MMO inspired tale .Hack//G.U. is coming back after a long 10 years with HD remaster .Hack//G.U. Last Recode. We saw Haseo's struggle for power earlier this year in the announcement trailer, but now we're getting a good look at the title's gameplay.
So far, it looks like your typical JRPG. Active time battles and unique enemy designs are sprinkled in with run-of-the-mill navigation. Models and textures have been overhauled, and while it does look to play a little clunky here and there, it's clear it's staying true to its roots.
We first saw .Hack//G.U. on PS2 about 10 years ago, but the .Hack// series has been running for 15 years. .Hack//G.U. follows the story Haseo, in an MMO game that isn't quite the utopia he was dreaming of. In a struggle for power, he goes on the hunt for the player Tri-Edge, who defeated his friend Shino and left her in a coma in the real world.
The title will include all three original volumes of the series G.U. installment, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption, and an additional volume called Reconnection. Outside of the expanded story, the game will have a new cheat mode that will let players start the game at max stats, remastered cutscenes, and enhanced mechanics.
.Hack//G.U. will be available on PS4 and PC later this year. It will release in Japan on November 1, and on November 3 in North America and Europe.
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 Sunday, October 29th, 2017 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):
Super Mario Odyssey is technically an open-world game, but it's actually split into over a dozen open environments--17, to be exact. These range from the festive Sand Kingdom, which features a mix of motifs inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture and Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday, to the vibrant, hunger-inspiring Luncheon Kingdom. Every location has character of its own and a surprising number of puzzles, platforming challenges, and hidden secrets within.
In the video above, we tour through Super Mario Odyssey's kingdoms (including late-game locations) and offer a preview of what it's like to run, jump, and butt stomp your way through the wide variety of colorful locales.
Two highly-anticipated series returned to television this week: The Walking Dead and Stranger Things. Did they live up to the hype or fall flat on their faces? In addition, we're also taking a look at two new series that aired this week--one of which is a game show hosted by Snoop Dogg.
Over the course of the past couple of months, we've been looking at a selection of new and returning shows and giving you a quick breakdown of what is worth watching and what you should pass on. This week, we're talking about The Walking Dead, At Home With Amy Sedaris, Joker's Wild, and Stranger Things.
The Walking Dead
The AMC series entered its eighth season this week and starts the march to an all-out war against Negan and the Saviors. Rick and his group go on the offensive with a very intricate plan and give Negan the chance to surrender in the 100th episode of the series.
Season 7 was a drag. It was slow-paced and tried to build tension towards a battle with The Saviors; however, it failed to keep the interest of many fans. Luckily, the opener to Season 8 is a whole lot better. We get to see Rick and company's first strategic move and a good half of the episode has some awesome action sequences. The flashforwards were a bit confusing but weren't featured enough to deter from the main story. It's too early to say whether or not the show has gotten back its footing, but this episode is a good start on the long road to redemption.
Is It Worth Watching?: As a fan of the comic book series, I have a lot of hope for this new season, so I say put the show back on your DVR schedule, with caution.
The Walking Dead airs on Sundays at 9 PM ET on AMC.
At Home With Amy Sedaris
What do you get when you mix a daytime cooking/crafting series from the Food Network with Comedy Bang Bang, a dash of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and outdated '50s stereotypes? You get At Home With Amy Sedaris. The new TruTV show parodies shows you know exist but have never watched.
The premise of the series is pretty brilliant, since these shows, like ones starring Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, or the Barefoot Contessa (my mom keeps telling me about her) are very dry and dull. TruTV aired the first two episodes of At Home With Amy Sedaris, and very quickly, the segment "Crafting Corner" became my favorite. It's a chaotic mess of failure, sadness, and regret, as Sedaris attempts to create terrible at-home crafts and is nowhere near successful because there is always some sort of problem. Not every joke is a hit, but the comedy has a broader appeal than shows with the same tone, like Comedy Bang Bang, which seemed to alienate those who weren't comedy nerds. Sedaris's series is fun, inclusive, and weird.
Is It Worth Watching?: Yes, but keep in mind the concept is a bit bizarre, and the first episode has a slow start.
At Home With Amy Sedaris airs on Tuesdays at 10:30 PM ET on TruTV
Joker's Wild With Snoop
Snoop hosts the new, revamped Joker's Wild, a game show that ran during the '70s. Contestants spin a giant slot machine with numerous categories on the wheels, and they have to answer questions based on what pops up on the slot. This is all hosted by Snoop, so you know there are quite a few mentions of pot.
I love game shows, within reason. Joker's Wild isn't interesting, and while there are a few laughs, it's incredibly repetitive and the fun feels forced. Even the inclusion of Seth Rogan and Wiz Khalifa doesn't help make this entertaining. Plus, it doesn't help that one of the contestants is insufferable and overreacts to everything. It's a revamp that tries to cover its flaws with a coat of paint, but everything bad about it bleeds right through. The biggest laugh came unintentionally, as Snoop was counting out $100 bills for the winner and slapping them on a podium. They were terrible-looking fakes, and the look on the contestant's face said it all, "Am I supposed to pretend this is real?"
Is It Worth Watching?: No matter how much you love Snoop, this is not worth your time.
Joker's Wild airs on Tuesdays at 10 PM ET on TBS.
Stranger Things
Taking place one year after the events of Season 1, the boys are back in town, getting ready for Halloween, and a new mystery arises: who is beating all of Dustin's high scores at the arcade? Additionally, Will is seeing the Upside Down in the real world, so he may be having PTSD or visions of what's to come.
Don't worry, we're avoiding big spoilers while talking about this. While the series primarily plays to our sense of nostalgia, which some critics have railed on, the first episode of the newest season is fantastic. The cast is at a place where they're trying to get back to some sort of sense of normalcy, but it's almost impossible because they have to keep what happened to them a secret, since the reality of the situation is completely unbelievable. The opening episode sets the tone, but it's not as dark--so far--as the Duffer Brothers claimed it would be. The only wrench in the episode comes from the cold open. It feels very out of place, although I'm sure later episodes will explain this more.
Is It Worth Watching?: Yes. The new season captures the things we love about the first season and pushes forward the narrative.
All of Season 2 of Stranger Things is currently available on Netflix.
Come back next week for a Halloween-themed special and figure out which one of the shows we're covering isn't spooky: Helltown, Stan Against Evil, Ghost Adventures: Museum of Madness, and Total Divas.
World of Tanks continues to be one of the biggest games on the planet in terms of players. According to Wargaming's latest count, the game had 130 million players on PC alone. Given the immense success of the game over the past seven years, you might have expected Wargaming to make a sequel. That hasn't happened, and it sounds like it's not going to.
Speaking today at PAX Aus on the GameSpot Theatre stage, Wargaming regional publishing director Alex de Giorgio was asked directly if World of Tanks 2 was in the cards. "World of Tanks 2? No," de Giorgio said.
He added that Wargaming sees World of Tanks as a games-as-a-service title, one that the studio continually updates and expands upon. That being the case, there won't be a sequel coming out anytime soon, if it ever happens at all.
"It's this constant evolution; that's been the hallmark of the game," de Giorgio explained, adding that a sequel to World of Tanks "doesn't really make sense to us."
The games-as-a-service model is an approach that that many developers use. Continuing to support a title gives players a reason to stay in the game and spend money. For a game like World of Tanks, which is free-to-play, in-game microtransactions are critical. Some developers argue that the free-to-play is democratic and good for games it forces developers to create compelling content. If they don't, people might walk away.
Earlier this week it was reported that DC's Shazam hits theaters in April 2019. It has now been revealed that the upcoming superhero movie will star Zachary Levi.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Levi will take on the lead role in Shazam, which is expected to start production early next year. Levi is no stranger to the genre--he is already part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having played Fandral in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, which hits theaters next week. Levi is also known for NBC's spy comedy Chuck, the animated hit Tangled, and the recent TV drama Alias Grace.
Shazam will be directed by David F. Sandberg, who previously helmed the horror hits Annabelle: Creation and Light's Out. Sandberg confirmed the film's April 2019 release on Reddit. DC announced an April 5, 2019 release for the movie back in 2014; however, this date no longer appears on the studio's official slate.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was previously announced in the role of Shazam's nemesis Black Adam and is set to appear in a spinoff movie focusing on that character. However, it has now been confirmed that he will not feature in the Shazam movie.
Shazam first appeared in 1939, when he was known by the name Captain Marvel. The character was bought by DC in 1971, when he was renamed, due to Marvel's ownership of the name Captain Marvel. A live action Shazam TV show was broadcast in the mid-70s, while an animated show followed in 1981.
The next DC movie to hit theaters will be Justice League, which releases next month. The film is on course for a huge first weekend at the box office, with early tracking predicting a $110-$120 million opening. In addition, the studio'sAquaman has now completed production. That movie stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard and is released in December next year.
Sony is apparently going to announce seven games next week. The company said in a blog post today that its briefing at Paris Games Week on Monday, October 30, will include "seven all-new game announcements." This covers both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR games. These announcements will start coming in during Sony's pre-show event, kicking off at 8 AM PT on October 30.
Then at 9 AM PT, when the show begins in earnest, Sony will "give you an exclusive new look at the next wave of huge PlayStation titles." And after the event ends, Sony's post-show stream will "dive deeper" into the reveals. So this is all to say: Monday sounds like it is going to be a BUSY day.
Sony's Paris Games Week briefing will be streamed live basically everywhere, and we'll have a page on GameSpot where you can tune in. We'll of course also have a full breakdown of all the big reveals.
What are you hoping to see during Sony's Paris Games Week briefing? Let us know in the comments below! And this may not be the end of Sony's reveals this year, as PlayStation Experience is coming in December.
Super Mario Odyssey is a huge, wonderfully designed game brimming with personality. Although it doesn't specifically impact gameplay (for the most part), one new thing it introduces is the ability to dress Mario up in a wide variety of costumes. These range from his wedding outfit to Waluigi's overalls and many others.
Amiibo figures play a part in accessing these costumes, as you can scan select ones to unlock a corresponding outfit in-game. They can also provide various bonuses, such as extra hearts and--in the case of Mario's Amiibo figures--invincibility for 30 seconds. In the video above, we provide a full rundown on what you can get. Be aware that the costumes thankfully aren't exclusive to Amiibo figures--you can unlock everything in-game without owning any.
To scan in an Amiibo you own, you have to speak with the appropriately named Uncle Amiibo. He's the Roomba-looking robot who can typically be found near your ship after completing a kingdom. Speaking with him brings you to a menu where you can scan in your figures--just hold one over the reader on the right Joy-Con (or the middle of the Pro Controller) to do so.
GameSpot News with Jess McDonell and Dan Crowd brings you the video game news that matters. Except when Chastity Vicencio and Kallie Plagge are filling in, when they also give you the news that matters, just in a different accent. Here are the top five stories from the week that was:
Metal Gear Survive Requires An Internet Connection
It appears that Metal Gear Survive will be always-online. People on NeoGAF discovered that a page on the game's website contains the important disclaimer that "an internet connection is required to play the game," even though the spin-off's main modes are single-player and co-op. We'll have to wait a bit to know for sure, though; the game is set to release on February 20 in the US and February 22 in Europe.
GTA 5 Story DLC Expansions Won't Happen And Here's Why
Rockstar Games never promised it would release single-player expansions for Grand Theft Auto V, but some fans hoped the developer would. Rockstar has instead focused on updates for GTA Online, which have been plentiful and substantial. Design director Imran Sarwar has explained, "We did not feel single-player expansions were either possible or necessary, but we may well do them for future projects."
Even though it's still in Early Access, smash hit PUBG is coming to Xbox One, complete with a disc release. Microsoft is also reportedly working to keep the game an Xbox One exclusive for longer, attempting to delay PUBG's possible release on PlayStation 4 or other consoles. Since the popular battle royale game has surpassed 2 million concurrents on Steam, we're interested to see how it does on Xbox.
Xbox One's First Original Xbox Backwards Compatible Games Now Available
A total of 13 games for the original Xbox can now be played on Xbox One. This includes some of the platform's best games, such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Ninja Gaiden Black. More will be coming in Spring 2018, which means plenty of time to play KotOR.
Microsoft's Kinect sensor, which sold millions across its Xbox 360 and Xbox One iterations but was often criticized, is officially dead. The company has revealed that it has put an end to manufacturing of the device, meaning the ones still on store shelves will be the last ones available. (Check out the video for a surprise guest.)
Jess and Dan will be back on Monday to catch you up on all the video game news you missed out on over the weekend. Let us know in the comments what big games you'll be playing in the meantime!
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 9, "The Gate," below
If there's one main thing to love about Stranger Things' Season 2 finale, "The Gate," it's how unabashedly happy it is. The original season's ending was famously bittersweet, Will's rescue and Brenner's defeat contrasting with Barb's death and Eleven's disappearance. The good guys won, but at a cost.
The same can be said of Stranger Things 2 overall, but this episode specifically ended on a sustained note so brimming with joy that it was almost jarring. At the very least, it was a pleasant surprise; I won't say no to some positivity, and the kids' well-deserved happy ending was one long shot of sweet, sweet nostalgia.
"The Gate" even took the time to tie a bow on pretty much every smaller relationship and character-based subplot, including the end of Nancy and Steve's relationship, Barb's funeral and closure for her parents (justice for Barb!), Hopper and Eleven's touching and funny reconciliation, Mike and Eleven's budding romance--not to mention Lucas and Max's, and maybe Joyce and Hopper's--and even Dustin's heartfelt search for love.
Of course it wasn't all rainbows and wrap-ups. This finale's showdown between Steve and Billy--a former villain and a current one--rivaled any duel in Netflix's Marvel shows for sheer brutality. On top of that, it was far more fitting for Max to ultimately defeat her awful brother than for Steve to somehow best him in a fight, which would have been implausible at best. For Steve to even be where he is--for him to stick his neck out like that--is itself enough fulfillment for him as a character. Consider the fact that he probably got a concussion for his trouble as his final atonement for the years he spent as a douche.
In finally standing up to her brother, Max got her own arc too, and finally showed another dimension as a character.
If I've failed to mention Stranger Things' phenomenal score in any of these reviews, it's only because it's been so consistently great all season that it's an inextricable part of the show's fabric, beyond criticism or praise. But, uh, I'm praising it now. The music is so good, and has been all season.
Stranger Things Season 2 really has been a great nine episodes of television, despite some flaws in its pacing, a couple of poorly drawn new characters, and a cheesy detour in Episode 7. This finale perfectly encapsulated every one of the show's many strengths, from the fantastic cast of characters played by top tier acting talent to the complex but believable plots that weave them all together.
There were even more surprises. Against all odds, Dr. Owens the government spook turned out to really not be a conniving sociopath, something I found hard to grasp right up until the end. Maybe that's on me, or maybe that's the way the show wanted it.
It felt like everyone had something to do in this episode, between Steve and co.'s impromptu plan to torch the tunnels, Eleven and Hopper's trip to close the Gate, and even Will's exorcism. That last one verged on campy, but the basic premise--that they could force the Mind Flayer out with sheer heat--is so obvious and well-set-up throughout the season that it works.
Eleven's ultimate victory over the Gate was an appropriately epic set piece, given how many episodes it took for her to re-enter the main story. Seeing her rise into the air gave me goosebumps, and made me truly excited for Stranger Things' future--as long as it stays firmly planted in this aesthetic rather than the bad X-Men knock-off we glimpsed in "The Lost Sister."
And, of course, it wouldn't be a Stranger Things finale without a tease for future episodes. Stranger Things Season 2 felt like a middle movie in a lot of ways, especially compared with the relatively self-contained story of Season 1. Yes, the main threads--Will's connection with the Upside Down and Eleven's fugitive life--reached satisfying conclusions. But just think about how many didn't:
Kali surely has a larger part to play in this story.
It feels like there's more to learn about Hopper's backstory.
We only just finally started to see more dimensions to Max as a character, and there's some legit tension between her and Eleven.
The Gate is closed, but the Mind Flayer is still out there, and we still don't know what exactly it is, what it wants, or what it will do next.
#JusticeForBob.
Stranger Things 2 managed a difficult feat: maintaining fairly consistent quality across a sophomore outing that had to follow a near-universally lauded first season. We can't know right now whether it will be able to keep that up through as many as three more seasons, but like Mike checking in with Eleven every night for a year, we can always hope.
Best reference or easter egg:
This episode's three separate plotlines--Steve and the kids underground in the tunnels, Eleven and Hopper in the lab, and the Byers in the cabin--seemed inspired by The Goonies, The Terminator, and The Exorcist, respectively.
Check out the giveaway below, and then head back to our Stranger Things 2 hub for more episode reviews, theories, references, easter eggs, and more!
GameSpot Theatre returns to PAX Australia this year, and we're hosting a bunch of great panels featuring the GameSpot Australia team--Jess McDonell, Dan Crowd, Eddie Makuch, and Edmond Tran--as well as our friends from all over the video game industry, including developers from the likes of Sonic Mania, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Netherealm Studios, and Square-Enix Montreal and so much more! My gosh!
If you're in Melbourne, come visit us! The theatre is located by the main entrance on Level 1, next to the Take This AFK Room. If you're not lucky enough to be at PAX Aus in person, you can watch all the action via livestream on this page as it happens, and check out the full schedule here.
10:30 AM - Game Journos Read Mean Comments (And Talk About Dealing With Online Abuse)
If you want to watch games journalists read out mean comments internet strangers have written to them, you've come to the right place! Stick around for a few laughs and find out what it's actually like to deal with internet insults on a daily basis.
PANELISTS: Jess McDonell [Video Host, GameSpot], Dan Crowd [Video Producer, GameSpot], Eddie Makuch [Associate Editor, GameSpot], Lucy O'Brien [Games & Entertainment Editor, IGN], Joab Gilroy [Esports Editor, Red Bull]
12:00 PM - A Dummy's Guide to Watching Esports
Have you just started watching esports and have no idea what's going on? Our panelists are here to help you learn to appreciate a variety of different games and genres! From Overwatch to StarCraft, SMITE to Street Fighter, you'll learn how to get the most out of spectating so you can cheer at the right times and learn something in the process.
PANELISTS: Dan Crowd [Video Producer, GameSpot], Daniel "dethSC" Haynes [Commentator, StarCraft], Alexander "HughZ" Hughes [Commentator, SMITE], Kevin "Burnout" Kim [Community Manager, Xsplit & Street Fighter Commentator, CouchWarriors], Stacia Grooby [Community Manager, Gfinity]
1:30 PM - Fakin' It: Game Reviews
Four professional game reviewers attempt to defend utterly rubbish games, and here's the twist: one of the panelists actually likes each of the games. Can you pick which panelist likes which awful game? 1/10 games, 10/10 hilarity.
PANELISTS: Nic Healey [Breakfast Host, 2SER 107.3FM], Lucy O'Brien [Games & Entertainment Editor, IGN], Joab Gilroy [Esports Editor, Red Bull], Edmond Tran [Editor, GameSpot]
3:00 PM - World of Tanks: Staying Strong for Seven Years and Beyond
With annual gaming franchises the norm, how do you keep the momentum behind a game for more than seven years? Join the global Wargaming team as they discuss the journey they've been on with the hugely successful World of Tanks franchise, how the game has evolved since it was released, and what's next for Aussie fans.
4:30 PM - Stationeers: Blending the Survival and Simulator Genres
Dean Hall (DayZ) and RocketWerkz Developers discuss the progress of Stationeers, their upcoming multiplayer space station construction & simulation game. The panel includes an exclusive reveal of Motherships, a significant development milestone for the science systems-based game, as well as Q&A from the audience.
5:30 PM - Blast from the Past: How Yesterday's Heroes Became Today's Icons
As video games come of the age that allow us to talk about the "good old days", we look at how the games and characters that entertained and inspired us in our youth are making a comeback! Sonic, Crash Bandicoot and of course our favourtie Italian Plumber, Mario. What makes these characters so timeless? What makes them appealing to the new generations of gamers? And what characters do our panelist want to see make a return to our consoles?
PANELISTS: Nic Healey [Breakfast Host, 2SER 107.3FM], Eddie Makuch [Associate Editor, GameSpot], Alex Boz [Co-Founder, Editor-In-Chief, Ausretrogamer], Skye Hall [Contributor, Weird and Retro], Christian Whitehead [Developer, Sonic Mania]
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 8, "The Mind Flayer," below
The #JusticeforBarb crowd may yet get their wish this season, but that will only mean it's time to start a new Stranger Things protest hashtag: #JusticeForBob. Luckily Season 2, Episode 8, "The Mind Flayer," provided a very good reason in the form of Bob's surprising, gruesome death.
Even knowing for much of the episode that it might happen, that was a heck of a gut punch. In its penultimate episode, Stranger Things 2 verged into full-on horror territory, and in true horror movie fashion, Bob went out just at the moment he finally seemed safe.
Did the show earn that death? Is it cheap for it to set up lovable but disposable new characters for no other purpose than to use them as emotional pies-in-the-face? I won't know how to fully process the whole thing until the season's over, but one thing's certain: Bob's death hurt. He was funny, loving, and courageous, an old school nerd who'd weathered bullies and worse and made it out the other side of life to date Winona Ryder. He was a good character, and Stranger Things could have benefitted from his continued existence (and Sean Astin's continued presence in the cast).
On the other end of the spectrum is Billy. Gorgeous as Dacre Montgomery may be, Billy is less a character and more a cardboard cutout with a vaguely defined background and one-dimensional personality. He's a lot like a beginner D&D character, though not in a good way.
In his current state, Billy isn't even capable of a redemption arc, because he has no redeeming qualities, unless he does a total 180 as a character in the finale. Billy is a vain moron, a toxic alpha male, a blatant racist, an abusive brother, and a reckless idiot. His dad being a grade-A dickhead doesn't excuse any of that. That troubling scene may have made Billy temporarily more sympathetic, but it didn't make him a more complex character. Every villain has an origin story, and Billy is still just a plot device to provide conflicts for Max and Steve.
Thankfully, he's been a relatively small part of Stranger Things 2, which, in "The Mind Flayer," finally got back on the track toward an epic conclusion. The action in this episode was the biggest and best that Stranger Things has ever delivered, and seeing all these characters finally come together again, even in grief, highlights how great all their various dynamics are.
This episode also once again feels grounded in reality in a way that the last one, "The Lost Sister," decidedly did not. Even in all the chaos, characters like Bob, Hopper, and Joyce acted in realistic ways. When they reached safety again, Hopper called for backup. The fact that that backup won't come is what forces them into action themselves, but they don't take that decision lightly.
Winona Ryder is on point, and she's never seemed harder than when she's mercilessly jamming needles into her own baby boy--or sadder than when she's mourning Bob (RIP). Even Noah Schnapp, who for multiple seasons has had very little to actually do as Will, showed off some serious chops as he began to go through his very own Exorcist tribute. The morse code twist was a great callback and perfectly in keeping with the show's sensibilities. And, of course, the reunion with Eleven looks like it will prove every bit as emotionally satisfying as we'd hoped, even if it's coming later in the season that I'd have preferred.
Going into the final episode, it's safe to say that Stranger Things Season 2 is, overall, a weaker series than the original. But it's still a fantastic show, even with some faults. And there's plenty of time left for them to pull off a satisfying finisher.
And remember: #JusticeForBob.
Best reference or easter egg:
Hopper certainly knew his way around that assault rifle, which I'd guess wasn't standard issue for small town Indiana police in 1984. It's yet another hint (along with his knowledge of PTSD and his impressive survival skills) that there's more we've yet to learn about the character's past.
Check out the giveaway below, and then head back to our Stranger Things 2 hub for more episode reviews, theories, references, easter eggs, and more!
Friday the 13th developer IllFonic has announced a new mode for the multiplayer survival-horror game. Dubbed Paranoia, the mode will be added to the title as a free update "soon."
IllFonic hasn't announced a date for when players can expect Paranoia mode to arrive, or even what the mode will entail. All the developer has shared is a psychedelic teaser trailer for the mode, which raises more questions than it answers. You can watch it below.
Friday the 13th's most recent update arrived earlier this month and introduced a number of new features and gameplay adjustments. Along with a new map (the Jarvis House), it added a new Jason as well as a new counselor, Mitch Floyd.
Friday the 13th is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game received a physical release for the two consoles earlier this month, fittingly on Friday the 13th. The PC version, meanwhile, is currently on sale for $20 on Steam to celebrate Halloween.
Runaways is one of several new Marvel shows that will hit screens over next few months. It premieres on Hulu in November and focuses on a group of teenagers who can't stand each other but come together to fight crime when they discover that their parents are part of a supervillain team.
A full trailer for the show has now been released. At first glance it looks somewhat similar to Fox's current X-Men show TheGifted, which also features a group of super-powered kids on the run from villainous forces. But Runaways also seems to be a bit weirder; the parents are part of a sinister cult, and there's a brief glimpse of some sort of fanged creature in there. Check it out above.
The show was featured at New York Comic-Con last month, where it was one of four upcoming Marvel shows to get stylish posters. Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are producing, and the first episode debuts on November 21.
Runaways was at one stage being considered for a Marvel movie, with Iron Man 3 writer Drew Pierce hired by the studio to write a script. "We were really close to being made, and then this movie started to happen called The Avengers," Pierce revealed on the Q&A podcast in 2013. "It pulled focus from the unheard-of brand Runaways, and it really did kind of consume the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
The title was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, and the first issue was published in 2003. The book ran until 2009, although the characters have since appeared in numerous other Marvel titles.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus brings B.J. Blazkowicz back to America. After winning World War II and attaining global domination, the Nazis have sunk their hooks into American life, and it's up to "Killer-Billy" and the resistance to fight back and retake their country. To help you better equip yourself with the know-how and grit to survive, we've compiled all of our in-depth guides below.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a no-nonsense narrative-driven first-person shooter focusing on mowing down as many Nazis as possible. Between stealth, perks, dual wielding, and ax throwing, there's a lot to think about when entering a hostile environment. There's also plenty of collectables and activities to accomplish between missions aboard the Evas Hammer Resistance, the main base of the Resistance. To help you better your chances of survival in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, we've compiled 10 essential beginner's tips to follow.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus does a great job of explaining its game mechanics thanks to a simple tutorial system. While these introductions explain basics like movement, stealth, and combat, there are still some things that would be good to know when starting a new game. What difficulty should you choose? Is it worth searching every inch of every level to find all of the game's collectables? And how does that early story choice affect your game going forward? The answers to these questions and more can all be found in this list of 10 things we wish we knew before starting Wolfenstein II.
There are a number of violent and grotesque ways to dispatch the Nazi hordes in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. But to do so efficiently, you'll need to learn the best perks and resources to have at your disposal. Perks in Wolfenstein are entirely dependent on how you play. As you complete certain objectives, like headshot kills, you'll automatically unlock perks that support one of three playstyles: Stealth, Mayhem, and Tactical. Weapon upgrades, on the other hand, are deliberate choices you can make when using upgrade parts, which you can find scattered around various levels and Eva's Hammer.
In Wolfenstein: The New Order, there was a clever homage to the original Wolfenstein game that played out in one of Blazkowicz's dreams. It wasn't the easiest thing to find, but after interacting with B.J.'s bed, you would be transported to Wolfenstein's former pixelated greatness for a quick level. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has a similar easter egg, but with an odd and subtle twist to it.
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 7, "The Lost Sister," below
An episode that focuses entirely on Eleven--and on her quest to reunite with another of Brenner's psychic kids, no less--should have been a highlight of Stranger Things Season 2. Instead it goes down as the opposite, in large part because it breaks the unspoken rule that makes every other episode of Stranger Things better: It all feels like it could really be happening.
Yes, Stranger Things is a fantasy horror show with pretty much actual magic. But the characters and settings all feel like real people and places, and a government conspiracy to develop human weapons and then cover up the botched results has grounds in our world too. The CIA has done some messed up stuff!
But a gang of off-brand X-Men living in a weirdly well-furnished warehouse, systematically murdering people for no real reason--and looking like a Hot Topic parody while doing it--stretches disbelief to the point of breaking. Kali's crew feel like cartoon characters from a much worse show--all but Kali herself, who, ironically, is the one with psychic superpowers. But well-drawn as Linnea Berthelson's character is, she's mired in a pointless, cheesy distraction of an episode, and her awaited return after a great introduction in Season 2's premiere episode is a disappointment.
That's not to say it was all bad. Millie Bobby Brown continues to sustain her fantastically idiosyncratic performance, managing an impressive balance between a vulnerable, naive child and a powerful outcast out for blood. Her scream when pushing her powers to the limit is still unbeatable. Whether that makeover worked is debatable, but on the other hand there was nowhere to go from overalls and curls besides up.
Dr. Brenner's return to the show was welcome, if a bit anticlimactic, considering he was simply a Kali-induced hallucination. Whether he's actually alive is, it appears, still up in the air.
Kali herself is a great addition to the show's living universe. Her power--to make other people hallucinate whatever she chooses--has potential for creativity, moreso than Eleven's vaguely defined abilities to slam doors and pop people's brains with her mind.
Kali also proved a workable foil for Eleven, showing one possible path for our favorite psychic heroine, should she choose to embrace her anger and channel it into her powers. And despite being a merciless killer, Kali is sympathetic in her own right. She's had as hard a life as Eleven, and they both want revenge. Kali is manipulating Eleven, for sure, but there may be a genuine bond there too. If nothing else, it would be a surprise if child number 008 doesn't return in Stranger Things Season 3.
But their parting ways at the episode's end is still disappointing. This reunion may have been helpful for Eleven's journey to figure out where her home lies, but it felt like a detour in the context of the show as a whole. It was so, so far away from what's great about Stranger Things: the dynamic among the kids, the fun '80s references, the Spielbergian horror, and the complex characters, like Hopper and Joyce. If we were watching this week-to-week instead of as one long binge, it would be frustrating that Episode 6 left us on a cliffhanger for a detour that, despite all the build-up, was ultimately unnecessary.
Where Season 1 felt relatively contained--a standalone story, despite some teases in the finale--Stranger Things 2 is starting to feel more and more like set-up for the show's future. That won't turn out to be a problem if the final two episodes bring it home effectively. But in a season that numbers only 9 episodes, Stranger Things didn't benefit from a distraction of this magnitude.
Best reference or easter egg:
The guy Eleven and Kali almost murdered was watching Punky Brewster, an '80s sitcom about a young girl who was abandoned by her parents and is raised by a foster father.
Check out the giveaway below, and then head back to our Stranger Things 2 hub for more episode reviews, theories, references, easter eggs, and more!
The latest batch of deals are now available in the US PlayStation Store. This marks the second week of Sony's Sale of the Dead, which offers discounts on many PS4, PS3, and Vita games that are perfect for Halloween, while a new spotlight sale features Danganronpa and other titles from NIS America.
The spotlight sale offers some very sizable discounts on select NISA games across all of Sony's platforms, and those with a PS Plus subscription will save an additional percentage off many of the titles. On PS4, players can purchase the recently released Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony for $45 ($51 without PS Plus). Danganronpa 1-2 Reload is also on sale for $24 ($28), while the series' spin-off Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls for $10.49 ($13.49). Other PS4 games on sale include:
The NISA sale runs until October 31. You can find the full list of discounted titles here. You also have until October 31 to save on some great horror games for all Sony platforms, including Resident Evil 7 ($30/$36), Killing Floor 2 ($16/$20), and Dying Light: The Following ($21/$24), among others. You can find more discounted titles here.
While there's still plenty of October left, Hulu is already looking toward November and the arrival of a bunch of a new titles on their streaming service. In addition to new episodes of your favorite TV shows, November will see the debut of some notable Hulu original series and a slew of new movies to watch.
The most notable addition for the month is sure to be the series premiere of Marvel's Runaways, the streamer's first comic book adaptation. From Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the creative duo behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl, Runaways tells the stories of six teenagers who learn their parents are supervillains.
Future Man, from executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, will bring time traveling comedy to Hulu. Josh Hutcherson stars as a janitor that might also be the savior of the universe.
As for movies, popular titles like 13 Going on 30, Ocean's Eleven, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day will become available to stream. Additionally, 21 James Bond films will debut on Hulu on November first, giving subscribers access to almost every single film starring the famed secret agent, prior to Daniel Craig taking on the role. The only early film that's missing is 1967's Casino Royale.
Take a look at the full list of what is arriving and departing Hulu in November below.
Netflix has announced what's coming and going in the month of November. As usual with the streaming service, many titles--both original and not--will be added to the service leading throughout the month. One particularly interesting addition is the upcoming documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, which is made up of behind-the-scenes footage of Jim Carrey during production of Man on the Moon--the Andy Kaufman biopic.
Of course, the most anticipated release of the month for Netflix is none other than Marvel's The Punisher. The streamer's first Marvel series after Defenders launches November 17, with Jon Bernthal playing the gun-toting vigilante. November will also see the arrival of new seasons of Lady Dynamite and Broadchurch, along with movies like Chappie, Men in Black, and Piranha.
Leaving Netflix isthe Matrix Trilogy, V for Vendetta, and The Human Centipede: First Sequence, to name a few. On the TV front, the streaming service will also remove all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother, along with four seasons of Jessie.
You can take a look at the full list of what's coming and going on Netflix in November below. And for streaming completists, make sure to check out what's being added to Hulu in the month of November, as well.
Arriving on Netflix, Netflix 2017
November 1
42
Casper
ChappieCharlotte's Web (2006)
Field of Dreams
Men in Black
Michael Clayton
Oculus
Scary Movie
Silent Hill
Stranger: Season 1
The Bittersweet
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Reader
The Whole Nine Yards
To Rome with Love
Under Arrest: Season 7
Undercover Grandpa
Where the Day Takes You
November 2
All About the Money
It's Not Yet Dark
Ten Percent (aka Call My Agent!): Season 2 (Netflix Original)
November 3
Alias Grace (Netflix Original)
Eventual Salvation
The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
November 4
Williams
November 5
The Homesman
The Veil
November 6
The Dinner
November 7
Dizzy & Bop's Big Adventure: The Great Music Caper
Fate/Apocrypha: Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Killing Ground
P. King Duckling: Season 1
Project Mc²: Part 6 (Netflix Original)
The Journey Is the Destination
November 10
Blazing Transfer Students: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Dinotrux Supercharged: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Glitter Force Doki Doki: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Lady Dynamite: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Mea Culpa (Netflix Original)
The Killer (Netflix Original)
November 12
Long Time Running
November 13
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
November 14
DeRay Davis: How To Act Black (Netflix Original)
Hickok
November 15
Lockup: State Prisons: Collection 1
November 16
9
November 17
A Christmas Prince (Netflix Original)
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (Netflix Original)
Longmire: Final Season (Netflix Original)
Luna Petunia: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
Marvel's The Punisher (Netflix Original)
Mudbound (Netflix Original)
Red, White, Black, Blue Odyssey
Santa Claws
Shot in the Dark: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Spirit: Riding Free: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
Stretch Armstrong & the Flex Fighters: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
November 20
Piranha
November 21
Beat Bugs: All Together Now (Netflix Original)
Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers (Netflix Original)
Saving Capitalism (Netflix Original)
The Case for Christ
November 22
Cherry Pop
Godless (Netflix Original)
The Boss Baby
Tracers
November 23
Deep
She's Gotta Have It: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Bushwick
Cuba and the Cameraman (Netflix Original)
Frontier: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
The Many Faces of Ito: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park: USA: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
November 27
Broadchurch: Season 3
Darkness Rising
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Season 7 Part 2
With just a few weeks before Justice League hits theaters, tickets for the DC Comics superhero team-up movie have gone on sale. Thus far, the results are painting what could be a pretty impressive picture of the film's box office success.
As reported by Deadline, Justice League is currently looking at earning $110-$120 million in its opening weekend. That number would rank it above Wonder Woman, which opened to $103.2 million but below both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. While Batman v Superman scored $166 million during its first weekend, Suicide Squad racked up $133.6 million.
Based on polls from Fandango, it's Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa) that are driving the most interest for the movie among fans, with 89% of Fandango users saying they're excited to revisit Diana Prince after the character's standalone movie earlier in 2017.
It's entirely possible that the projections for Justice League could rise in a week, following the release ofThor: Ragnarok. While the movies come from two different studios--Marvel for Thor, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment for Justice League--with two major superhero releases this close together, the earlier release could easily dominate the anticipation.
That said, projections are just that: projections. The actual number could also drop as the movie's debut grows closer. After all, the reviews for Justice League aren't out yet.
Two game-changing mechanics are on the way to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds soon. Developer Bluehole has announced it will run test servers for the PC 1.0 release next week, which includes a number of new features, most notably climbing and vaulting.
Bluehole hasn't yet specified what day testing will begin, but the developer has said the test servers will be up "for several days to allow everyone to try out the test build and give feedback." Climbing and vaulting in particular are big changes; PlayerUnknown himself, Brendan Greene, said that vaulting "will change the game severely" during a panel at PAX Aus this week.
Bluehole shared more details on how vaulting will work in a post on the official PUBG website. "Although we initially planned to allow crossing over structures which are up to 1 meter high, we have eventually decided to extend the functionality of the feature by increasing the limit to about 2.3 meters," the developer wrote.
"Almost any static object that meets the dimension criteria can be scaled. Additionally, passing through openings in structures (such as windows) is possible as long as they are wide and tall enough. You may scale almost any static object which is short enough. Objects which are chest level high can be scaled with a weapon in hand. Taller structures that require pulling up to vault need to be performed with both hands free of any items (they will be holstered automatically when animation is played). Running towards the obstacle will generate momentum that will ensure faster motion. Performing the action from stationary position is also possible but the animation played will be slower, leaving players vulnerable for a longer period of time."
In addition to climbing and vaulting, PC 1.0 introduces changes to ballistics and vehicle driving. Bluehole also says it will implement new measures to clamp down on players who cheat. "Regarding the use of cheats, we will be doing everything we can and use all resources available to detect and impose penalties on users who use cheats," the developer wrote. "Recently, we have implemented new measures to better identify and track their usage. We have designed reliable systems to do this more efficiently than before."
PUBG releases in full on PC and on Xbox One via the Game Preview program later this year. During the same PAX Aus panel, Brendan Greene said he wants cross-play between the Xbox One and PC versions; he also confirmed that a single-player campaign won't be added to the immensely popular battle royale game any time soon.
The third and final Injustice 2 character in Fighter Pack 2 is just a few weeks away from release. Hellboy, the biggest surprise character of the DLC additions so far, releases on November 21, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today.
Coinciding with the news of when he's coming, WB shared a new gameplay trailer that showcases what Hellboy plays like. As you'd expect, he makes ample use of his gun, giant fist, and sassy attitude; the difference in attitude between him and Galactus, whom he fights for much of the video, is quite big. We also get a look at his Super; whereas many characters take to the sky for theirs, Hellboy and his unfortunate opponent head deeper into the Earth.
Even with Hellboy still a few weeks away, we already know who's next for Injustice 2: Atom. The character is due out in December and is the first of three coming as part of Fighter Pack 3.
It was a big week in general for new games, but today's the biggest of the week, month, and perhaps the entire year. New entries in three major franchises have all released on the same day, and unfortunately for your wallet and spare time, you might want to play them all.
One thing you can count on every October, aside from a bunch of big game releases, are developers releasing Halloween-themed updates and events. Halloween is still weeks away, and already we've seen a number of such announcements, and some of these events are already underway. [Updated October 27 with GTA 5, Absolver, Trove, World of Warships, The Escapists 2, Rift, and many more.]
With so much going on, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that's happening. Given that many of these events, such as Overwatch's Halloween Terror, provide you with a limited amount of time to obtain items you can use year-round, you'll want to stay on top of how and when you can expand your collection. We've compiled a list of many of the Halloween-themed events happening in games this month--there's also a Halloween sale on Steam--and we'll continue to update this as more are announced. Check everything out below, and let us know what you'll be playing (as well as any we missed) in the comments.
Absolver
As part of a broader update that also introduces a new prestige system and more equipment, Absolver's 1.08 patch also has something for Halloween lovers. Nine new masks are now available, six of which are Halloween-themed, allowing you to give yourself the look of a creepy owl, a messed-up skeleton, or a bunch of melted candles, among other things.
Activision will host a monthlong event in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare called Willard Wyler's Halloween Scream that features several different components. Each week, players will be able to pick up a free Halloween Supply Drop by logging in, as well as a Halloween-themed cosmetic item on each Friday. Halloween gear and loot, such as a zombie-themed Rig skin, will also be up for grabs.
Additionally, Gesture Warfare mode--where you take out opponents by doing things like pinching your fingers--returns for a limited time. Carnage, one of the maps in the Retribution DLC, will be free to all players from October 12 until November 1 in a special playlist that runs only that map and offers double XP. Finally, Boss Battle will allow DLC owners to tackle a different Zombie episode's final fight each week.
The Witches Festival is back in The Elder Scrolls Online, offering double XP and a variety of themed elements. Special loot is available from boss monsters (like Witches Festival recipes and pumpkin or scarecrow masks), while there are also spooky items for purchase in the Crown Store--maybe the most notable of which is the Exorcised Coven Cottage. You can also change your appearance to something more seasonal, and event achievements are available for those who haven't unlocked them in past years.
Dates
Now - November 1 at 7 AM PT (10 AM ET/3 PM BST; 1 AM AEDT on November 2)
The Halloween Mayhem event in Entropia Universe presents players with the chance to get special weapons and armor, as well as to take part in an item hunt. Joining a Halloween instance--designated by the points on the map located in the gallery above--will place you outside of a graveyard, and looting special Halloween items awards you with points. The players who earn the most during the course of the event will win various prizes.
The Escapists 2 gets in on the Halloween fun, but it does so through a premium DLC pack. The Wicked Ward adds a horror-themed prison to escape from in addition to themed customizations, items, and crafting recipes. It's priced at $4/£2.79 and is included with the season pass.
Dates
Available now
Final Fantasy XIV
The All Saint's Wake event is now live in Final Fantasy XIV. The seasonal event brings back the Continental Circus, and there are new things to do by talking to the special Adventurers' Guild investigator in Old Gridania. Taking part in the event allows you to unlock new gear (like a werewolf head) and items (such as a pumpkin pie set tabletop item).
Dates
Now - November 1 at 7:59 AM PT (10:59 AM ET/4 PM BST; 2 AM AEDT on November 2)
For its first Halloween on the market, For Honor is celebrating with a special Feast of the Otherworld event. This allows players to participate in the Endless March mode, where you're squaring off against hordes of skeletons. There's also new gear, emotes, and masks (which go in a new customization slot) to earn by taking part.
Both the PvP and PvE sides of Fortnite get some attention with its Fortnitemares update. The PvE side is where much of Halloween-themed content comes into play, as there are special enemies, weapons, and other things to check out. But a variety of Halloween cosmetics are on sale on the store to help players distinguish themselves from the competition.
The Coalition is marking Halloween in Gears of War 4 in a variety of ways. As the video above reveals, Friday the 13th marks the return of Skorge, the Locust general who will make an appearance as a skin. Later in the month, players can jump into a special multiplayer playlist that adorns everyone with a pumpkin head, or take part in a special mode called Phantom Dodgeball. The Coalition has also teased "a few extra surprises," of which Skorge is likely one.
Dates
October 13 (Skorge)
October 27 - TBA (pumpkin heads, Phantom Dodgeball)
Rockstar hasn't gone all-out for Halloween in Grand Theft Auto V, although it has released a new mode that it's connecting to the holiday. A new Adversary mode named Condemned is now available where one player is marked for death, and the only way to save themselves is to kill another player. Everyone competes to be the last person standing; double GTA$ and RP are available until November 6. And it has even less to do with Halloween, but this same update provides free GTA$ and adds a weaponized vehicle, Vigilante, that is basically the Tim Burton version of the Batmobile, so it's a good time to log on.
Guild Wars 2 brings back the Shadow of the Mad King event this year. This consists of multiple elements, including a decorated version of Lion's Arch, new armor and weapon skins to collect, and a special jumping puzzle in the Mad King's Clock Tower. You can also head to the Mad King's Labyrinth for some limited-time, spooky activities and take part in the Lunatic Inquisition PvP event. Or you can meet up with King Oswald Thorn, who is said to have "deadly tricks up his sleeve."
Hacktag has received an update dubbed the Hackoween Special, which introduces a significant amount of new content. There's a new mission type, Boss Takedown; 24 new levels spread between Boss Takedown and Data Scavenger; new co-op mini-games; and five new characters. You'll also see characters wearing some Halloween outfits.
Dates
Available now
Hearthstone
Part of Hearthstone's Halloween celebration is tied to Fireside Gathering events. Hallow's End-themed real-life meet-ups will take place over the course of more than a month, and a free Warlock hero (Nemsy Necrofizzle) is available for attending certain ones. She'll continue to be available even after Hallow's End concludes.
For those who can't make it to an event, there's still plenty happening in-game. For one week, players can get a Whispers of the Old Gods card pack and an Arena ticket just for logging in. The following week, logging in rewards a Knights of the Frozen Throne card pack and another Arena ticket. A special dual-class Arena mode will also be available for a limited time. Here's how Blizzard explains it: "At the start of every Arena run, players choose a Hero, a Hero Power from another class, and then choose cards from both of those classes in addition to neutral cards. That's not all though: each of the nine classic Hearthstone Heroes will attend their Arena games in costume!"
Finally, players will be able to take on the Headless Horseman in a special Tavern Brawl. You'll wear a costume that dictates what cards you have available and grants a passive power that will help you defeat him.
Dates
Now - November 5 (Fireside Gatherings, Dual Class Arena)
October 24 at 9 AM PDT - October 30 at 11:59 PM (Whispers of the Old Gods freebie)
October 31 at 12:01 AM PDT - November 5 at 11:59 PM (Knights of the Frozen Throne freebie)
Heroes of the Storm once again sees its Hallow's End event, which kicks off this month. However, this marks the first Halloween since Blizzard launched HotS' new Loot Chest system, which means things work a bit differently than in the past. Like in Overwatch, event-specific chests will replace the standard ones during the event. You'll earn one with every level up, and at least one of the four rewards inside is guaranteed to be a Hallow's End item, which includes skins, mounts, sprays, and portraits. Weekly Brawl rewards after October 20 will take the form of a Hallow's End chest, and these can also be purchased using gems.
Also during the event, you can make progress toward quests that will net you a special spray (by playing two games), banner (eight games), and portrait (15 games). However, Custom Games, Training matches, and Brawls don't count toward these totals.
The Halloween Horrors content pack update has been released for Killing Floor 2. This introduces a new map that is meant to be set inside the mind (or more precisely, the nightmares) of Boozo the clown. There are new Achievements to earn and two new weapons to use: the Seeker Six (a multi-shot, guided rocket launcher) and the Hemoglobin (which somehow drains enemies of blood). New, limited-time unlocks include face paint and pumpkin helmets. Prize tickets can be earned for free by playing, or you can purchase them; either way, they can be exchanged for new Halloween Horror cosmetics, such as weapon skins. Finally, the King Fleshpound has been added as a permanent member of the boss rotation, and new daily and weekly objectives can earn you in-game cash to spend on cosmetic items.
Minecraft's Halloween Spooktacular event is officially underway. This brings special, themed content and activities to official servers for players on Bedrock Engine platforms (which is to say, most versions of the game). Among other things, the Lifeboat server is home to a haunted house parkour course; InPvP has the Haunted Mansion SkyWare map; and Mineplex brings The Pumpkin King, plus quests, flaming pumpkins to fight, and more. You can get a look at what awaits in the video and gallery above.
For its second October, Blizzard has brought back Overwatch's Halloween Terror event. It replaces the standard Loot Box with an event-specific one, which contains a variety of Halloween-themed cosmetic items. These include both those from last year and more than 50 new ones, such as Legendary skins for Ana, Symmetra, Zenyatta, and McCree. Last year's Junkenstein's Revenge event also returns as a special Brawl mode--this is a Horde-style co-op game type where a team of four takes on waves of AI-controlled enemies. New to this year's version is an endless variant, where you can compete on leaderboards by seeing how many waves you can successfully make it through.
As part of the Shadow's Eve event, Paragon players will be able to get their hands on limited-edition chests. These contain regular items and Shadow's Eve-specific rewards, including skins and banners. Narbash, Wukong, and Yin have received new skins for the event, and each week will offer up a selection of different skins from last year. (These skins and banners are only available during the event.) A special Mega Bundle that includes all of this will be sold from October 24 - November 11; you'll receive a discount if you've already gotten your hands on any of the contents.
Dates
Now - November 1 (Shadow's Eve)
October 24 - November 11 (Shadow's Eve Mega Bundle)
Following leaks that spoiled some surprises, Niantic has officially announced its Halloween plans for Pokemon Go. Sableye, Banette, and other Gen 3 Ghost-types will make their debut, with more creatures from Hoenn coming later this year. During the event, a Pikachu wearing a special hat can be found in the wild, and a new cosmetic item will be available to players as well. Additionally, bonus Candy can be earned for catching, transferring, and and hatching Pokemon, and your buddy Pokemon will accumulate Candy two times as fast as usual.
Dates
October 20 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST (6 AM AET on October 21 in Australia) - 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM on November 2 (7 AM AET on November 3 in Australia)
Rift's Autumn Harvest event is back, and it offers both activities and themed rewards, such as a broom mount and special masks (like a mummy and plague crow). There's also a premium DLC pack, The Mummified Power Pack, for $20 that includes a variety of cosmetics, currency, and consumables.
Rocket League marks the occasion with a new Haunted Hallows event. By playing online matches, you'll earn a new type of currency: Candy Corn (because, let's be honest, it's not like you're going to eat it). It can be spent to purchase Halloween-themed items, decryptors, and Halloween event crates. These crates contain special items and can be earned with regular keys or decryptors, but using the latter will make the items you receive untradeable. Candy Corn will only remain in your inventory until a week after the event ends, but anything you purchase with it will remain yours.
Dates
Now - November 6 at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET/6 PM BST; 4 AM AEDT on November 7)
The newest patch for Smite brings back the Halloween makeover for Arena mode's map and the Scary Potion. The latter messes around with players--last year's version, for instance, would occasionally play a Loki sound effect that made you think you were about to be backstabbed. Additionally, a Halloween chest is for sale that includes things like spooky and themed skins (Trick or Treat Cupid and Grim Reaper Thanatos). Through the Odyssey, there are new Halloween skins you can buy directly, such as Mummified Izanami and Yurei Susano.
Trove has brought seven seasonal adventures themed around the holiday. You'll find pumpkin lairs, and by clearing them out, you'll receive candy corn that can be spent on mystery boxes at the Shadowy Station located in the new Shadow's Eve hub. These boxes offer a chance at receiving two new mounts--one of which is a moving coffin--and other new mounts are also up for grabs by playing. Logging in by November 20 also lets you claim a free Musical Mat mount from the Deals tab of the store.
Blizzard hasn't yet revealed its full Halloween plans for World of Warcraft, but we do know that Hallow's End will return. The event "celebrates the break of the Forsaken from the Scourge," Blizzard says. "Fun and mischief reign as the Innkeepers of Azeroth give treats, and tricks, to whomever asks."
World of Warships again gets into the Halloween spirit this year, introducing four new ships themed around the holiday. You can take part in a continuation of the mission with special rewards. Your goal is to allow a ritual to be completed that closes a portal allowing devious enemies through, but you'll have to contend with a fog that both heals enemies and damages you.
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 6, "The Spy," below
It turns out Mike should have listened to Will when he asked him last episode: "What if he spies back?"
The second half of Stranger Things Season 2 kicked off in Episode 6, "The Spy," with an urgency and fun pacing that the season was largely missing up to this point. And that conclusion--Will sending those soldiers to theirs deaths and clearing the way for a full-blown attack--is the kind of cliffhanger that will have viewers jamming on the "next episode" button.
But there's plenty to unpack in this episode as well, and Will's increasingly dire condition is only part of it. Dr. Owens--who, against all odds, is turning out to really be a good guy--laid the situation bare: "All living organisms develop defense mechanisms against attack. They adapt. They find some way to survive," he explained. "It's been spreading and growing beneath us like some cancer."
The virus's hosts are all physically connected, from the tentacles down in the tunnel to Will himself. And now they can't continue torching it because of that little "complication." The kiddo losing his memories only adds to the urgency, making for more tension than we've seen since he went missing in Season 1. Poor little guy can't catch a break!
Several of the other threads Stranger Things 2 has been weaving began coming together this episode as well, from Nancy and Jonathan finally (finally!) smashing faces, to Max at last revealing exactly what she and Billy are doing in Hawkins. The former was satisfying as all get-out, but the latter fell flat.
It was a cute moment between Lucas and Max, but an anticlimactic reveal. After six episodes of buildup and obfuscation, it turns out Max and Billy are step-siblings who had to move here when Max's parents got divorced, and her mother married Billy's father. He blames her, and she blames him. That's it. You have to wonder why the show treated their backstory with so much secrecy and teasing, stretching it out over this many episodes, when it really was about as basic as can be. And that really did nothing for the Billy problem--namely, that he's just a racist villain with no depth or redeeming qualities.
At least Bob the Brain is still the best. Sean Astin is giving quite a nuanced performance as the lovable nerd who, at last, has begun to glimpse the extent to which the Byers family isn't "normal." He's clearly in over his head, so hopefully he makes it out in one piece.
With the way the episode concluded, that's looking like a coin toss. The reveal earlier in the season that Will has likely been puking up baby Demogorgons for an entire year was a subtle one, but those demonic chickens have now come home to roost. Would anything have been different if Will had been honest about the slugs in the first place? Then again, you can't blame him for not trusting Dr. Owens.
There have been some pacing problems throughout Stranger Things Season 2, but if it keeps going at this pace it's going to be over too soon--especially when we go entire episodes without a hint of Eleven. She has a reunion with Kali to attend, after all, before she can even reunite with her friends, which is feeling like finale material at the rate the story is going. That's not necessarily a bad thing, so let's keep watching.
Best reference or easter egg:
It's another Indiana Jones bit! This time, Nancy and Jonathan's separate-but-tandem mutterings mirrored those of Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw in Temple of Doom.
Check out the giveaway below, and then head back to our Stranger Things 2 hub for more episode reviews, theories, references, easter eggs, and more!
While the next installment in the Fast & Furious franchise won't be in theaters until 2020, it's never too early for series star Vin Diesel to start promoting it. In a Facebook Live video, the actor confirmed not only a returning cast member for the next film, but a director for the ninth and tenth movies in the saga.
During the impromptu video, which Diesel was shooting from what he called a "top secret" set that looked quite a bit like a garage you might see in the Fast & Furious movies, the actor introduced none other than director Justin Lin. "You wanted 9 and 10 to be incredible. We've heard your concerns about the saga and where it needs to arrive to in its final chapters," he says in the video, which you can watch below. "And the crowd goes wild, it's Justin Lin!"
Lin previously directed four different Fast & Furious movies--parts three through six. It was during his time with these movies that the franchise evolved from street racing dramas to action films, which included the introduction of Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs.
Diesel also revealed that Jordana Brewster would return as Mia Toretto in the ninth Fast & Furious movie. The actress and her character were missing from The Fate of the Furious, after the death of Paul Walker, her on-screen husband.
While you're settling in to watch the latest season, this new skin pack will let you have your own terrifying adventures with the Demogorgon--in a more blocky, pixelated form, at least. The pack includes skins for every major face in the series from Season 1 and some from Season 2, which may include potential spoilers.
Above are only a small taste of the characters that are included in the DLC. If you'd like to see all of the characters, head on over to the official website.
And of course, just like the show, this DLC is available now. Those playing on Bedrock Platforms can snag it for 420 coins in the Marketplace, or on consoles and other platforms for $3. If you're looking for even more spooky gaming fun in Minecraft and beyond, be sure to check out all the Halloween events we know about.
Nintendo has rolled out another firmware update for Switch. Version 4.0.1 arrives just a couple of days after the system's big 4.0.0 update, though it isn't nearly as exciting.
Unlike the previous update, which added several new features to the system, update 4.0.1 is another minor one that primarily for "system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience." According to the patch notes, which you can see below (as taken from Nintendo's support site), the update also "changed the HDMI connection process specification to match that of version 3.0.2 to address video and sound output issues with some TV models."
EA recently announced the closure of Dead Space developer Visceral Games and the revamping of its single-player Star Wars game. Based on the wording of the announcement, it sounded as if its lack of multiplayer (or games-as-a-service hooks) was to blame, as EA said, "In its current form, it was shaping up to be a story-based, linear adventure game ... It has become clear that to deliver an experience that players will want to come back to and enjoy for a long time to come, we needed to pivot the design." This led to speculation about what the future of single-player games looks like. There had, however, been some indications that it was actually the quality of the game itself to blame, and a new Kotaku report sheds light on what's unfolded with the project over the past several years.
"Making games is hard," EA Worldwide Studios boss Patrick Soderlund told Kotaku. "That's not new, but it bears saying again because if anything, it's getting more complex. But that's what gets us up in the morning, we love it. We have amazingly talented people making games, and very powerful tools… but expectations are going up at an even faster rate. We see it when we talk to players. We see it in our own games, in the feedback people give us, and how they play. We see it from what other games people love…and which ones they don't. There are a ton of factors."
Soderlund also explicitly denied that the game, codenamed Ragtag, was canceled because it was intended to be a single-player action-adventure game, similar to Uncharted. "This truly isn't about the death of single-player games--I love single-player, by the way--or story and character-driven games," he said. "Storytelling has always been part of who we are, and single-player games will of course continue. This also isn't about needing a game that monetizes in a certain way. Those are both important topics, but that's not what this is. At the end of the day, this was a creative decision. Our job is to give people a deep enough experience and story, and it's also to push the boundaries forward. We just didn't think we were getting it quite right."
Kotaku's report seemingly backs up this claim, as it paints a picture of a project that faced troubles for years. This was allegedly in part due to EA, which may have had unrealistic expectations for Visceral's first attempt at such a game, the Motive studio being moved to work on Star Wars Battlefront II's campaign, and a lack of resources. You can read more about what unfolded at Visceral here.
With the fate of single-player games a hot topic, we recently spoke with Guerrilla Games designer Tim Stobo, who pointed to his studio's most recent game, Horizon: Zero Dawn, as evidence that they are not dead. "I think Horizon proves that there is a future for a really high-quality single-player experience. [The upcoming story expansion Frozen Wilds] proves that again," he explained. "We're really committed to delivering that high-level, quality experience for players. It does seem like maybe there is a business shift in other parts of the industry. But at Guerrilla, we're just focused on telling amazing stories." It's worth noting that Guerrilla is owned by Sony. As a result, it's in a much different position in terms of its ability to justify making single-player-only experiences that Sony can use to sell hardware.
As for Ragtag, the game is now in development at EA Vancouver, which was brought on partway through development to assist Visceral. It has been delayed and will no longer launch by March 2019. Meanwhile, the future of Amy Hennig, the former Uncharted lead who headed up Ragtag at Visceral, is unclear, with EA telling us, "[W]e're in discussions with Amy about her next move."
In Wolfenstein: The New Order, there was a clever homage to the original Wolfenstein game that played out in one of Blazkowicz's dreams. It wasn't the easiest thing to find, but after interacting with B.J.'s bed, you would be transported to Wolfenstein's former pixelated greatness for a quick level. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has a similar easter egg, but with an odd and subtle twist to it.
To access the easter egg, head to the Evas Hammer and travel to the lounge above the Cantina. Next to the pool table, you'll see an old arcade cabinet. By interacting with it, you'll be able to play Wolfenstein 3D. While the game is largely the same as the original Wolfenstein 3D, the controls have been modernized for the two-stick control scheme, but have also been given a slightly different change to the game's setting and story. Instead of fighting against the Nazis, you'll be battling American and Russian soldiers while on the hunt for Terror-Billy, a reference to B.J.'s nickname.
In The New Colussus' depiction of Nazi America, they've made Wolfenstein 3D about the exploits of the Nazis in WWII. There are a number of subtle and more obvious alterations to the original, such as the change of the Nazi-death cry "Mein Leben!" to the American GI's "My Life!". You can even save your progress in multiple saves, and compete with the rest of the Hammer crew by trying to get the high score. The scores show that Max Hass is the resident wizard and has the current high score of 42000.
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