom with some truly terrifying scenes.
The Innocents (1961)
No horror list would be complete without a creepy kid movie, and there are few creepier that The Innocents. Adapted from the classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw, it's a restrained slice of gothic terror, about a governess who is employed to look after a pair of kids who she comes to believe have been possessed by ghosts. As well as the potent atmosphere, eerie sound design, and striking monochrome photography, the movie also boasts a groundbreaking electronic score.
The Beyond (1981)
He might not be as critically revered as Dario Argento or Mario Bava, but for many fans of Italian horror, Lucio Fulci is every bit as vital. The Beyond is a potent blend of zombie shocker and gothic mystery; at times it's stilted, clunky, and silly, but it also possesses an oppressive atmosphere of otherworldly strangeness and some outrageously over-the-top gore effects.
Cat People (1942)
This 1942 classic marked the first collaboration between producer Val Lewton and pioneering director Jaques Tourneur. The studio expected a horror quickie with a snappy title, but alongside the melodrama and sometimes dated acting, Lewton and Tourneur brought a level of artistry unusual for this sort of low-budget fare. The idea of cat women becoming deadly through arousal was radical for the age, and Tourneur's directorial style differed substantially from his horror contemporaries, with the use of shadows and sound creating some truly memorable sequences.
Suspiria (1977)
Legendary Italian director Dario Argento's supernatural chiller is one of the most distinctive horror movies of the 1970s. The mix of intriguing mystery, gory violence, eye-popping visuals, and an ear-splitting score made the director a favorite among horror aficionados across the world. Much of this crazy tale of ballerinas and witches might not make logical sense, but man, it looks and sounds incredible.
It Follows (2014)
Perhaps the best indie horror of the past decade, It Follows avoids many of the cliches of modern teen horror and places a group of believable kids into a terrifyingly surreal situation, evoking a constant feeling of dread without relying on lavish effects. The film has an almost fairytale-like tone, with gliding camerawork and terror that results almost entirely from scenes of people walking quickly in the direction of the main characters.
Dracula (1958)
While Bela Lugosi was the first actor to officially portray Bram Stoker's legendary vampire, for many horror fans, Christopher Lee is the definitive Drac. Hammer's first Dracula movie (retitled Horror of Dracula the US) remains one of the very best. Lee is a suave and charismatic Count, while Peter Cushing is every bit his equal as Van Helsing. It's a stylish, bloody, exciting gothic treat.
Audition (1999)
Japanese maverick Takashi Miike might be one of the most prolific directors working, and Audition is one of his very best. What starts as a quirky romantic drama about a lonely businessman looking for love ultimately turns into a terrifying, disturbing vortex of physical and psychological torment. The film takes its time to reach the horror, but when it does, it delivers one of the genre's most shattering final sequences.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
One of the most controversial horror movies of the 1980s, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a raw, unflinching look at the day-to-day life of its titular killer, as he moves from town to town, victim to victim. Anchored by a terrifying debut performance from future Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker, Henry's power comes from its stark, non-judgmental tone and matter-of-fact depiction of violence. It's still a tough watch, but it's up there with the decade's finest movies.
The late-2000s saw a wave of bloody French horror movies, including Switchblade Romance, Martyrs, and Frontier(s). Inside is argubaly the most gruesome of the lot, and while it lacks Martyrs' fearsome intelligence, the breathtaking level of inventive splatter and super-stylized gore makes it a must-see for gorehounds. Given the entire plot revolves around Beatrice Dalle trying to get an unborn baby out of her victim's belly, it's certainly not for the squeamish. But for those with a strong enough stomach, it delivers the meaty goods.
Eyes Without A Face (1960)
One of the very best horror movies to emerge from France, Eyes Without a Face was a controversial take on the mad scientist genre. Directed by former documentary-maker Georges Franju, it focuses on a scientist who kidnaps young women at night and transplants their faces onto the disfigured features of his daughter. While many critics and viewers were impressed by the movie's style and haunting atmosphere, just as many were were appalled by its dark themes and graphic scenes of surgery.
Phantasm (1979)
Don Coscarelli's mind-bending debut is a true independent effort, with few concessions made to the rules of conventional filmmaking. This small-town tale of brothers who become involved with a sinister corpse-harvesting operation was shot on weekends over the space of many months, with the script written and rewritten as it went along. And it shows, in the best possible way, in everything from the flying blood-draining metal spheres and killer grave-robbing space midgets to the iconic villainous Tall Man. This no-budget gem inspired four sequels and is also one of JJ Abrams' favourite movies; he produced the recent 4K restoration, and used the killer spheres as his inspiration for The Force Awakens' Captain Phasma.
Onibaba (1964)
Long grass has never been scarier than in this masterpiece of Japanese horror. It's a period folktale about an impoverished mother and daughter-in-law who survive by murdering soldiers and selling their possessions. That is, until the day they encounter a samurai with a cursed mask. It's the incredible atmosphere generated by film's setting--desolate swampland populated by grass tall enough to entirely disappear into--that helps build the movie's unique, terrifying power, as the women descend into madness.
The Changeling (1980)
George C. Scott stars as a grieving father who moves into a haunted house in this super creepy chiller. The Changeling is old-fashioned in the best sense of the term, taking its time to set up the story and ensuring that the audience is fully invested in the characters before delivering the horror goods. Director Peter Medak is a master at evoking maximum chills from minimal props; who would've thought that a bouncing rubber ball or a wheelchair could be so scary? The movie also features one of the most frightening seances in horror--an unnerving scene that was a clear influence on latter-day horror hits like The Conjuring and Insidious.
Assassin's Creed Origins is the latest entry in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise. Unlike past games, which continually pushed the ancestor timeline forward, this entry is a prequel. Set in Egypt, you play as Bayek, a warrior whose struggle against the corrupt forces of the time leads him towards becoming the first Assassin.
With the game's release date set for October 27 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about Assassin's Creed Origins. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, guides, additional articles, and videos.
Features
Unlike its predecessors, Assassin's Creed Origins is an action-RPG; it sports a multi-faceted skill tree, damage hit points, and equipment with varying statistics. In addition, everything you do feeds into an overarching progression system that steadily improves your character's strength and abilities over time. For more about the game's mechanics and story, as well as our impressions of it thus far, check out the features below:
Super Mario Odyssey is the latest installment of Nintendo's tenured franchise starring the lovable Italian plumber. You once again control Mario as he works to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. But this time around, he has the help of a new hat sidekick named Cappy, who he can throw at certain objects or enemies to temporarily posses them and use their unique abilities.
With Super Mario Odyssey's release date set for October 27 on Nintendo Switch, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about the game. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, guides, additional articles, and videos.
Features
As a 3D-style Mario game, the emphasis is on exploration in Super Mario Odyssey. The game sports a multitude of open sandbox environments to navigate, which are each packed with enemies and platforming challenges. For more about our impressions about the game thus far, check out the features below:
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the follow-up to 2014's The New Order. It once again centers around B.J. Blazkowicz and his struggle to overthrow the Nazi regime. This time around he's trying to set up a second American Revolution with the help of a militant group of resistance fighters.
With the game's release date set for October 27 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled our most important features and gameplay videos detailing everything you need to know about Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Check back often as we update this article with our in-depth review, additional articles, and videos.
Features
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus maintains the same action-heavy gunplay of its predecessor. The game features a variety of weapons, most of which can be dual-wielded. New this time around is a cover system to aid your approach in a firefight. For more of our impressions about the game and its provocative depiction of a Nazi-occupied America, check out the features below:
Every Cinematic Cutscene So Far--We collected every cutscene we have seen so far for Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and put them all into one handy video for you. Be warned, this video is packed with spoilers.
Delivering A Nuke To Area 52 Gameplay--BJ Blazkowicz is back at it again! This time our well armed friend is fighting through a train to deliver a nuke to Area 52.
One of the most notable new additions for the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront II is its single-player campaign. After the 2015 reboot didn't have one, EA heard the feedback and tasked its new studio, Motive, to create an all-new story starring an Empire soldier named Iden Versio. Now, another detail about the campaign has come to light: its estimated length.
Producer David Robillard told Press-Start that the campaign will clock in at between 5 and 8 hours. Of course, this will depend on how you play, but that's the estimate he's provided as a general idea. "We thought that around 5-7, maybe 8 hours is probably a good amount of time…we wanted to stay very driven towards the Star Wars fantasy that the players are going to experience and not have it be drawn out."
5-8 hours matches up pretty closely with the length of Call of Duty games. It might sound short compared to RPGs, but for many, length doesn't matter as much as long as the experience is compelling. And also, Battlefront II's bread and butter is, for many, the multiplayer, and some will surely find themselves sinking many multiples of time longer there than in the campaign.
Star Wars: Battlefront II is one of 2017's biggest and most anticipated games. A sequel to the 2015 reboot that was one of the most successful Star Wars games in history, the new game has even bolder ambitions. One of the most-discussed elements of the sequel is its single-player campaign, a notable addition after the 2015 game left it out. EA wanted to get that game out in time for The Force Awakens, which makes sense from a business perspective, but some fans were miffed at the lack of a campaign. For the sequel, EA tasked one of its newest studios Motive, to creating the campaign, bringing on writers Walt Williams and Mitch Dyer to write an all-new story for the Star Wars universe.
GameSpot recently had the chance to play the first three chapters of the campaign, which follows an Empire soldier named Iden Versio, and you can read our thoughts here. Of course, the campaign is just one element of the sequel. DICE is making the multiplayer, while Criterion is handling the Starfighter Assault and Arcade modes.
As part of our preview session, we also spoke to Motive producer David Robillard. He told us about the feedback EA heard over the first game ("We want single-player!), what it's like working with so many teams on a single project, why the Empire may not be as purely evil as you think, and why it's "sad" that people think having a female protagonist is anything but accepted. Scroll down to hear what Robillard had to say on those topics and more, including the possibility of a Nintendo Switch version.
Why There Is A Campaign This Time:
After Battlefront 1, the reboot, EA looked at the feedback we got from Battlefront 1. One of the most resounding pieces of feedback we got was, 'We want single-player.' With that in mind, they tasked Motive to bring up a team that are the best in their field in creating narrative and realising on that narrative and executing on it. So we have a great team at Motive that built the single-player campaign. We worked hand-in-hand with Lucas to make it as authentic and immersive as we can. I think we have the best storyline, interactive gameplay feel that you can get up to now in the Star Wars universe.
"One of the most resounding pieces of feedback we got was, 'We want single-player.'"
On If It's A Bottleneck To Work With So Many Teams
No. Between Motive, Criterion, and DICE, we're all experts in our own fields. So obviously DICE, they are kings at making great multiplayer games. Criterion are known for their vehicle gameplay. And the Motive team has been crafted to bring people that have this acumen for storytelling and realisation and for good single-player gameplay. So with that focus, we can all push towards our craft and make it the best we can. And with the collaboration with Lucasfilm on top of it, we can make sure whatever we are crafting is going to be authentic to Star Wars.
On Getting Players To Empathise With The Empire
Are they [evil]? Our approach to it is there are two sides to every conflict. Whenever you are in war, because what's happening in Star Wars is war, there is no right or wrong. There is only the victor. And the victor writes [the story]. So for people within the Empire who grew up in it, who believe from day one that what the Empire is trying to do is the right thing to do, they're trying to bring order, they're trying to bring stability, and they're trying to root out rebellion. If you take those words--order, stability, and root our rebellion--these things seems like perfectly good things to strive for. From that perspective, what happens to those people once the Death Star explodes? How do they feel? How do they get back from that? What happens?
On Iden's Story Arc
I can tell you that at some point, any soldier will question what they are doing. They are going to have to face the ethics of it all. Aside from that, I'm going to have to let players play and see for themselves.
On What Boundaries Lucasfilm Set For Battlefront 2?
Actually, it's been pretty good. We haven't been restricted. I think it comes from the choices we made early on. For instance, the story, and deciding when we wanted to start the story. That was entirely driven by the Motive team. When we said we wanted to start after the Battle of Endor, we want to get that gap from Return of the Jedi to The Force Awakens, telling an Imperialist story, we pitched that to Lucas and Lucas was like, 'Yeah, go for it.' After that, they have been in collaboration with us every step of the way. We had people go to the archives at Lucasfilm and scan the props and bring them back into the game so it could be as immersive and authentic as possible. We had our sound team go to Skywalker ranch and get their sound bits there. Get their music, get their ambiance. We've had help from Industrial Light & Magic to make sure the lighting is accurate for any set pieces that are set for Imperials and any set pieces on the Rebel side because they are going to be different tones of lighting. So it's been a great collaboration.
The Timeline Spans 30 Years, So How Does That Work?
I'm not going to spoil anything. But we are playing within the gap [between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens] and we will see some iconic characters from The Force Awakens at some point.
On Having A Female Protagonist
It's sad that the internet coming to terms with [female protagonists] because Star Wars has always been about strong female characters. And for us, telling an authentic Star Wars story had to go through a strong female protagonist. We wanted somebody who would be bold, headstrong, but also show an emotional side. So it made perfect sense for us that it would be Iden.
On Janina Gavankar's Performance
I haven't worked personally with Janina but my colleague who sits to the left of me at work, he's been to motion capture sessions and … she's phenomenal. She's so enthusiastic, she's so happy to be working with us. We have a great collaboration with her. She's always giving 110 percent during our motion and facial capture sessions. I think it shows in the captures that we have. We have captures for cinematic and we have captures for gameplay as well. So when Iden does a melee takedown, that's Janina doing the melee takedown.
"I'm not going to lie, it is daunting to work on Star Wars."
On The Pressure Of Working On A Star Wars Game
I'm not going to lie, it is daunting to work on Star Wars. But at the same time, it is exhilarating. Especially for us at Motive. We did not exist three years ago. So getting the opportunity to write a storyline that is original, that will tie into the broad Star Wars universe has been a blessing. We're very humbled by it and we're super privileged to have the collaboration we've had with Lucas and it's been really a smooth ride.
Is Battlefront 2 Canon?
Lucas doesn't like the word canon so we use the word authentic. You can use them as synonyms.
What Happens In Battlefront 2 Affects The Broader Star Wars Universe, Yes?
It becomes part of the broader Star Wars universe.
On What Happens In Star Wars: The Last Jedi
I don't [know anything]. I know what happens in the trailer but that's about it.
On The Last Jedi Content In The Battlefront 2 Campaign
To be determined.
On Creating New Worlds For Battlefront 2
Vardos is a completely new planet that we created for the single-player campaign. It's created in collaboration with Lucasfilm, with DICE. We created another planet for this game, that's Pilio. It's been fun having the opportunity to create these new locations.
Are These Planets Retroactively Added To The Star Wars Star Map?
I don't know about that. I'm not sure.
On John Boyega Calling Out EA About The Lack Of Campaign In 2015's Battlefront
He wasn't the only one. We listened to the fans after Battlefront 1, and the first decision I think that came out of the conversation about Battlefront 2 was, 'We need to have a single-player campaign.'
On Star Cards In Battlefront 2's Campaign
The Star Card system is a progression system that we borrowed the mechanics of it [from multiplayer] for single-player. Our goal was to make sure that everything you're going to see in single-player, if you decide to go to multiplayer, it will feel familiar to you. So we borrowed the same kind of progression system. But the Star Cards you have are for single-player only. They borrow from the concepts that are in multiplayer. You might see the same exact Star Wars from single-player to multiplayer, but your progression in single-player stays in single-player.
But Maybe Not Forever
After that, we might look into bridging the gap between single-player and multiplayer but that is something we need to explore. In terms of some progression [from single-player] carrying over to multiplayer.
How How The Campaign Is A "Safe Space"
It's more of a safe space than onboarding. It's its own separate experience. As an offline experience, we wanted the mechanics of it, the minute-to-minute gameplay, to be familiar for anybody who decides to go online. Some players will say, 'I'm not that much of a multiplayer [person]; I'd rather sit on my couch and play campaign.' And that's fine. That's what we wanted to provide. But for those who are intrigued by multiplayer, we was to give them the opportunity to hone their skills and get familiar with the controls. And then jump into multiplayer and not be disoriented by the controls.
On A Nintendo Switch Version
This is something we'll explore if we see opportunities there but it is not something that's on the books right now.
The Xbox One X is almost here. Microsoft's new console launches on November 7, and as part of the launch, Microsoft is of course rolling out a marketing campaign. This kicks off this weekend with a campaign in the United States called "Feel True Power."
A TV commercial will air on Sunday, October 22, at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET on the Xbox YouTube channel. The video will also be shown during the Season 8 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead later that night and also during the Super Bowl 51 rematch between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons during NBC's Sunday Night Football. A teaser for the spot can be seen below.
"The global campaign is designed to appeal to all gamers, taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster to elicit emotions like awe, excitement, fear, and passion," Microsoft said in a post on the Xbox Wire. "A call for gamers to feel the emotions of gaming in a way they may never have felt before. 'Feel True Power' represents that the experience isn't just about what you see, but also what you feel."
The Xbox One X launches on November 7, priced at $500 in the US. Keep checking back with GameSpot for lots more on the system in the days and weeks ahead.
By Anonymous on Oct 22, 2017 03:30 am Mary and Mike take to an underwater facility that is definitely, in no way, reminiscent of Rapture, to finish the fight with their Dark Souls nemesis.
Mike and Jake delve deeper into the appeal of challenging games, and whether games such as Cuphead should be compared to Dark Souls anymore.
(Sponsored by PlayStation) Funhaus's Lawrence Sonntag races against former GT Gamer turned Pro Driver, Ricardo Sanchez, in the Finals of Gran Turismo Sport's Race On.
Mary and Mike take to an underwater facility that is definitely, in no way, reminiscent of Rapture, to finish the fight with their Dark Souls nemesis.
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