We've teamed up with Hi-Rez Studios to give away 5,000 skin codes for SMITE's Black Knight Osiris to redeem on PC/PS4/Xbox One. This is an instant-win and you will receive an email with the code within 24 hours.
This giveaway coincides with SMITE's new action-packed RPG mode titled "Shadows Over Hercopolis". Players band together to traverse iconic locations from Norse mythology, confront legendary monsters, and get sweet loot.
By Anonymous on Nov 11, 2017 11:30 pm From remortgaging their homes to selling a million copies, here's the story of how two brothers with no experience went on to make Cuphead, one the biggest surprise hits of 2017.
Much like the characters of Cuphead and Mugman, brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer's experience in making their dream game started with a big gamble. While many fans were looking forward to the game since its 2013 reveal, few knew of the struggles that the creators faced when making their dream game into a reality. The journey making this run-and-gun platformer was a remarkable one for Studio MDHR, and in the weeks since its September 2017 release, the developers have been welcome with open arms by a loyal and dedicated audience. Though it's now a million seller, the hardships of development still linger in the minds of its creators.
In an exclusive interview with the creative force from Studio MDHR, GameSpot learned the true story about the making of Cuphead, and how the brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer took many personal risks to make this game happen--and with its success under their belt, the duo are now looking to the future.
One of the most striking elements of Cuphead is its detailed and lush visual design. As a callback to classic animation of the 1930s, Studio MDHR's game evokes a certain rubbery exuberance throughout the many levels Cuphead and Mugman travel through. But the creation of the game's visuals turned out to be a trying task for the small team. Evolving over the course of the game, the animation style and technique became increasingly more elaborate in design and visuals, which showed an enormous attention to detail, but also meant each battle and event had a particular style and tone that set itself apart from what came before.
"Everything in the game is done classically, for the most part. Everything is hand drawn on paper, it's hand inked on paper. All the backgrounds are watercolor paintings." -- Chad Moldenhauer
To make the game in-keeping with its throwback aesthetic, the developers chose a traditional approach to creating its design. Over the course of its development, the game's visual design and implementation proved to be the studio's biggest challenge, all made worse by the limited number of people available to develop the game. From painstakingly painting foam mock-ups of background architecture, to illustrating by-hand the many characters and bosses that are found Cuphead, Studio MDHR went the extra mile to bring the world of Cuphead to life--but at great cost to their careers and personal lives. But over time, this approach began to pay off, giving the game its iconic and vibrant style that put it on the map.
Along with its beautiful visuals, Cuphead built a reputation for its uncompromising challenge. A clear contrast to the vivid, and even inviting graphics on display. In the years before its release, the throwback game was known as something to not take lightly, which the developers felt weren't that unusual when compared to the retro games it sought to replicate. While they acknowledge that difficult games aren't for everyone, the brothers refined their gameplay system that rewarded those that approached the system with patience and perseverance.
Making games is an incredibly taxing and time-consuming affair, which is something that the developers know all too well after their journey. There's much more to learn from our extended talk with the creative minds at Studio MDHR. Be sure to check out our review of the game, along with videos detailing the influences that the team pulled from, and just how they managed to recreate many of the game's most memorable, and challenging stages.
Injustice 2, NetherRealm's superhero-filled fighting game, is set to receive its most surprising DLC additions yet. A new trailer for the game's Fighter Pack 3 DLC has revealed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will join the fray, alongside Enchantress and Atom.
While the latter two characters mentioned above are exciting new arrivals in their own right, they're somewhat overshadowed by the Ninja Turtles. Interestingly, all four of the heroes in a half shell will join the Injustice 2 roster, which will have cool gameplay implications.
In the trailer, which you can see above, the Ninja Turtles interrupt a battle between Enchantress and Atom, and when Michelangelo calls dibs on fighting the "magic lady" he's told that they "fight as a team" by Leonardo. More than just a cool cinematic moment, this could be a tease of how the squad will fight.
Although there hasn't been any gameplay of them in action yet, we're guessing that one of the Ninja Turtles will be the main on-screen character, with the others jumping in and out of battle to execute special moves or lend a hand in combos. From the way the trailer ends, it looks like Leonardo--leader of the Ninja Turtles--will be the primary character and his brothers will back him up. Of course, this is all speculation on our part, and NetherRealm could surprise us by introducing a unique tag-mechanic for them.
These DLC characters, and the ones that came before them, are included as part of the Ultimate Edition of Injustice 2 or can be purchased in the upcoming Fighter Pack 3 DLC. Atom will be available for early access on December 12, but specific release dates for the other characters haven't been confirmed yet.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now only a month from release and we can expect plenty more publicity over the next few weeks. A pair of new trailers were released recently, and now we have another TV spot.
While this teaser is very short, it's actually mostly new footage. We see Finn delivering the franchise's most famous line, Poe getting some snappy dialogue of his own while in a space battle, and Rey twirling her lightsaber on Ahch-To. Check it out below:
The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, and Andy Serkis. It hits theaters on December 15.
Unsurprisingly, the movie is expected to have a huge opening weekend at the box office. Early first-weekend projections have predicted that the film will make $215 million in the US over its first three days. While that would be below The Force Awakens' first-weekend haul of $247 million, it would still be the second-biggest of all time, ahead of Jurassic World's $208 million opening in 2015.
It was a quiet week for new television series and seasons. Amidst the reality competition shows, primetime dramas about cops solving crimes, and more shows about people rehabbing houses, there wasn't too much to be excited about. However, we did find one of the best shows of the year this week on ESPN-- althrough it is a documentary and not a new series.
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 30 For 30: Nature Boy, The Curse of Oak Island, and Lady Dynamite.
30 For 30: Nature Boy
ESPN's 30 For 30: Nature Boy tells the story of sports entertainer Ric Flair. He was at the top of his game, and one of the best in the business during his time with NWA, WCW, and WWE. He lived as his in-ring character, riding in limos, wearing fancy clothes, and sleeping with different women every night. However, his home life suffered, leaving behind multiple wives and children.
I've always enjoyed the 30 For 30 series, even when the topic matter doesn't intrigue me at first. However, the chronicling of Ric Flair is one of the best. He's a sympathetic character, as most of his actions seem to stem from not getting attention from his parents, so he, in turn, wanted attention from the entire world. Flair understands his faults, including that he's a functioning alcoholic and was an absentee father, and it's endearing to hear his tale. In addition, it was surprising to see interviews with so many people from the wrestling business be so frank about Flair's character, and many times, their words were not flattering.
Is It Worth Watching?: Yes. Even if you don't like wrestling, this is an incredible story.
30 For 30: Nature Boy is available to watch through on-demand services and on ESPN's website.
The Curse of Oak Island
In the two-hour Season 5 premiere of History Channel's reality series, the gang heads back to Oak Island to try and find hidden treasure that may have been buried centuries ago on the 140 acre island. They find some old nails, an old button, and that's about it.
The show is interesting when it delves into the history of crazed treasure hunters and the lengths they went in order to find the supposed treasure on the island. However, it becomes apparent that the "curse" on Oak Island is that these people will be trapped there forever, searching for something that doesn't exist. The real "money pit" they keep referring to is the search itself, which they've spent millions of dollars on already. More than anything else, this showcases a group of men's descent into madness.
Is It Worth Watching?: While the history portion of this show is really interesting, The Curse of Oak Island drags and fails to be worth your time.
The Curse of Oak Island airs on Tuesdays at 9 PM ET on History Channel.
Lady Dynamite
Maria Bamford's Lady Dynamite kicks off with a whole new season where Maria is living with her boyfriend, Scott. He thinks Maria let a raccoon in the house, and it's trashing the place. Things get a bit surreal from there and are incredibly hard to follow, but that's always been the case with this series.
As much as I loved the first season of Lady Dynamite, the first episode was a little bit of a letdown. There were some moments I loved, like Maria in the future getting scanned during a pitch meeting, and the moments where her dogs were talking to each other. However, the first episode really didn't grab me, which is incredibly unfortunate. The jokes are hit-and-miss, but when they do hit, they're hilarious. Lady Dynamite is one of those shows where you have to remind yourself that things aren't going to make sense, and it's going to be all over the place because Maria Bamford, who is an amazing comedian, is behind the show.
Is It Worth Watching?: This wasn't the greatest first episode, but I have a feeling it will pick up.
Season 2 of Lady Dynamite is now available on Netflix.
Come back next week for our thoughts on Future Man, Punisher, and There's… Johnny!
Call of Duty: WWII's focus on brotherhood and bonds are both refreshing and familiar as it shed its futuristic, sci-fi storytelling to return to its roots in war. From its moving story to the multitude of ways to play online, it maintains the jump-in-and-play attitude while breaking out of its recent tropes. While it's still a grab-and-go kind of title, there's a lot more depth here than meets the eye. Our in-depth guides are an easy way to get started and stay invested.
Be sure to check back here for changes to our guides as we do update them often. Some guides may contain mild spoilers.
Call of Duty: WWII is both familiar and breaks the mold of what we've come to know as Call of Duty. Similar elements from previous installments are bent just slightly for a nice surprise. We've come to we've come to see plenty of things we wish we knew before diving deep. Click the link above to get a peek at what we've learned.
Call of Duty: WW2 Multiplayer Tips - Beginner's Guide
This year's Call of Duty multiplayer mode beckons. Trading in its sci-fi path to return to its roots, Call of Duty: WWII's latest multiplayer mode brings several new things to the table. Abilities and loadouts are now fully customizable and there's a brand new mode called war mode. Whether you're a recruit or a veteran, that plight might seem a little overwhelming, and we've got just the guide to make jumping in a breeze.
Call Of Duty: WW2 Multiplayer Tips - War Mode Guide
War Mode is one of the many new additions to the latest iteration of Call of Duty, but instead of the traditional death match battles we've come to love, this one goes for objectives. These team battles are lengthy, and while it does play on some of Call of Duty's typical multiplayer formulas, just knowing your map won't be enough to get you a victory here. We've compiled 10 not-so-obvious things to hop right into the heat of battle and get you and your teammates on the right side of history.
Zombies is nothing new to Call of Duty: WWII, but the mode is different in key ways to keep you on your toes. Similar to Zombies in previous titles, this version is co-op once again, but emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, planning, and skill needed to keep you and your teammates alive. This guide has a lot of tips and tricks to get you started and keep going, but it won't tell you every secret. If you're looking for something really special to up your game, check out how to get the Tesla gun.
Star Wars Battlefront II's progression system might seem incredibly complicated at first. With three different currencies to spend and a wealth of star cards to parse through, it can be difficult to make sense of what everything does and how it all contributes to your overall progression. To help get you up to speed on the game's systems, we've compiled details on its major concepts and unlocks below.
Battlefront II officially releases on November 17, but it's currently playable for EA and Origin Access members on Xbox One and PC. That trial provides the full multiplayer component and the first three single-player missions, though you're limited to a total of 10 hours of gameplay. Pre-ordering the Deluxe edition gets you complete access on November 14, including on PS4. For more about Star Wars Battlefront II's progression system, watch our video detailing the effect microtransactions have on it. You can also check our pre-review impressions of the game's multiplayer.
Currencies
There are three major currencies to manage in multiplayer, which you use to open loot crates, purchase microtransaction packs, and upgrade your Star Cards. Below you can find details on each of the three currencies, what they do, and how you earn them.
Credits are earned from playing matches, completing Milestone challenges, or receiving Star Card duplicates. You use them to open loot crates.
You obtain Crystals by purchasing microtransaction packs or completing certain Milestone challenges. Like Credits, Crystals are used to open loot crates.
Crafting Parts are earned from playing matches, opening loot crates, or completing Milestone challenges. You use them to either craft new Star Cards or upgrade the strength of Star Cards you already own.
Star Cards
The main way to increase your strength in battle is by equipping Star Cards, which are class-specific upgrades you acquire from opening loot crates. You can apply up to three cards to a trooper, hero, or vehicle. troopers, heroes, and vehicles have two major Star Card types: Boost and Ability.
Boost Cards apply general improvements, like faster health regeneration or improved energy replenishment on ship lasers.
Ability Cards improve or change abilities specific to troopers, heroes, or vehicles. For example, Killstreak Infiltration replenishes active time when you defeat an enemy.
Your trooper, hero, or vehicle initially starts with one open slot to equip a Star Card, but additional slots are unlocked as you increase your class rank. This is determined by the number and quality of Star Cards you have equipped--the better your Star Cards, the more slots you'll unlock.
There are four values of Star Card: Common (20%), Uncommon (25%), Rare (30%), and Epic (40%). Each value represents the percentage that a card's buff contributes towards a class, hero, or vehicle. For example, a Common Survivalist card reduces trooper health regen delay by 20%.
If you're looking to increase the value of a Star Card, you can do so by spending Crafting Parts. However, Star Cards can only be upgraded once you've reached a particular class level and player rank. For example, an Uncommon Assault Training card requires you to be at assault level 22 and rank 15 overall. You can find this info in the text window that appears when you highlight a card.
Loot Crates
As you play the game, you'll steadily earn Loot Crates, which contain a combination of items and valuables, including Star Cards, weapons, Credits, Crafting Parts, and victory poses/emotes. There are three crate types in total, and each supplies you with items and valuables for the specific category they're associated with. Below you can find details on each crate type's price point across the two main currencies.
Trooper Crate: 4,000 Credits or 200 Crystals
Starfighter Crate: 2,400 Credits or 120 Crystals
Hero Crate: 2,200 Credits or 110 Crystals
If you receive any duplicate items or valuables, you'll earn Credits in exchange for your troubles. This also occurs when you earn a higher value version of a Star Card you already own (and the lower level card is turned into Credits).
Unlocking Weapons
In general, weapons are unlocked for each trooper class by hitting killcount Milestones (50 skills, 200 skills, 500 kills). It's also possible to acquire weapons via loot crates.
Unlocking Heroes
Across the various multiplayer modes, you'll notice that your choice of Heroes and Heroic Vehicles to control is limited. However, it's possible to purchase more using Credits. For example, you can purchase the ability to use Darth Vader for 60,000 Credits. As of writing, there's no other way to buy Heroes or Heroic Vehicles, so if you're looking to play with these iconic representations of Star Wars lore, you'd better start saving up.
These budget-priced games are not a concept exclusive to Switch, nor is this system the only place to find many of them. But given the system's age, it's incredible how the platform is bursting at the seams with games to play. Particularly, if you're just getting a system now, it can be hard to find things to play, in part because the Eshop needs some work.
In the gallery above, we're highlighting Switch games that are available for no more than $20 on the Eshop. This is far from a comprehensive list, but if you're looking for a cheap Switch game to pick up, you can't go wrong with any of these options. Many are not Switch exclusives, but it's often the best platform to play them on, thanks to newly added features (like multiplayer in World of Goo and Little Inferno) or the sheer convenience of having a version you can play both on a TV and on the go. These games are presented in no particular order; they're simply titles that are worth a look.
SteamWorld Dig 2 ($20 / £15)
SteamWorld Dig 2 expands on its predecessor in a number of welcome ways. It looks much nicer, with a better soundtrack and more interesting story, but it also expands on progression. A new mod system allows you to tailor your character to your particular style, and the varied environments provide an incentive to keep digging and new challenges to contend with. Digging your way through blocks remains an enjoyable gameplay mechanic, and particularly with optional waypoints disabled, exploring the depths of this world is a real treat.
Switch's entry in the Picross series, Picross S, doesn't do anything radically new, and it doesn't have to. It offers the straightforward, streamlined pleasure of its sudoku/nonogram-style gameplay on the go. It's the kind of game that's perfect to have loaded up on Switch--you can easily jump in for a quick puzzle (or eight) while you're on the go or in between sessions of other games. There's plenty to do with 300 puzzles, and simultaneous two-player multiplayer support gives you a way to ease newcomers into the series.
Stardew Valley ($15 / £11)
Like many other games on this list, Stardew Valley feels particularly well-suited to the portable nature of Switch. The system makes it easy to boot up the game for a quick day on the farm no matter where you are, and the controls work surprisingly well--though they could still use some refinement (possibly through the addition of touch controls, which are absent). The game remains a charming take on the Harvest Moon formula and provides a nice, peaceful complement to many of the more action-oriented games on Switch--particularly in lieu of a new Animal Crossing.
Even if you're not a fan of the real-world sport, there's an undeniable appeal to golf games. Golf Story goes beyond simply letting you hit the links, though, taking the form of a traditional RPG that just happens to revolve around golfing. It features a charming story and a delightful, reactive world to explore, along with some trademark Australian humor.
Sonic Mania marks the latest attempt to recapture the 2D glory days of the Sonic franchise, and it more than succeeds. Fantastic level design and a real sense of speed help to scratch that nostalgic itch, but it also stands as a solid game among its contemporaries. Our review goes so far as to even say it might very well be the best Sonic game ever. In light of Sonic Forces' deficiencies, at least Sonic fans have good Sonic game to play on the system.
Multiplayer games that can be played with a single Joy-Con are a real treat--wherever you go with the system, you're able to easily play together with another person. And that's good news for Overcooked, a game that becomes exponentially better when played with at least one other person. What starts out as a relatively tame game where you help each other chop some vegetables and get them served on a plate becomes a frantic rush to put out fires, get ingredients distributed between two moving vehicles, and other ridiculous scenarios.
Point-and-click adventure games have experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, and Thimbleweed Park--from adventure game legends Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick--is a prime example. The X-Files-inspired journey puts you in the role of two FBI agents that bear more than a passing resemblance to the classic TV show as you relive the glory days of adventure games. Playing on any console means dealing with a gamepad-based control scheme (as opposed to the more natural mouse controls on PC), but Switch makes up for this with touchscreen support when played in handheld mode.
The likelihood of a new F-Zero game doesn't seem terribly high, but Fast RMX is the next best thing. It offers a similar style of high-speed, futuristic racing, with support for local and online multiplayer (including single Joy-Con play) and wide variety of levels. It's also a good-looking game, running at 1080p and 60 FPS.
It's been around for years, and the Switch version doesn't bring any new content to the table, but now is as good a time as any to play World of Goo if you haven't already. Its construction-based puzzles that task you with creating structures and other objects to fulfill a variety of objectives are still as well designed as ever, making this a worthwhile addition to your Switch library. The one noteworthy distinction with this edition is the addition of local co-op multiplayer (absent from most other platforms); it's also one of the few games to put the Joy-Con's IR pointer to use.
Another of Tomorrow Corporation's game, Little Inferno also doesn't bring anything new to the table for Switch if you're playing by yourself. But if you have a friend, it introduces a new local co-op multiplayer mode not seen on other platforms. For the uninitiated, Little Inferno involves throwing stuff into a furnace and watching it burn for cash (which is then used to buy more stuff to burn). Despite that simple premise, there is a deeper puzzle system at work here where you have to burn different combinations of objects together to fulfill certain requirement. It's relatively short but features a surprisingly intriguing story and has a cat plushie that poops when burned, so it really checks all the boxes.
Whether you're looking to justify all that time you spent in math class or you're intrigued by programming, Human Resource Machine presents a unique form of puzzle-solving to scratch that itch. You're given a task and have to implement the steps that a machine must follow in order to carry it out. That does mean you'll have to put your mind grapes to good use, but it's intensely satisfying to conceive and design a program that works successfully.
Gonner ($10 / £9)
Switch's portable nature lends itself well to quick, pick-up-and-play roguelike games. Gonner is an ideal example, blending procedural generation with action-platforming as you blast your way through countless enemies. With a distinct visual style and seemingly endless replayability, it's another great match with the platform.
Graceful Explosion Machine ($13 / £10)
Shoot-em-ups are not well-represented on Switch, but Graceful Explosion Machine nicely fills that void. Rather than presenting you with an endless stream of foes, it presents confined, handcrafted levels and a variety of distinct weapons with which to dispatch your enemies. Dealing with weapon cooldowns and figuring out the ideal order in which to deal with enemies becomes a game unto itself, and this all takes place within the confines of a cute, colorful world.
Severed ($15 / £12)
Severed is one of the few games on Switch that can only be played in handheld mode, due to its mandatory touchscreen controls. It's a dungeon crawler with a twist, as you're tasked with slicing your way through enemies you encounter by swiping on the screen. But beyond the enjoyable gameplay and slick visual style, Severed's story is the real highlight, as you experience the tale of a one-armed warrior named Sasha.
This is admittedly a bit of a cheat, as you're best off buying Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which includes all three of the campaigns released so far (and more content to come) for $25. But just $10 will get you a single campaign which is more than worth the price of entry. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment puts you in the shoes of one of the main game's antagonists, Specter Knight, as he takes his own unique journey through the same levels featured in the original game. As with Plague Knight's campaign, the unique mechanics at play here (like the dash attack) make for a much different experience. You would be best-served by starting with the base Shovel Knight campaign, but whichever version you play, you'll be treated to a modern take on retro platformers that bests many of the classics it draws inspiration from.
Snipperclips was overshadowed at launch by the hype around The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it remains one of--if not the--best multiplayer games on Switch. Although it can be played solo, cooperative play is where Snipperclips truly shines. You work together to solve relatively simple challenges--get this ball into the basket; pop some balloons--by overlapping your characters and cutting chunks out of one another. This allows you to shape your partner into a tool that can be used for the task at hand. There's little else like it, on Switch or elsewhere.
One thing to note is the new Snipperclips Plus version, which offers additional content; owners of the base game will be able to purchase its additions as DLC.
Although it's a game arguably best-suited for VR, Thumper is an incredible experience however you play it. It provides a unique blend of rhythm-based gameplay and action--what the developer calls "rhythm violence"--that provides a far more intense version of the basic mechanics you see in other rhythm games. With an incredible soundtrack and levels well-suited to chasing high scores, Thumper is a game with the potential to stick around on your Switch's home screen for a long time.
Axiom Verge is another take on the Metroidvania style, but it distinguishes itself through its wide variety of weapons and tools--most notably, the Address Disruptor, which affects the environment and each enemy type in different ways. It's also a game with an impressive sense of scale and no shortage of secrets to uncover, encouraging multiple playthroughs. Add in an excellent soundtrack and tantalizing story, and there's a lot to like here.
Back in 2001, a little movie came to theaters called The Fast and the Furious, starring Vin Diesel, who was in Pitch Black and Boiler Room the year prior, and Paul Walker, known for his role in Varsity Blues. Little did anyone know that this movie about racing cars, and family--would become the biggest franchise of the 21st century to date. We still have quite a wait for the next two installments in the series, but we are getting a Hobbs and Deckard spin-off. That being said, we're taking a look at every Fast and Furious movie made and ranking them accordingly.
This is dedicated to the memory of Giselle and Han, the true heroes of the Fast franchise. You left us too soon.
8. The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
While many regard it as the worst in the series--it's not--Tokyo Drift included the new recurring character Han, played by Sung Kang, as the drifting mentor to the main character Sean, who is insufferable. The only person from the first movie to appear in this one is Vin Diesel, who does a quick cameo. Interestingly enough, in the FF timeline, this movie takes place after the events of 2013's Fast & Furious 6.
Domestic Gross: $62,514,415
Worldwide: $158,468,292
7. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
The first Fast and Furious movie introduced the world to tough guy who loves saying "family" Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), undercover LA police officer Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), and the woman who could easily beat us all up, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Unlike the modern films in the series, Fast and the Furious was a car movie. It was centered around cars, gave a whole lot of info about what was being driven, and spent a lot of time talking about NOS--Nitrous Oxide Systems, not the energy drink people I assume car people drink.
Domestic Gross: $144,533,925
Worldwide: $207,283,925
6. 2 Fast, 2 Furious (2003)
Sometimes, things get so fast and furious, they become too fast and too furious, or 2 Fast, 2 Furious, as the title for the 2003 sequel suggests. The film, which is borderline unwatchable, follows Walker's character O'Conner as he tries to bust a dangerous criminal and recruits his childhood friend, Roman Pearce (Tyrese), to help. The best thing to come out of this sequel is Chris Bridges--aka Ludacris--as Tej. And the best way to watch this movie is to pretend that O'Conner and Pearce are ex-lovers, seeing each other for the first time in years. Seriously, it completely changes the dynamic of the film.
Domestic Gross: $127,154,901
Worldwide: $236,350,661
5. Fast & Furious (2009)
In 2009, the original gang got back together for the fourth FF movie, simply titled Fast & Furious. In addition, Gisele (Gal Gadot) and Han join the crew as they all work together, with the FBI, in order to take down a heroin dealer. This was director Justin Lin's second crack at the series--with his first being Tokyo Drift--and while it wasn't an amazing film, you could see that the series was headed in the right direction.
Domestic Gross: $155,064,265
Worldwide: $363,164,265
4. Fast Five (2011)
What were the eventual keys to the franchise's massive, global success? One was adding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and the other was to turn the movie into a straight-up, over-the-top, action franchise. Because of that, worldwide gross for the fifth installment in the movie jumped up around $263 million more than the last film. Plus, Fast Five has one of the best scenes in the franchise, when the team is dragging a giant safe through the streets of Rio de Janeiro.
Domestic Gross: $209,837,675
Worldwide: $626,137,675
3. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
The FF crew returns to take down a bizarro version of their team, led by a man named Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Once again, the film is full of high-octane action--pun intended. The big twist is that Dominic's former girlfriend, who died in a previous film--Letty--has returned from the dead, because no one dies in the FF movies. You hear that filmmakers? Bring back Han and Gisele.
Domestic Gross: $238,679,850
Worldwide: $788,679,850
2. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
The latest FF movie takes the second spot on this list, even though the bar was raised to exceptional levels. Dominic is forced to betray his precious family, in order help a criminal who lives on a constantly moving airplane. In order to stop them, Hobbs and the rest of the crew have to team up with Deckard (Jason Statham), the man who killed Han. This movie is ridiculous in all the right ways, and it includes a nuclear submarine chase and Deckard protecting a baby during a shootout on a plane.
Domestic Gross: $225,764,765
Worldwide: $1,235,761,498
1. Furious 7 (2015)
Taking the top spot, and bringing in $1.5 billion, is none other than Furious 7. Deckard Shaw, who shows up to get revenge for his comatose brother, Shaw from the sixth film, and in turn, Dominic and company want revenge for Deckard killing Han. Director James Wan, the man behind The Conjuring movies, truly raised the bar to unmentionable heights in this one. Sadly, Paul Walker passed during the making of the film, but it gave him a great sendoff. It's unlikely future films will top this one in the box office.
The update, which is available on both Nintendo Switch and Wii U, introduces a new side-quest that, upon completion, rewards you with armor based on Xenoblade Chronicles 2's Rex. Like previous DLC armor sets, you'll need to acquire each piece individually by completing different portions of the side-quest.
Additionally, the patch adds support for the four new Champion Amiibo figures. The figures, which are available now, each unlock a helmet based on their respective Divine Beast. They also grant a specific buff--take a look at the bonuses below.
From its opening stage, Sonic Forces displays a number of issues that are emblematic of the journey ahead: Its insistent tutorial messages interrupt your initial sprint down a winding road, the cinematic transition sequences that take you from one path the next that renders you an observer, not an active participant, and right as you're about to settle into the glee of your mad dash forward, the stage ends. In this 3D Sonic game, developer Sonic Team attempts to iterate upon the formula of games like Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors, but it falls short due to frustrating design choices and inconsistent level design. Even its most entertaining moments come with caveats.
The game's story once again sees Sonic getting involved in a battle against Dr. Eggman--this time over the fate of the world. The conniving scientist recruits the expertise of a powerful entity known as Infinite, who he uses to make short work of the blue hedgehog. Six months pass and Dr. Eggman has nearly taken over the entire planet, leaving Sonic and his friends in a tough position. To combat the threat, a ragtag group of freedom fighters consisting of Sonic, a younger version of himself, most of his supporting cast, and a new character you personally create--simply named "the Rookie"--come together.
At first, Sonic Forces' emphasis on story seems like a refreshing shift from the predominantly simple plot lines of recent games in the series. However, even though the heightened stakes provide an interesting power shift, they never culminate into anything interesting or impactful. It's only in Sonic Forces' levity where it manages to be somewhat entertaining, turning to puns or brief comedic situations to elicit a snicker, but all too infrequently.
Throughout your adventure, you'll switch back and forth between playing as either Modern Sonic, Classic Sonic, or your custom character. Both Classic and Modern Sonic play similarly to their past iterations, with some minor additions: Modern Sonic has a double-jump and Classic Sonic comes equipped with Sonic Mania's Drop Dash ability; both are welcome tools that better distinguish the two hedgehogs. But the biggest addition to the formula is your custom character, who sports special weapons called Wispons that grant unique offensive and movement abilities. For example, the Drill Wispon allows you to quickly charge through foes or ride up and down walls. All three characters play distinctly from one another, and there are fleeting thrills to be had in plowing through robots with a speed boost or using a homing attack on a series of flying creatures to quickly clear a path towards the finish line. However, the excitement of these high speed escapades are held back by clunky platforming and unwieldy movement.
Expect to repeatedly careen off the edge of a stage in your mad dash forward.
During platforming and speed sequences, you frequently plummet down bottomless pits due to how abruptly your character builds up speed before a jump or how a road's bumpers aren't made clear. While death is to be expected, the level design repeatedly miscommunicates the placement of oncoming hazards and the timing required to avoid them. Admittedly, practice means you inevitably develop the reflexes demanded of you over time, but even with experience, the game's inconsistencies mean you'll often end up stuck on a ramp mid-run or make a double-jump that simply doesn't flow the way you want. Sonic Forces' sense of control is erratic and unreliable, resulting in a wealth of unintentional deaths and bizarre collisions with environmental hazards.
Sonic Forces' level design does little to accommodate your need for speed. Although Modern Sonic and your custom character have abilities that encourage you to push forward at a blistering pace, it's often smarter to slow down. Telegraphing the right time to go fast has always been a major design issue in the series, but it's magnified here, where obstacles and platforming sequences that require slower, more methodical movements aren't as explicitly signposted as they should be. The game does a poor job of teaching you the flow of its design, instead relying on multiple frustrating and unfair deaths to educate you on the intricacies of a stage's pacing.
Set-pieces typically boil down to simplistic quick-time events that take you out of the high-speed action.
There's a pervading sense of monotony across Sonic Forces' seven unremarkable worlds. Nearly all the obstacles you encounter are rehashes of concepts and mechanics from previous games; lane-based level design, grind rails, speed boost sections, and side-scrolling platforming sequences all make a return. A set-piece sometimes breaks up the pace, but these encounters usually boil down to simplistic quick-time events that make you feel passive to the action happening on-screen rather than an active participant. Multiple routes or lanes in a stage create the illusion of branching paths, but they're so brief that they feel more like quick diversions than actual alternate pathways. It doesn't help that stages are also incredibly short, typically clocking in at two-and-a-half minutes. With cutscenes before and after each stage, you can't help but wish there was a little more ground to cover before reaching the finish line.
Your custom character's Wispons add some variety to the mechanics, but even those are limited, as there are only a couple that offer practical benefits. For instance, the Lightning Wispon allows you to zip through a line of rings, often leading you to alternate routes in a stage. Out of the seven Wispons available, you're likely to stick to using one or two, as there's rarely any incentive to experiment once you've grown accustomed to how a couple work.
In terms of performance, Sonic Forces runs smoothly at 60 frames per second on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The Switch version, however, runs at 30 frames per second and suffers from a downgrade in visuals comparatively while docked or undocked. While tolerable, the higher frame rate of the other versions gives them a significant bump over the game's performance on Switch.
It'd be fair to write Sonic Forces off as another weak entry in the series. It's numerous shortcomings make for an uneven, often frustrating gameplay experience. However, knowledge of its various flaws can make for a smoother second run through. In replaying for S-ranks it's possible to use your accumulated knowledge of a stage's hazards and its most illogical pitfalls, the growing pains of overcoming these obstacles slightly lessened. It was rewarding and enjoyable to go back to older stages to take the most efficient routes, knowing precisely when to increase Sonic's speed to earn faster times. That said, acquiring S-ranks and completing challenges isn't entirely difficult, which makes the endeavor of replaying stages short lived, especially considering how brief stages can be. And speed running or not, Sonic Forces' ill-designed stages and poor handling are still major obstacles that detract from your time spent playing.
For years the Sonic series has come up short in its 3D games. It wasn't until Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations that the series was able to grasp a semblance of quality that could change the perception of the series as a whole for the better. Sonic Forces ultimately fails to advance the mechanics of previously successful 3D Sonic games, or present them in their best light. A mediocre platformer at best, Sonic Forces manages to do nothing more than reinforce long held stereotypes against Sega's beloved blue blur.
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Call of Duty's long-running Zombies cooperative mode requires players to use all their first-person shooter skills to survive. At this point, fans know a lot of the ins and outs of how the mode works, but each Call of Duty game changes things around just enough to keep the mode fresh and interesting. Call of Duty: WW2's Nazi Zombies mode adjusts the formula in some key ways, guiding players through some things, but leaving other things for you to discover along the way.
Making it through Nazi Zombies isn't quite like anything else Call of Duty: WW2 has to offer. It requires teamwork, coordination, planning and skillful execution to keep yourself and your teammates alive. Here are a few handy tips that should help you stop from joining the ranks of the undead yourself.
A well-known trick for saving ammo in Zombies is to whack enemies with a melee attack after shooting them, specifically on the lower waves. In Nazi Zombies, you can do the same thing to earn additional Jolts, the currency you need to open doors and buy new guns. Early on especially, you might want to stow your guns altogether and try to smack down as many zombies as possible.
You also have a special "heavy" melee attack you can do with your shovel by pulling it out as your main weapon. When you hold the aim button with the shovel like you would to aim down the sights of your gun, you can execute a zombie by popping off its head. You'll get more Jolts for doing so, as well as occasionally get additional ammo and grenades for your trouble. Use the melee early on to earn extra Jolts early and use them to get ahead on your objectives.
Coordinate And Customize Your Abilities And Loadout
Nazi Zombies adds an extra layer of strategy to the usual Zombies formula. When you pick your character, you can choose from one of four character classes that give you perks and a special ability. They let you become invisible to zombies, draw them away from other players, or fire your guns without worrying about running out of ammo.
Picking the right abilities for your team is key to working well with other players. You don't just want elements that augment your play style, you want those that will complement those of your teammates as well. Make sure you're not piling up on the same abilities as your teammates, and pick a role that will help you win.
Communicate To Stay Live
Nazi Zombies is all about coordination. The mode is at its best when played with other people who are willing to work together. You'll get the furthest in Nazi Zombies when you have good players you can work together; it's definitely not a game mode in which you can lone wolf your way through it.
As you push through Nazi Zombies, you'll need to rely on your team to keep each other alive, deal with zombies as they grow ever more deadly, and coordinate to clear objectives. Talking to each other is the best way to get through the game, climb the leaderboards, and stay alive.
Customize Your Weapons
Like in the other Call of Duty: WW2 multiplayer modes, using weapons in Nazi Zombies earns you experience with those weapons. As you use various guns in The Final Reich, you'll unlock new attachments for them just like in regular multiplayer. Earning new attachments means you can customize your guns between Nazi Zombies rounds, so that when you buy them on the map, they'll be set just the way you like them. Use weapon customization to give yourself an edge in the battle against the undead, and to make yourself as effective in the mode as you can.
Buy Blitzes And Be Careful About Keeping Them
As you earn Jolt as you play through a round of Nazi Zombies, you'll want to try to spend it on upgrades for your character to keep yourself competitive as zombies become more and more powerful. In addition to buying armor and upgraded weapons from around the map, you'll also want to grab Blitz powerups from wherever you can. Blitzes increase your melee power, make you faster at reloading and sprinting, and more.
Once you've started buying Blitz abilities, though, you'll need to be even more careful about keeping yourself alive. When you fall in battle in Nazi Zombies, you don't die right away, but instead start to bleed out while you wait for your team to revive you. When you've bought some blitzes, you'll see icons on your bleedout timer--if the timer runs down past those icons, you'll lose those blitzes and be forced to repurchase them. Stick close to your teammates so they can revive you quickly, and vice versa, to keep your team at full strength.
Make Pests Your Priority
At Wave five, a new type of enemy is introduced to the battle: a fast-moving, weaker type of zombie known as a Pest. These guys don't have arms, so they're forced to fling themselves at you--but they come faster than any other enemy on the field, and you'll need to deal with them.
The good news is that Pests die quicker than most other enemies. You can reliably bring them down with melee attacks for quite a few waves as well. But you definitely want to take Pests out as soon as you see them. Their speed means they can overwhelm you quickly when you're not paying attention, and they can make it tough for you to lead zombies around the map or strategize while you try to activate objectives. Drop them as soon as you see them to save your sanity.
Seek Out The Upgrade Station
One of your top priorities early in The Final Reich should be to locate and unlock the Pack-A-Punch station. This is the special terminal that upgrades your guns, and if you intend to go for the long haul in Nazi Zombies, you absolutely need it. It strengthens your guns to the tune of 5,000 Jolts, and as zombies become stronger as you get into later waves, you'll definitely need the increase in strength.
You'll find the Pack-A-Punch deep in the bunker, in the mortuary area. It's not expensive to unlock, but it can be confusing--you need to flip a switch on the machine itself (when you find it, it's protected by a cage), then find three yellow sewer pipes on the surface you can slide down. Once you've got it unlocked, pick the strongest guns you can to upgrade first to get the most for your money. The BAR is a good first option, as are the shotguns.
Share Your Jolts For A Stronger Team
You'll need Jolts to buy guns and ammo and to unlock objectives, but especially as Nazi Zombies goes on, you'll likely find some members of your team have a ton of Jolts, while others are spending them in a hurry. Luckily, you can share your wealth between teammates to help keep everyone fully loaded and at peak efficiency.
Use the D-Pad to share your Jolts when you have an abundance. You can toss Jolts on the ground this way for other players to pick them up. Keep an eye on everyone's stats and currency count, and be vocal about asking for Jolts when you need them and sharing them when you don't. It's best to avoid a situation in which someone is desperate for money, so try to anticipate needs before they become dire to keep everyone healthy.
Ignore The Brutes
Not long after the Pests arrive, you'll see big, lumbering zombie, outfitted in lots of metal and wielding a giant glub for an arm. These Brutes are their own kind of irritation: They're slow but extremely tough, requiring lots of shots to bring down. They're also more dangerous than regular zombies. The good news is, you can effectively ignore them most of the time without much difficulty.
Brutes move slowly and tend not to attack you until you attack them, provided you stay away from them. Regular zombies will demand more of your attention most of the time, and brutes don't count toward completing a given wave. So as long as you don't antagonize them or stray too close, you can usually just let brutes wander around without actually having to stop and deal with them. Keep an eye on them in a fight, but don't waste your time taking them down until you really have to. They seem like they should be a priority, but it's a ruse. Spend your ammo on culling the zombie herd instead.
Use Your Notebook Liberally
One big change to Nazi Zombies in Call of Duty: WW2 is that you're given a notebook to track your objectives in the map, and you'll get prompts that tell you in vague terms what you should be trying to do next. Instead of hunkering down trying to build barricades and survive as long as you can, the notebook puts you on the path to trigger Nazi Zombies' final boss and complete its mission, The Final Reich. You can pull open the notebook any time to check your progress through the game mode, and to get some clues as to where you should be headed next.
The other handy thing about your journal is that it sometimes highlights important objects. It's not foolproof--for some objectives, the point is making you search and explore the map — but often you'll get hints about where you should go next or what object you should interact with. The journal will also direct you to weapon lockers when you're running out of ammo for your guns. The notebook is an extremely useful tool, so use it a lot to keep yourself progressing.
There's More Than One Path Through The Game
Call of Duty's Zombies maps always have a bunch of story objectives to clear that allow you to achieve more in the game mode than just surviving waves of undead monsters for as long as you can manage. In Nazi Zombies in Call of Duty: WW2, those objectives are more obvious than they've ever been in previous games. But there are actually more objectives than the ones your characters discuss or show up on your screen — in fact, those objectives make up the "casual" path through Nazi Zombies, and there's a more difficult "hardcore" path for players to discover.
Just because the path is called casual doesn't make it easy, however. You'll still have to complete tons of multi-stage objectives scattered throughout the map. But your objectives are much more obvious on the casual path. To find the hardcore path and the ending that comes with it, you'll need to explore the map and check everything carefully. Unlocking the hardcore solution to Nazi Zombies is doable, but it's going to take a lot more effort from players. Best to bring a top-notch zombie-smashing squad with you.
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