Though it's been awhile since the Detective Pikachu movie has been in the news, the film is still being developed behind the scenes. With Goosebumps director Rob Letterman helming the project and a screenplay from Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), it's being rumored that some very big names are being considered to voice the little yellow Pokemon.
According to a report from The Hashtag Show, Hugh Jackman, Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson are all names the studio is considering for the role. However, it's important to note that no meetings with the actors have taken place.
Production on the movie is currently scheduled to begin in London in January, which in theory could be difficult when it comes to some of the action stars being considered. Johnson, for instance, already has several projects lined up that should keep him busy for the next few years--including his upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff with Jason Statham and Black Adam.
Given that they're looking for someone to voice the role of Pikachu though, it shouldn't be too difficult to get any of the proposed action stars into a studio to record dialogue. Still, the names being passed around are nothing more than rumors at this point and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Detective Pikachu will be based on the Japanese video game Great Detective Pikachu, in which the Pokemon character as a master detective. Imagine Sherlock Holmes but with Pikachu. Unlike the character's primary appearances in Pokemon games, the detective version of Pikachu speaks, which explains why producers are considering actors with such familiar voices.
No release date for Detective Pikachu has been announced. In the meantime, there's plenty of new Pokemon Go content to keep fans of the series occupied.
After a number of rumors surrounding Generation 3 Pokemon potentially coming to Pokemon Go soon, Niantic has now finally officially confirmed the news, at the same time as revealing its Halloween 2017 event. The company says "a number of Ghost-type Pokemon originally discovered in the Hoenn region" will arrive as part of the event, including "Sableye, Banette, and others."
The event is scheduled to start on October 20 at midday PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST (6 AM AET on October 21 in Australia), ending at 1 PM PT on November 2. Niantic says the event will see "an increased number of spooky Pokemon such as Gastly, Cubone, Misdreavus, Houndour, and more," while "special Pikachu" wearing a Halloween costume will also be out and about.
Bonuses for the event include double Candy rewards for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokemon, and you'll be able to grab special boxes--"featuring items such as Raid Passes and Super Incubators"--from the in-game shop. Finally, you'll be able to grab the Mimikyu Disguise Hat for your avatar to wear.
Two more Generation 3 Pokemon--Duskull and Dusclops--can also be seen in-game in the trailer above. They, along with Sableye and Banette, are the first Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire to appear in Pokemon Go. Niantic says the rest of those games' monsters will arrive in Pokemon Go "starting gradually as early as December."
The addition of Gen 3 Pokemon was leaked earlier this week, when a datamine apparently uncovered sounds for all species up to #386 (Deoxys, the final Pokemon found in Generation 3). Another leak, showing more Gen 3 creatures and Pikachu wearing a witch's hat, followed just days later.
The official announcement means Pokemon Go will receive a Halloween event for the second year running. For more, you can check out our roundup of all the games holding Halloween events this month.
A couple of other events are going on now in Pokemon Go. Until October 25, players can share the best AR photos they take in-game for a chance to win cool prizes. The Legendary dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicune are also available in new regions through October 31. In other Pokemon news, the developer of the mainline series, Game Freak, has explained why Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon aren't coming to Nintendo Switch.
Coinciding with Nintendo Switch's big 4.0.0 firmware update, Nintendo has released a new patch for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The 1.3.0 update adds the ability to capture footage and makes a couple of gameplay tweaks, including to the dreaded Blue Shell.
One of the biggest features introduced in Switch's new firmware update is the ability to record and save videos of your gameplay. With the 1.3.0 patch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the four titles to support the functionality thus far (the other three being The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arms, and Splatoon 2). Once the update has been installed, you'll be able to save up to 30 seconds of footage by holding the Capture button.
In addition to that, the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe update makes a few gameplay adjustments. Most notably, the Blue Shell will no longer set its sights on the second-place racer if the player in first hasn't yet crossed the finish line. Smart Steering has also been adjusted slightly; now players will find it harder to float down with the glider when the option is enabled. Nintendo has also extended how long players will be invulnerable after spinning out or crashing.
You can find the full patch notes for today's update (taken from Nintendo's support site) below. The update will be applied automatically if your system is connected to the internet, and you'll need to have it installed in order to continue playing the game online. You'll also need to update your Switch to the 4.0.0 version in order to capture gameplay footage.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Version 1.3.0 Patch Notes
Video capture compatibility added. Hold the Capture Button to capture up to 30 seconds of the previous footage.
The system must be updated to Ver 4.0.0 or higher to use this feature.
Now more difficult to float down using the glider when Smart Steering is ON.
Blue Shells no longer hit the second place player when the first place player hasn't yet crossed the finish line.
Extended the invulnerability period after spinning out or crashing.
Changes made to Online Play prior to Ver.1.2.1 now apply to Wireless Play and LAN Play as well:
When further back in a race, will receive better items to help catch up to other players.
No more than one Piranha Plant will appear at a time.
Updating to Ver 1.3.0 will prevent users from Wireless Play or LAN Play with users on Ver.1.2.1 or lower.
In just over a week, Mario will embark on one of his biggest--and weirdest--adventures to date, Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo Switch. As usual, his longtime nemesis Bowser has captured Princess Peach, and to rescue her, Mario will have to explore a number of sandbox-style Kingdoms like in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
Things are a little different this time, however. Not only does Odyssey take Mario to some bizarre new worlds such as New Donk City--a metropolitan area inhabited by realistically proportioned people--he'll be joined by a ghost-like being called Cappy, which inhabits Mario's cap and in turn grants him the ability to possess other characters and objects.
As odd as all that may sound, however, it certainly isn't the strangest thing to happen to Nintendo's iconic plumber in his long and storied career. In the video above, we take a look back at eight of the weirdest moments in Mario's history, from his questionable Cat Costume in Wii U's Super Mario 3D World to his ongoing Olympic rivalry with Sonic the Hedgehog.
Football is a sport of great rivalries: Rangers vs Celtic, England vs Germany, Ronaldo vs Messi--these are all fierce contests in their own right. In the world of video games, footballing rivalries manifest in the battle between FIFA and PES.
Each year EA's behemoth and Konami's plucky challenger battle it out to see which game can win the hearts of soccer fans everywhere. FIFA is consistently popular, but PES's resurgence in the past few years has won a bunch of fans over. The question is: which is better this year?
Presentation
No matter your preference between the two footballing franchises, there can be no doubt that FIFA 18's presentation beats PES 2018's. PES's lack of licenses remains an issue, especially for those playing on Xbox since only PS4 and PC owners can install fan-made kit mods to make teams look closer to their real-life counterparts. FIFA, meanwhile, has almost every license worth acquiring, and makes good use of them with official graphic overlays, team-specific commentary lines, and more. This year, EA has improved the diversity of atmospheres you can experience in the game, dramatically changing the lighting and types of crowd noise you'll hear. Add that to an already slick set of menus, better-looking character models than ever, and the most addictive FUT pack-opening animation yet, and FIFA is a supremely pretty package.
In contrast, PES struggles to compete on the aesthetic front. Character models continue to improve (especially in the lower leagues, where some player faces are surprisingly accurate), but as a whole PES looks flat compared to FIFA's flashy exterior. Menus have not changed in years, crowds still sound lackluster, and I'm still stuck playing as Man Red rather than Manchester United.
It's safe to say FIFA 18 wins this round.
Gameplay
When it comes to how FIFA and PES perform on the pitch, it's a little more tricky. Everyone has their own opinion on which feels better to play, though our PES 2018 review awarded the game an 8/10 primarily for how fluid it feels when you get into a match. Passing feels slick, dribbling responsive, and shots gratifying. Goalkeepers are still weirdly awkward and defending can be fiddly, but overall we think PES 2018 is the most satisfying football game ever made.
FIFA has definitely improved since last year, with more satisfying shooting and slightly more responsive dribbling. Crosses are the most improved aspect of FIFA 18's gameplay, now whipping into the box with plenty of pace--and two new modifiers allow you to either loop crosses higher or drill them along the ground when necessary. Crucially, it's much easier to score from crosses and long shots now, leading to some wonderful goals.
Like FIFA 17 though, it still has problems. Dribbling--despite the improvements--still feels clunky and passing feels limp and unresponsive compared to PES. Different teams and players also don't feel distinct enough, and lower league players feel disproportionately poor compared to world stars.
FIFA 18 is on the up, but PES 2018 remains the king on the pitch.
Modes
Off the pitch, one of the main battlegrounds for soccer games is in their breadth and depth of modes. FIFA has traditionally edged PES in this respect, and this year sees another strong showing from EA's contestant. Alex Hunter returns in a second season of The Journey, FIFA's story-driven mode that's something unique to EA's series. It's not perfect--the ham-fisted appearances from real-world stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand are not exactly Oscar-winning--but it's an interesting and unique way of playing soccer.
Elsewhere, FUT continues to expand and is now almost a game in itself. This year sees the addition of Squad Battles, where you play a number of matches against other Ultimate Team clubs controlled by AI, before being ranked against other real-world players for the amount of wins you manage. Squad Battles offer another way of earning rewards, as do the new Daily Objectives, and together they flesh out the single-player side of a mode that's traditionally offered little for those not willing to play online.
Career Mode is pretty much unchanged save for revamped transfer negotiations. They now offer the ability to set up sell-on percentages and release clauses to players' contracts, and are conducted through interactive cutscenes, similar to those seen in The Journey. They don't really change much, but they're at least more exciting than seeing the same offer letter template in your Career Mode inbox for the hundredth time.
PES' Master League sees some neat enhancements: the new menu layout makes the mode easier to navigate, release clauses improve transfer negotiations, and the new Challenge Mode keeps things interesting with unexpected scenarios like players wanting to leave for greener pastures. It still has some annoying drawbacks--low transfer budgets and youth players being littered with unknown, gibberish names continue to grate--but it does a decent job of rivaling FIFA 18's Career Mode. The same can't be said of MyClub, which tries its best to distinguish itself from FUT with different features like Scout cards, but continues to appear as a knock-off Ultimate Team--which, to an extent, it is.
Luckily, PES has an amazing new way to play. Random Selection Mode returns from Pro Evo 6 with a few twists to shake things up wonderfully. You and a friend (who has to be in the same room, as the mode is local only) are each handed a squad of random players from a selection of leagues or countries you choose, so you might end up with a weird hybrid team of players from across the world of varying standards. What follows is a psychological battle of attempting to steal your opponent's star players while protecting your own. Up to three trade rounds allow you and your friend to pick a player from the other person's team who you want to pinch. You then pick a player from your own squad who you want to protect, and one you want to get rid of. Crucially, at no point until after all three are chosen do either of you know who the other person has picked, leading to a tense moment at the end of the round where it's revealed if you've successfully robbed that 92-rated striker your lucky friend got dealt. Manage to steal their top player and the bragging rights are all yours--at least until they manage to win the following match against the odds. It's a small addition that some people may never even see, let alone try, but it's the best silly party mode seen in a soccer game since FIFA 12 unceremoniously ditched Lounge Mode.
PES also adds 3v3 online co-op this year in an attempt to rival FIFA's Pro Clubs. It's not as deep, but along with Random Selection Mode it's at least a promising sign that Konami is looking to expand its range of modes each year. FIFA still has more ways to play, but PES is making good ground here.
Which Is Best?
Overall, whether or not you'll prefer FIFA 18 or PES 2018 likely depends on what your priorities are. PES 2018 is definitely a far more satisfying game on the pitch, but FIFA's presentation is exceptional, and does a better job of immersing you in the world of football than PES's flat looks. It will also depend on what your friends decide to pick up, and how important online play is to you. FIFA's online offering of FUT and Pro Clubs is superior, though PES's addition of 3v3 online co-op is welcome.
As for us? We'll be playing both games for many months to come, but we think PES 2018's excellent on-pitch showing means it edges this year's cup final.
Ahead of the NPD Group's latest monthly report, Nintendo has come out in front to share the company's positive news. Switch not only outsold the competition in the United States during the month, but combined with sales of the 3DS and SNES Classic Edition, Nintendo dominated the hardware sales space.
New NPD reports are often, but not always, accompanied by press releases from the various console manufacturers putting some spin on the numbers. In a release issued much earlier than usual, Nintendo revealed the NPD report will show that the Switch outsold both the PS4 and Xbox One in the US during September. It's the third month in a row that's been true, and the fifth time in Switch's seven months of availability that it's been the case.
Specific sales figures for the month were not shared, but Nintendo noted that Switch has now sold more than 2 million units in the US since launch. Additionally, it added that combined sales for Switch, 3DS, and SNES Classic represented two-thirds of total US hardware sales in September.
Switch's hardware sales are more impressive in light of the continued supply constraints Nintendo has faced. A recent report suggested it's pushing Switch production to 2 million per month, but it's unclear whether the company will be able to meet demand this holiday season. Nintendo continues to improve the system, recently adding some new Eshop functionality and releasing a new Switch system update.
There's no denying that Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) did some truly terrible things as a means of taunting the children of Derry in the recent reimagining of It. Whether it was ripping off one child's arm with his teeth, soaking a bathroom with fresh blood, or even making a young boy relive the moment his parents died in a fire, it was all pretty horrific.
Still, while it may be hard to believe, there were much more graphic plans in the works for the evil dancing clown. In an interview with the Throwing Shade podcast, actor Timothy Simons revealed a disturbing scene that was not included in the final cut of the movie. While Simons isn't a member of the It ensemble, he did audition for the role of Pennywise, before Skarsgard was ultimately cast.
In his interview, the actor claims one particularly gruesome moment in the film was set to feature Pennywise eating a baby in front of its mother as part of his origin. "It was [Pennywise] way back at the beginning of Derry, convincing a woman to give him her baby to eat," the actor says. "It was scary. The thing that was scariest about it was that it was very direct. It was, 'If you don't do this, these are the things that I'm going to do.' And they were all terrible."
Bryan Safi, one of the co-hosts of the podcast, also auditioned for the role and still has the script--a piece of which he shares in the interview. The words largely match up with a scene depicting these very events that was earlier posted on Reddit. In the scene, Pennywise demands the woman's baby under threat of killing her other children and husband if she doesn't hand him over. You can see the scene in its entirety below.
While the scene never made it into the completed film, it shows that at some point the creative team behind It was interested in exploring more of the character's history. With a second film already in the works, it's entirely possible this moment--or one close to it--could appear in the future. Then again, it could also stay out of the franchise altogether, much like the controversial group scene from the book that producers decided not to include.
"My emotional experience with the book did not regard that scene at all, and I think in general it's an unnecessary metaphor at the end of the story of a rite of passage," he said. "That actually was talked about during the whole story, but it was a bit unnecessary. It's great in the book. I love Stephen King's style, his way of shocking people with those tonal swings and unexpected intensity, but I think while it was jarring in the book, it wasn't necessary in the movie adaptation. For me it was about engaging the audience from an emotional point of view with the characters."
In GameSpot's It review, Michael Rougeau said "when that title card at the end appears and the closing credits start to play, you're likely to feel relief--not just the tension leaving your body as it does at the end of any scary movie, but relief that 2017's It is the rare adaptation that does the original justice while crafting its own identity, too.
He continued: "The only people likely to feel disappointed are actual clowns, whose chosen profession is, unfortunately, not about to get more popular any time soon."
A new trailer has arrived The Punisher, the next Marvel series to premiere on Netflix. Besides showing off more footage from the upcoming show, Netflix revealed a release date, and it's quite sooner: November 17.
The newly released trailer above feels like it's a miniature version of the season to come: It sets up the origin of Frank Castle (played by Jon Bernthal) as a soldier and charts his course to becoming the titular character. Like the first trailer for The Punisher, this one doesn't shy away from violence and mature subject matter. We recently learned The Punisher will be Marvel's darkest TV series to date.
"This season is much darker as it goes, it gets darker and darker and more visceral," Bernthal told EW. "The show takes you on this journey of Frank becoming more and more human again and then shutting off and shutting off and going back to what works for him, and the place where he kind of belongs, and I think that's a place of solitude and of darkness and destruction. It's going to get into as dark and as brutal a place as you've ever seen in the Marvel world, I can promise you that."
Bernthal is joined by his Daredevil co-star Deborah Ann Woll, playing Karen Page. The Punisher also stars Curtis Hoyle, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, David Lieberman, Michael Nathanson, Sam Stein, and Jaime Ray Newman. This season will consist of 13 one-hour episodes, all of which will be released on November 17.
We recently learned that gaming giant Activision holds a patent for a system that "drives microtransactions in multiplayer video games." Though the publisher has confirmed that the technology is not implemented in any of its games currently--including Destiny 2--the Lobby crew is less than excited about what this could mean for future games. In the video above, they examine why it could be a problem.
The patent's description specifies that its methods can include matchmaking systems that influence buying behavior. "The system may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player," the patent explains. "A junior player may wish to emulate the marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player."
The crew discusses how this could shape multiplayer gameplay, why they're worried about 12-year-olds with their moms' credit cards, and money management tips in the context of Taco Bell tacos. Rob also talks more about Star Wars Battlefront II's loot crate problem.
The Lobby airs every Wednesday at 11 AM PT. You can watch it live, as well as catch earlier episodes, on GameSpot.com and GameSpot's YouTube and Twitch channels.
A Nintendo Switch version of Star Wars Battlefront II could happen, but it doesn't sound likely. Speaking to GameSpot this week, Motive Studios producer David Robillard said EA will consider a Switch version "if we see opportunities."
"This is something we'll explore if we see opportunities there, but it is not something that's on the books right now," Robillard explained. Battlefront II launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in November. A Switch version, if it ever does happen, would presumably come after that. Battlefront II runs on EA's Frostbite engine, which hasn't been used for any Switch games so far. The Switch version of FIFA 18 uses a custom engine, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One versions use Frostbite.
EA and other publishers often speak about being platform agnostic, which is a way of saying they want to be wherever the consumer is. If any platform has a large enough install base, you can expect publishers to want to bring their games to it. While the Switch is off to a solid start and has sold 4.7 million units as of the end of June (the latest available reporting period), that pales in comparison to the install bases of the PS4 and Xbox One, while the PC market is of course massive as well. There is also the matter of the Switch's horsepower compared to those other platforms.
In an interview with GameSpot, EA said people's fears are "understandable," at the same time as calling the accusations "hard to dodge."
Offering his take on people's concerns, Chris Matthews (art director at EA Motive, the team behind Battlefront II's campaign) said: "Right now there have been games that exploit players and there have been games that have done it in better ways."
He continued: "DICE [developer of Battlefront II's multiplayer] has taken great care to make sure that Star Cards and the way they work give you more options in battle. Terms like pay-to-win and stuff like that are hard to dodge, but the guys are doing a really incredible job of trying to balance that system.
"[The response] is not annoying because we love the fans. We're gamers and we're trying to make something that's super-compelling that everybody's going to enjoy, but, you know, it's understandable."
Mitch Dyer, one of the campaign's writers, went on to say DICE is listening to players' feedback. "The beta existed for things like this," he said. "To look at things like, how are people responding to the balance and the maps and how everything flows? What are people enjoying or not enjoying? What's working? What's not working? We'll take all of that from the beta and start pumping it back into the game to improve it because Battlefront II is a game that exists because of feedback from fans. Couch co-op, a single-player campaign... these elements exist because people wanted them, which I think, to DICE's credit, shows that they are listening and they do listen to feedback."
When asked if they can envisage a version of the game where the loot crate system is removed, Matthews was non-commmital, stating, "We're not really in a great position to talk about that" and, "The guys at DICE would give you a great answer."
"As a balance goal, we're working towards having the most powerful items in the game only earnable via in-game achievements," the developer explained. Crates are obtained by completing challenges "and other gameplay milestones" or by purchasing them--either with credits earned in-game or real-world money. Inside crates, you'll find Star Cards, emotes, victory poses, and outfits; any duplicate Star Cards you receive are turned into crafting parts that can be put toward other Star Cards of your choosing.
Star Cards impact gameplay and, because of this, have become a major concern for players. But DICE claims there is more to becoming powerful than simply buying a crate and getting a good Star Card. "You have to earn the right to be able to upgrade Star Cards and unlock most weapons," it said. "You can only upgrade or unlock them if you have reached a high enough rank, which is determined by playing the game."
Star Wars Battlefront II's campaign was much requested by fans after the first game lacked any form of single-player. We already knew the sequel's offline portion would bridge the gap between Episodes VI and VII and would have you play as Iden, an Imperial special forces agent, but how's it shaping up?
We recently got the chance to play the opening three chapters from Battlefront II's story mode, so we thought we'd sit our two Star Wars experts down and let them chat about their experiences with the game so far.
Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer: My overriding feeling was one of, "I'm glad this exists, but it's definitely not the centerpiece to this game." It was fun--the characters seem pretty strong, it's obviously beautiful, and, you know, it's more Star Wars--but i don't think this will hold my attention for as long as the multiplayer. Then again, maybe it's not supposed to?
Miguel Concepcion, Editor: Yeah. It's easy to draw parallels between the Battlefront to Battlefront II and Titanfall to Titanfall 2 in terms of their respective studios adding a substantial single-player to the sequels.
Did your presentation include a point about how the single-player uses "elements" from the multiplayer? Usually that "selling point" is a red flag. So I was surprised and glad that--at least based off those first few chapters--it isn't just a bunch of MP maps strung together with a flimsy story.
Oscar: So far, I haven't seen anything here to suggest it will be as creative as Titanfall 2 on the gameplay side though. As you say, it seems more than just some MP maps stuck together, but I was kinda disappointed by the variety of stuff you were actually doing. It was all, "Blow these two objectives up," "Reach this point," "Defeat these enemies." I don't really know what I expected or wanted, but outside of the story it felt a little by-the-numbers. But yeah, the inclusion of Star Cards in the campaign is an interesting choice--EA told me it was so you could earn rewards that you could then go and use in MP, but it's hard not to be cynical about it.
Miguel: If the Star Cards can be used in both the campaign and MP, that'd be great. I was surprised how many cards you unlock in these three chapters. Makes me wonder how many toys you'll have by the time you complete the story. And will that make you well-stocked with those rewards for MP?
Oscar: That's true, I guess in that respect it could help prepare you for multiplayer in a more tangible way than just helping you get used to the guns. But at least some part of me was a little wary of whether microtransactions will now start having an impact on single player games as well as multiplayer.
And whether or not you use them will likely depend on what kind of player you are--I actually stuck with the same three abilities that I started out with, but if you're someone who likes to tinker you'll likely get a lot of depth out of playing levels in different ways with different cards.
Miguel: In the context of that hands-on, I was glad that I didn't have to think about the microtransaction implications.
Some abilities that stood out for me:
One of the grenade types really needed some finesse, especially when it took so long to detonate.
The scanner made some of the gunbattles really easy. On the flipside, it can make you feel overconfident.
I also liked having the turret, but I didn't get a handle on how effective they were.
Oscar: Yeah the scanner felt overpowered in combat--it worked well in the stealth section though. That whole sequence--escaping your cell and creeping your way around the rebel ship--was one I enjoyed a lot. The other levels felt more similar to the multiplayer in how large-scale they felt and the action gameplay you'd see online, but the sneaky section offered something that was genuinely different from that, even if the stealth itself was a little rudimentary when compared to a good dedicated stealth-oriented game like MGSV or Hitman or whatever.
Miguel: Rudimentary is a good way to put it. As I recall, there's a story-triggered alert mode, but I certainly did not stay as hidden as long as I could have. And yes, I did enjoy the linearity of the prologue, which was a fine contrast to the more open maps.
But even thinking about Endor, the story version of that map did not feel like a multiplayer map, in my opinion. I mentioned this to our World War II enthusiasts in the San Francisco office: fans know from the trailer that Iden watches the Death Star blow up. I thought this was narratively well executed in how that event was framed.
You start on Endor and Inferno Squad is optimistic as heck that the Empire will win. Then boom. The 'mop up period' reminded me of World War II, how the war wasn't immediately over the moment the Allies reached Berlin. It's not like the Stormtroopers were going to drop their arms with the Death Star gone. I love the shift to an evacuation.
Oscar: Yeah, that was handled really well. I was worried the story--in bridging the gap between Episodes VI and VII--would feel redundant in the same way Rogue One did for me, since we already know what happens afterwards. But Episode VII is set so far after what Battlefront II is trying to show--the immediate aftermath of the Death Star blowing up--that it leaves Battlefront II a lot of room to maneuver.
Playing as the Empire is, so far, just as intriguing as I'd hoped. I like seeing the conflicts that go on between different characters within that faction, that the Empire is not just one faceless conglomerate, a single entity; rather a collection of individuals with their own views on how they should approach recovering from defeat and how they should treat the victorious rebels. The characters in particular seemed strong in the three chapters I played. Iden seems genuinely great, and it's weird kind of sympathising with a member of such an evil organisation.
Miguel: On that note, I was surprised how much the first story trailer conveyed her personal conflict with how the Empire is dealing with that aftermath. It's as if she guaranteed to help out the Rebellion-turned-Resistance in some capacity by the latter half of this campaign.
Oscar: Yeah. I mean, without playing more it appears the story can only go one of two ways: either she turns good or she dies. Who knows which, or if something else will happen, but even if they do, I think the story at least is shaping up to be a good ride along the way.
Miguel: This sampling of the story also made me optimistic about the space battles. Between remnants of the Death Star and the remaining space vessels navigating through the chaos, I wasn't hard on myself when I died once from hitting Death Star debris. I found the dogfight chases particularly thrilling. I wouldn't be surprised if the AI programmers designed the enemies to take scenic paths when pursued. I found myself nearly grazing the surface of a star destroyer during a chase. My favorite pursuit was down a narrow passage within one the vessels. As I took my target down, it felt serendipitous to find an opening to make my escape from the ship.
Oscar: I felt the same way about the space battles as I did when I played them at Gamescom, and similar to how I felt about the whole of the the first game: they were great fun at first and in small chunks, but after a while the buzz of flying a TIE Fighter kind of wears off. Hopefully the latter stages of the campaign have some more interesting objectives than "Shoot these four dudes," or maybe the Star Cards can provide the depth this feels to me like it's missing right now.
Miguel: In all, I'm excited, speaking as a fan of single player components of shooters more so than MP. I'm also curious what new names and places will be added to the lore due to this game. I did chuckle that you go from Endor to "Fondor."
Oscar: Let's hope it continues to be Fun-dor when it launches next month.
(That joke would've been better if your name was Dor, I demand you change your name to suit my 2/10 joke.)
When Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were announced in June, some people were surprised that the pair of games were coming to 3DS and not Nintendo's newer Switch console. Now, Game Freak--developer of the mainline Pokemon series--has explained why it decided against bringing the games to Switch.
"We've been working with the 3DS hardware since Pokemon X and Y," Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon producer Shigeru Ohmori told GameSpot. "Even then we wanted to get the maximum power and maximum potential out of the 3DS, and ever since then we've continued to try [to do] that. With X and Y we thought we'd got as much as we could out, but then Sun and Moon came along and we pushed even harder and got as much as we could out of the system at that time. And now, again, with Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, we've tried to make this the pinnacle of our work with the 3DS system and make it a culmination of all our efforts to get the absolute most out of the system that we can."
One of the reasons people were surprised at the lack of a Switch version was because a third version of Pokemon Sun and Moon--unofficially dubbed Pokemon Stars--was heavily rumored to be in development for the hybrid console. That game may have subsequently become Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and when pressed on whether those games could come to Switch later down the line, Ohmori stated simply that "there are [currently] no plans for that in particular."
I published a short preview a couple of days ago to highlight some of Gran Turismo Sport's unusual touches, but more importantly, to point out that PVP is everything in this game. I can't recommend GT Sport if you're looking for a rich single-player experience as it's incredibly light at launch. The day may come when the campaign consists of more than bite-sized challenges, but for now, those are all you have when playing solo, and they're better viewed as very specific training missions for the big show: online cups and championships.
It's never been a secret that GT Sport is built with online races in mind, but it wasn't until we booted it up in a retail environment that we could see how dominant this commitment is, and that it will take weeks to see if it even works out as planned. For reasons I'll explain, we will review GT Sport when we're confident that we've measured the success of the systems it imposes on you, and how they ultimately feed into the game's upcoming tournaments.
Starting November 3, Polyphony Digital and the FIA will hold the first of three events to kick off GT Sport's Test Season. The next two follow on November 5 and November 7. Beyond that, it's not clear when these events will return.
The reason that these are so important to GT Sport is that everything outside of training challenges is fed into your racer profile. This consists of two key stats that determine who you race against today, and what pools you're placed into come November. Your Driver Rating is a straightforward reflection of your race times against other players in the game's Daily Races, which are races you should try every day, not races that change on a daily basis.
Your Sportsmanship Rating is a bit more complicated, determined not only by how courteous and responsible you are on the track, but unfortunately also by how lucky you are at avoiding chaotic opponents. Presently, if you're struck by another driver, it seems that you will also be penalized, practically without fail. And it's not always easy to avoid mishaps given that only some camera angles provide a glimpse of rear- or side-view mirrors. Particularly rambunctious players will become a ghost on the track for a short amount of time, but this can instill a false sense of security as you still run the risk of being hit as they transition back to normal.
If it can pull off its attempt to create a professional online racing league governed by a leading, real-world racing organization, that's cause for celebration.
As frustrating as being docked points for others' mistakes can be, there's hope that GT Sport's organic grouping system will recognize the burden of responsibility in some fashion and ultimately find a special place for messy drivers. Only time will tell.
Delaying a review is never ideal, but GT Sport deserves a chance to show us what it's made of. Polyphony Digital has created something quite ambitious and risky. If it can pull off its attempt to create a professional online racing league governed by a leading, real-world racing organization, that's cause for celebration. It's simply too early to say one way or the other. Check back with us when we have an answer in early November, and be sure to watch the video at the top of this page for an extended discussion of the game in its current state.
We've already seen--and gotten to play--a good deal of Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer component. Its single-player campaign has been kept largely under wraps, but as promised, a brand-new trailer showcases some of what to expect.
The video above starts out with the protagonist, Iden Versio, being rescued from a Rebel jail by her flying droid companion. From there, we see how the story is set up--the Emperor orders Admiral Versio to "ignite the inferno," referring to the Inferno Squad, a special forces group led by Iden. The Death Star II is then destroyed, but rather than crushing the Empire, it causes the Inferno Squad and company to lash out against the Rebellion.
There are some glimpses of various scenes throughout, including space battles and a chase with the Millennium Falcon over the surface of a planet. We also see appearances by Luke Skywalker, Leia, and The Force Awakens' Maz Kanata. You can check out more in our new impressions of Battlefront II's campaign.
Bungie has always created beautiful games--skies, in particular--and Destiny 2 is no exception. While some fans are upset with how the endgame works out, it's a game that's undeniably nice to look at. If you're a fan of Destiny 2's art, a new book is on the way that's right up your alley.
The Art of Destiny: Volume 2 features artwork from the recently released PS4 and Xbox One shooter, which launches for PC next week. Below, you can check out both the official cover art as well as a preview of several pages from the book itself.
According to its publisher, the book consists of "hundreds of pieces of concept art," including "everything from early sketches and illustrations of characters to paintings of sweeping vistas the designers used to help shape the in-game worlds." As you can see in some of the preview images, it consists of not just artwork, but also commentary from Bungie staff who share behind-the-scenes details. It also teases "exclusive, never-before-seen imagery."
The Art of Destiny: Volume 2 releases on November 28. It carries a suggest retail price in the US of $45, although Amazon currently offers it for nearly half that, $28.46.
There's one scene early in Thor: Ragnarok that I felt sure was going to be a call-back to the first Thor movie. Doctor Strange offers Thor a cup of tea, and Thor replies that he doesn't touch the stuff. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring up the God of Thunder's love of coffee, established in the first movie's diner scene: Shortly after finding himself on Earth for the first time, Thor showed his appreciation for the new beverage by violently smashing his mug on the ground and demanding another. It was the first time Thor was really funny.
Instead, Benedict Cumberbatch (who's unfortunately only in this movie for about three minutes total) summons a hefty mug of ale from thin air, and Chris Hemsworth quaffs it appreciatively. Thor: Ragnarok may be the funniest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie yet, thanks to comedic-minded director Taika Waititi. But it's also in large part a departure. As much as it still feels like a main stage MCU entry, in other ways Thor: Ragnarok is eager to leave the past behind.
Waititi's sensibilities are everywhere in Thor: Ragnarok, moreso than most past directors have been allowed to imprint themselves on a larger MCU film (the main exception being James Gunn with Guardians of the Galaxy). The New Zealander director comes from the Flight of the Conchords-style school of comedy, and his own movies, like the both-excellent What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, have a distinctly dry, earnest Kiwi humor at their hearts. Whether in Thor's frequent one-liners, Jeff Goldblum's loopy Grandmaster, or absurd side characters like the soft-spoken warrior Korg (who's voiced by the director himself), that same humor is central to Thor: Ragnarok's identity.
That's for better or worse, depending largely on how you feel about this type of humor. These awkward silences and absurd jokes aren't for everyone. The actors and filmmakers have stated during press conferences and interviews that there was a lot of improvisation on set, and it shows, especially in scenes with Goldblum's Grandmaster. The veteran oddball comedian/heartthrob is clearly riffing in most of his scenes, and that loosey-goosey feeling also pervades much of the film.
At the same time, Ragnarok is about the Asgardians' literal apocalypse. That's a big MCU event, and when it's not being funny Ragnarok feels like most other big Marvel movies, which isn't necessarily a good thing. The action is huge, but the stakes are low. Extended CG-heavy set pieces like a high-speed spaceship chase, during which Thor and Valkyrie jump from pursuing ship to ship stabbing them with big swords, feel gratuitous, and don't look particularly good. Anyone who saw Blade Runner 2049 recently understands how big a difference having practical sets can make, and certain green screen-fueled environments in Thor, including the coliseum scene, look unreal enough to be a distraction.
During that same sequence, Mark Ruffalo--who's transformed back into Bruce Banner after an extended stint as the Hulk--laments that he doesn't know how to fly a spaceship. Thor quips that he should use one of his many PhDs, before leaping heroically from the ship. It's a decent joke, but one without any weight, because Ruffalo is obviously going to steer the ship just fine, which he does. Having stakes is important for audiences to get invested in prolonged scenes of shallow spectacle, something Ragnarok forgets. (Also, it ruined the best reveal--Hulk's entrance into the fighting pit--in literally every trailer, which is a shame, considering the movie spends its entire first third building up to the entrance of the "champion" like it's some big surprise.)
Speaking of tropes, for all its strengths and departures Thor: Ragnarok still stumbles headlong into that most entrenched of Marvel movie problems: the boring villain. Cate Blanchett does her best as the Wicked Witch of Asgard, but there's nothing even remotely interesting about Hela (or her sidekick, the criminally misused Karl Urban, who spends most of the movie scowling off to the side while having no impact whatsoever). As Thor and Loki's banished sister and Odin's one-time right hand commander, Hela feels utterly shoehorned into a world in which it's completely unbelievable that she'd never been mentioned before. Her motivations amount to nothing more than total, boring domination, and her title as "the Goddess of Death" has no bearing on her actual abilities or personality.
Valkyrie, at least, feels like a worthy addition. The booze-swigging, hard-hitting Tessa Thompson steals most scenes she's in, especially early in the movie, when she has power over the downtrodden Thor. The character's backstory is fleshed out just enough to make sense of her motivations, and she provides a good foil for Tom Hiddleston's Loki, whose constant trickery is starting to wear thin after so many movies of the same. (Loki is still impersonating Odin when the movie starts, a plot point from Thor 2 that this movie ruthlessly discards and moves on from within the opening minutes.)
Ragnarok also has more Hulk than any recent MCU movie. The big green guy is changed from the last time we saw him, in part because when we catch up with him here, he's been stuck that way for a while. But allowing the Hulk to have relatively normal, calm conversations also feels like a rule change for this iteration of the character that isn't necessarily earned or explained.
The final thing that bears mentioning is Thor: Ragnarok's aural and visual aesthetic, which simultaneously summons '60s psychedelia, '70s disco, '80s metal, Guardians-like sci-fi, and bloody Roman gladiator bouts. Ragnarok is the most colorful MCU movie yet, rivaling Gunn's Guardians entries for sheer visual joy. Mark Mothersbaugh's synth-heavy score underscores most of it with perfect synchronicity, although Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song--used in the movie to lend oomph to not one, but two separate action scenes--is way past feeling overused.
Thor: Ragnarok shines when it's allowed to stray from the formula set by a decade of predecessors in the MCU, and it seems Waititi is to thank for most of what feels fresh and new here. By the movie's end, Thor and co. have left much of their past behind, ensuring the future is exciting in its potential, especially as we approach the Infinity War storyline. But in other ways, Ragnarok is still beholden to the same tropes by which these movies are often anchored. If Marvel takes anything away from this, fans should hope it's that these films are best when talented directors are allowed to leave their personal marks on them.
It's another packed week of releases for Nintendo Switch. A total of 14 games launch for the hybrid console this week, nine of which arrive in the Eshop today, October 19.
Headlining this week's batch of releases is Fire Emblem Warriors, the hack-and-slash Fire Emblem spin-off by Dynasty Warriors developer Koei Tecmo. The game releases for Switch (and New 3DS) on October 20 and features more than 20 characters taken from past Fire Emblem titles, including Chrom, Marth, and fan-favorite hero Lyn. It also incorporates many of Fire Emblem's signature mechanics into the Warriors series' large-scale battles, such as permadeath and the weapon triangle. Fire Emblem Warriors retails for $60/£50 on Switch and $40/£40 on New 3DS. You can learn more about the title in GameSpot's Fire Emblem Warriors review.
Fire Emblem Warriors
Also available this week is Elliot Quest, a retro-style adventure-platformer inspired by classic titles like Zelda II and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. The game puts players in the role of Elliot, who embarks on a quest to lift a curse placed on him by the demon Satar. Players must guide Elliot across the island of Urele, collecting new spells and abilities to navigate through five dungeons and defeat the game's 16 bosses. You can download Elliot Quest for $10.
Other notable releases this week include the latest ACA Neo Geo game, Robo Army ($8/£6.29); the party game compilation The Jackbox Party Pack 4 ($25/£20); Square Enix's co-op exploration game Spelunker Party ($30/£25, with a free demo available); and the psychedelic, over-the-top Party Golf ($15/£13.49). You can find the full list of this week's releases below.
Earlier this week, Ubisoft revealed a set of new, ultra-rare Assassin's Creed Origins Yeezys. The custom sneakers were designed by renowned sneaker artist Dominic Lowman, and were inspired by Assassin's Creed Origins' main character, Bayek.
Only 16 pairs are being produced worldwide, and we're giving away one of those pairs! Check out the design for yourself below, and check the bottom of this article for details on how to enter the contest, in which one lucky UK reader will win a black pair of the rare trainers.
To Enter
Follow @gamespot on Instagram and like the competition post.
Tag a friend in the Instagram post and comment with your favourite Assassin's Creed game.
Terms & Conditions
This giveaway is valid for residents of the UK only. The prize is for one pair of black trainers in size 10. Giveaway closes October 27.
There is no alternative prize.
Prize will be distributed on the week commencing November 13.
Every so often, Pokemon fans everywhere face the struggle to decide which of each pair of games they should buy. Now, Game Freak--developer of the mainline Pokemon series--has explained how to choose between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon when they launch next month.
"In essence there's no real problem with whichever one you buy, you're going to get a really good experience of Pokemon," began Kazumasa Iwao, director of the upcoming pair of games, speaking in an interview with GameSpot. "But one point users might want to consider is that the Pokedex in Pokemon Ultra Sun is based on the Pokedex in Pokemon Sun and the same for Ultra Moon and Moon. So if something the players are really looking for is Pokedex completion, they might find it better to go for the opposite version this time round in order to help complete their Pokedex. So if they bought Pokemon Sun, they might want to choose Pokemon Ultra Moon this time."
However, it's not quite that simple. Ultra Sun and Moon producer Shigeru Ohmori went on to say there is some advantage to choosing the same version you chose last time round: "Equally if you're looking for a story-based experience then those who played Pokemon Sun may want to go for Ultra Sun as there are some small details that remain consistent throughout the two that might appeal to people looking for a story-based game."
Bungie has announced the next round of server maintenance for Destiny 2. The servers will be down on Thursday, October 19, for a period of four hours and will be followed by the release of a new update.
A post on Bungie's website explains that the downtime will begin at 8 AM PT, at which time you won't be able to log in. At 9 AM PT, everyone who is still in an activity will be booted to the title screen. The maintenance is scheduled to end at 12 PM PT.
As always, things could change as it relates to the specific timing of the downtime. It could be shorter. It could be longer. As part of this maintenance, you will be prompted to download update 1.0.3.5. Details on its contents have not been announced, but we'll report back when we know what's included.
2015's Star Wars: Battlefront did not include a single-player campaign, something that some fans--including actor John Boyega--were none too pleased about. The sequel, which is due out in November, has a single-player campaign, and very soon we will see more of it. A new story trailer is coming tomorrow, October 19, but you can see a teaser right now. The brief video was released in the newest episode of The Star Wars Show, and you can see the clip starting at 2:40. [Update: The new Battlefront II campaign trailer is out now.]
The video shows main character Iden Versio trapped on a Rebel ship. Her trusty robot pal breaks her bonds, setting her free. We also get a glimpse of her attitude, as she mocks her rebel captors with a salute as she escapes their clutches. Check it out:
Versio is the leader of Inferno Squad, an Imperial group that was established to prevent the destruction of the second Death Star. We know that she fails this task, as the moon-sized battle station was ultimately destroyed. The game is set in the 30-year period between Return of the Jedi and leading up to The Force Awakens.
We played a very small portion of Battlefront 2's campaign at E3, and you can read our thoughts here. The game's all-new story is being written by Spec Ops: The Line writer Walt Williams and former games media journalist Mitch Dyer. The campaign is being developed by one of EA's newest studios, Motive, in Canada.
In addition to the campaign, Battlefront II of course has its trademark multiplayer mode, developed by DICE. The Starfighter Assault and Arcade modes are developed by Criterion.
Xbox Studios general manager Shannon Loftis is "a little bit confused" over the claims that the Xbox One's holiday 2017 lineup of exclusive is on the weak side. Speaking to Game Informer, Loftis said Microsoft has "really good lineup" of exclusives this year. She mentioned titles like PUBG, which will launch on Xbox One before any other console, as well as titles like Forza Motorsport 7, Super Lucky's Tale, and Cuphead. You need to have an Xbox One (or a PC) to play any of those games this year.
"In terms of exclusives, I've heard that rumor and I'm a little bit confused because we have a really good lineup this holiday," Loftis said. "We've got the most popular game on the planet in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds--the Xbox console is going to be the only place where you can play that. We also have Forza Motorsport 7, which every single year reinvents the racing genre and basically owns racing in the video games industry."
Looking to 2018, some of Microsoft's big-name Xbox One exclusives include Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3, and State of Decay 2. "I think it's pretty good--there's a huge amount of experiences for people to have," Loftis said. Crackdown 3 was originally scheduled to launch this year before being delayed to 2018.
Asked if the lineup of Xbox One X-enhanced titles is strong enough to launch a new system with, Loftis again pointed out that the lineup is "incredibly strong," when you consider that more than 100 titles are getting updated for the new console.
"I think it's an incredibly strong lineup, especially when you take into account the fact that all of the 100 plus enhancements that we've already seen are free to gamers that already own the games, and the backward compatibility program, the continuing exclusives, and the fact that all the blockbusters, like Destiny [2] and Star Wars Battlefront II, are just going to run way better on Xbox One."
The full interview is fascinating and in-depth. You can read it here. The Xbox One X launches on November 7, priced at $500 in the US. Keep checking back with GameSpot to learn more about the mega-powerful system in the weeks ahead.
A big new update for the Nintendo Switch is out now. Update 4.0.0 adds a number of notable and welcome features, perhaps the biggest of which are video capture support and the ability to transfer data to a new system. It's a big update.
With the update applied, you can hold down the Capture button and this will record the previous 30 seconds, saving to your album. You can then edit your video and share it to Facebook and Twitter. Supported games include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, and Splatoon 2. This feature is not working yet for Mario Kart 8. An message in the Switch's news channel says the feature is supported at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe version 1.3.0, but the current version is 1.2.1. So it sounds like the feature will be unlocked later in the racing game. Nintendo also says "many more games" will add support for video capture in the future.
The other major new feature in the 4.0 update is the ability to transfer user and save data to another Switch. You must have the 4.0 update to do this. And it sounds like this is a permanent migration, so be aware of that. "Once the process is complete, the user information, the associated save data, and the software purchased with the user account that is transferred will no longer be available on the source console," reads a line from Nintendo's explanation. Complete instructions on how to perform the data transfer can be found here on Nintendo's Support site.
Additionally, today's Switch update adds a number of new user icons for Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild, giving users even more customisation options. Another new feature is the ability to pre-buy and pre-load "certain games" from the eShop. This follows a previous update that added a new eShop tab for games that are on sale.
The new Switch 4.0 update also gives the News feed a new look and a new feature that removes a particular channel's content from the feed when you unfollow the channel. Another nice, behind-the-scenes feature in this update is "Match Version with Local Users." As its name suggests, this feature updates everyone's games to their latest versions, which sounds handy for people who multiple profiles installed on one system.
Finally, the patch makes a change to wireless connectivity. Networks that use TKIP security will now show up as grayed-out instead of being totally hidden.
Up to maximum of the previous 30 seconds will be saved in the Album. You can trim the beginning and end of each clip, and post to Facebook and Twitter.
As of October 18th, 2017, this feature is compatible with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, and Splatoon 2
Select from 12 new Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild icons for your user
To edit your user icon, head to your My Page on the top left of the Home Menu > Profile
A pre-purchase option will be available for certain games. This option allows pre-load of the game to your system for quicker play when the game is released.
This feature will be supported by future game releases
News channel updates
The news feed has been updated with a new look.
Unfollowing a channel will remove that channel's content from the news feed and following the channel again will make it reappear.
Match software version with a group of local users
Everyone's software will be updated to match the most recent version in the group
All users must be on system menu version 4.0.0 or later to view and join a group
General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience, including:
Changed the specification which hid wireless networks using TKIP security from the network search results. Wireless networks using TKIP security will now display in search results as a grayed-out selection instead of not being displayed
The Nintendo Switch console supports WEP, WPA-PSK(AES), and WPA2-PSK(AES). If your router is using a different security type (e.g. WPA-PSK(TKIP)), you will need to change this security type within your router's settings.
Ahead of Destiny 2's release for PC next week, you can now start pre-loading the shooter. As announced previously, pre-loading started on October 18.
Destiny 2's PC version is available only on Blizzard's Battle.net platform, not Steam or other digital stores. You can buy the game right here and start pre-loading right away. Of course, Destiny 2's servers don't go live until 10 AM PT on October 24, but pre-loading ensures that you can start playing right away come launch.
The game supports 4K resolution, uncapped frame rates, and custom key mapping. PC players can also adjust the field of view and use up to three monitors. There are also quite a few settings to play around with, including anti-aliasing, foliage detail distance, film grain, wind impulse, and motion blur, among many other things.
Update: Bungie has replaced this week's Nightfall Strike due to issues players were experiencing with Exodus Crash. For the remainder of the week, you can try your hand at the Nightfall version of Pyramidion. Along with that change, there are also new modifiers in place: Timewarp: Zero Hour (which prevents you from extending the time limit) and Torrent (increasing the rate at which your skills recharge).
Original Story: Every seven days, Destiny 2's weekly reset changes a bunch of variables within the game, from the activities on offer to the rewards available to the items on sale in shops. This week's Nightfall Strike, Exodus Crash, is set in Arcadian Valley, while Eververse have some new gear on offer.
Two modifiers are active in Exodus Crash this week, one of which again offers a way to earn additional time. Timewarp: Rings presents a set of large white circles throughout the mission for you to jump through; each one provides an additional 30 seconds of time to finish the Strike. The other modifier, Prism, rotates through each of the three elements, with the chosen element doing additional damage (and the others doing less than usual). Following the release of a Destiny 2 update last month, this now functions correctly, as the message indicating the chosen element no longer lasts for just a brief moment. Additionally, an on-screen effect helps to highlight when the element changes from one to the next.
In terms of Challenges, Speed of Dark is active as always, which requires you to finish the Strike with at least five minutes remaining. Unbroken tasks you with completing the Strike with fewer than three deaths. And finally, Faster Than Lightning asks your Fireteam to kill nine Shanks with melee attacks before defeating Thaviks.
Exodus Crash in Arcadian Valley has a recommended Power level of at least 240. If you haven't made it to that point, you may want to consider waiting until after you've raised your Power level before grabbing the Nightfall reward, which is Powerful gear. This Nightfall will be available until Destiny 2's next weekly reset, which occurs at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 10 AM BST / 8 PM AET on Tuesday, October 24.
Away from the Nightfall Strike, you can grab a new bundle from Eververse. Costing 2000 Silver, the legendary Golden Sevens bundle contains seven bright Engrams, seven shaders, 500 Bright Dust, and a unique Nothing Gold ship. Take a look at the ship for yourself below. [Update: It appears this bundle is no longer for sale on the Eververse store.]
Plenty more has likely changed for the week, with previous resets offering new Milestones, Challenges, and treasure maps to buy from Cayde. Sadly, the weekly reset also means last week's Iron Banner event is now over. However another event, the Leviathan Prestige Raid, goes live tomorrow, October 18, after it was delayed last week.
In other Destiny 2 news, Bungie has removed the Monty Python-inspired, high-kicking walk emote. Although the developer hasn't officially said why this has been removed, it may have something to do with the emote letting players get into some walled-off, unfinished areas.
After launching for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in September, Bungie's Destiny 2 comes out for PC on October 24. Today, Bungie announced the game's exact unlock time and revealed the final PC requirements. Servers will become available at 10 AM PT on October 24, which works out to 1 PM ET / 2 PM BRT / 6 PM BST / and 4 AM the next day in Australia. Check out the map below to find out precisely when Destiny 2 unlocks where you live.
Bungie also today announced the final minimum and recommended specs for Destiny 2, following the preliminary specs from the beta last month. You need 68 GB of free space to install Destiny 2, while Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 are supported operating systems. You can check out the full minimum and recommended specs in the image below, which Bungie shared in its latest weekly blog post today.
The PC version of Destiny 2 will be available at physical retailers and through Blizzard's Battle.net, but not Steam or other digital stores. That's notable because Destiny 2 is the first non-Blizzard game to be offered on Blizzard's PC gaming platform. For more on the PC edition of Destiny 2, check out GameSpot's roundup of everything you need to know.
Bungie has also said it is working on fixing Destiny 2's black screen issue. In the meantime, it has detailed two workarounds that can help alleviate the issue. A new hotfix for the game--1.0.3.2.--was out this week, and it fixed issues involving The Tower crashing when players load into it. This is separate from the black screen issue mentioned above.
We're now well into October, and if you haven't already done so, there's a new batch of free PlayStation Plus games for this month to claim. Anyone who subscribes to Plus have a total of six games to download, spread evenly across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Vita--although PS4 owners undoubtedly have the best selection.
October's highlight is undoubtedly the headlining PS4 game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Its predecessor, Ground Zeroes, was offered previously, but The Phantom Pain is a far more substantial experience. While not the end of the Metal Gear series--there's still the upcoming Metal Gear Survive, at the very least--The Phantom Pain is the last game to feature the participation of Hideo Kojima, who created the franchise.
Additionally, PS4's freebies include one that's perfect with Halloween coming up.Amnesia Collection is also free; it's a compilation of two different horror games: Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. An additional two games can be had for free on PS4 this month, thanks to Cross-Buy being supported by October's Vita games, Sky Force Anniversary and Hue. This month's offerings are rounded out by the two free PS3 games, Hustle Kings and Monster Jam Battlegrounds. PS3 owners also get access to Sky Force Anniversary, which actually supports three-way Cross-Buy.
Time is running out forThat's You, a freebie that has been around for a while now but exits the free rotation on October 24. Another going free game, the PSVR title RIGS, will return to its regular price on November 7.
Finally, Plus members get into the closed beta for Hand of the Gods, Smite developer Hi-Rez Studios' new game. To help get started, Plus subscribers can download a DLC pack that includes various freebies to help them get started.
All of these freebies are up for download on the PlayStation Store right now. They can be claimed either through the respective systems or on the PSN website.
Amazon Prime subscribers have a lot to look forward to from its Netflix-style Prime Video service throughout October. The streaming service debuts the third season of its comedy Red Oaks and, for anyone who's in the mood for a scare this Halloween season, Amazon's own Lore premieres.
Lore, from the producers of The Walking Dead and The X-Files, brings to life the popular podcast uncovering the real-life events that spawned our darkest nightmares. It will blend dramatic scenes, animation, archive video, and narration to reveal how our horror legends, like vampires, werewolves and body snatchers, are rooted in truth.
Other non-Amazon shows will see new seasons next month, including the sixth season of American Horror Story and the fifth season of The Americans. If you're in the mood for classic Halloween horror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II and Invasion of the Body Snatchers are coming this month too. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Arrival are among the big-name movies still to come.
Netflix's lineup of new content for October 2017 has been announced, and it's a good month to subscribe if you're a fan of horror movies or Stranger Things. The list consists of all of the new movies, TV shows, and original series launching through the month, as well as everything that's leaving--most of which is already gone now that we're halfway through October.
With Halloween coming up, there are some scary movies to watch, like Cult of Chucky. Alternatively, you can watch something a bit lighter, with new comedies including Tommy Boy and Talladega Nights. If you're outside the US, you now have access to the early episodes of Riverdale: Season 2.
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