Despite the influx of great games hitting recently, most of the conversation has been dominated by Star Wars Battlefront II's microtransactions and the debate on whether Loot Boxes should fall into the same category as gambling. And it's reached further than just internet chatter: the Belgium Gaming Commission is currently in the middle of an investigation into the systems used by games like Battlefront II and Overwatch, and Hawaii state representative Chris Lee has announced that he's working towards the prohibition of manipulative mechanisms in games.
In the latest episode of The Dive, we talked to psychology professor Ronald Riggio and psychologist Jamie Madigan about the affects gambling has on our minds and the concepts that make us feel better about spending money. We also talked about how these might apply to loot boxes and ask them both whether they feel Battlefront 2 and Overwatch's systems could constitute gambling. You can watch it for yourself in the video above.
Four years after its current-gen console first launched, Microsoft has released the upgraded Xbox One X. The software giant heralds its latest device in the Xbox One family as "the most powerful console ever"--and its 4K capabilities make Xbox games look better than before. But, with the new console's release, I'm left wondering which of its games are compelling enough to make me rush out and buy one.
There's third-party stuff, sure: Assassin's Creed's year off has helped remove some of the fatigue surrounding that franchise, and Origins has been well-received. And Middle-earth: Shadow of War, which has been heavily marketed on Xbox, is, mostly, a worthy successor to Shadow of Mordor. But in terms of exclusives, Xbox fans have been left wanting this year.
The delay of Crackdown 3, the only major Xbox One exclusive scheduled to launch around the Xbox One X, has left a gaping hole in the console's lineup. Combined with an already sparse exclusive release schedule for Xbox One's holiday season, this offers little incentive to buy an Xbox One X outside of possessing power for power's sake.
Sea of Thieves was scheduled for launch this year, but now it's not coming until early 2018. And Scalebound--a relatively niche but much-anticipated game--isn't happening at all. That leaves Cuphead, Forza Motorsport 7, Super Lucky's Tale, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (sort of) as Microsoft's console exclusives for the end of the year. A somewhat uninspiring lineup in itself, it's also not exactly a serving that makes me want to invest US $499 / £449 / AU $649 on an upgraded console. Of those four games, only Forza feels like one that could meaningfully benefit from the Xbox One X's greater horsepower: Cuphead is more about style than performance, PUBG looks a little rough on any hardware (as you would expect from an early access game), and as a 3D platformer, Super Lucky's Tale is not something I feel I desperately need in 60 FPS.
The platform's growing list of backwards compatibility games--now including original Xbox titles--bolsters its library, too, and that's a big advantage Microsoft has in the battle against Sony. But it strikes me as a little pointless to buy a brand-new Ferrari only to stick to 30mph roads.
There was a time towards the start of this generation where I believed the Xbox One--despite its problems--had a better exclusive lineup than the PS4. Sunset Overdrive felt fresh, Halo 5 was superb, Titanfall reinvented the FPS formula, and the Forza Horizon series is a joy compared to the more stilted Gran Turismo. The selection easily outshined a Last of Us remaster, the uninventive Infamous: Second Son, and a dull Killzone: Shadow Fall, and it was what convinced me to buy an Xbox One.
2017, however, has been a different story. Horizon Zero Dawn was an unexpected hit, Yakuza 0 and Persona 5 brought some much-needed variety, and Crash Bandicoot's N. Sane Trilogy made me nostalgic like only an orange marsupial (or purple dragon) can. Compare that to Xbox's past year and there's a clear divide.
For what it's worth, I haven't rushed out to buy a PS4 Pro either, so maybe I'm just not the type to want to shell out wads of cash for smallish gains in performance, and perhaps there's nothing Microsoft could ever do about that. But Sony's exclusive lineup over the past couple of years--with The Last of Us: Part II on the horizon--made me at least stop and consider it. We don't know what the next couple of years may hold for Xbox, but we do know at the very least that Naughty Dog's apocalyptic adventure game is on its way, and that's likely to be a bigger selling point for PS4 Pro than anything currently announced will be for Xbox One X.
So is there any hope for the Xbox One X?
Possibly. Right now, even if you look into next year, Microsoft's exclusive roster looks slim. However, the company no doubt has unannounced projects in the pipeline. Halo 6 will come sooner or later, and even if Gears 4 wasn't as groundbreaking as the games that came before it, the next in the series will surely be a worthy exclusive.
However, it wasn't just exclusives that helped Sony to dominate this generation: the fact that third-party games often look and run better on PS4 than Xbox One helped, too. With Microsoft's new console, that will no longer be the case--but with a first-party library looking so thin for now and the majority of gamers without a desperate need for updated hardware, who will buy an Xbox One X?
With winter coming, there is only one thing on all of our minds: Star Wars. We all have tunnel vision until December 15, when The Last Jedi comes out. The winter season of movies, between December and February, tends to be less exciting than the rest of the year. However, there are still a lot of movies we think look pretty fun, including a few really interesting looking horror films and 2018'a first Marvel movie, Black Panther. The real question is, "Could February finally be the release of the Cloverfield Universe movie God Particle?" Here's a list of upcoming movies to keep on your radar for the next three months, starting with December's releases.
One of my favorite bad movies is The Room, and one of my favorite non-fiction books is The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero. So obviously, the movie based on said book is going to be on this season's list. For the first time, James and Dave Franco appear together on screen as director Tommy Wiseau and line-producer-turned-Room-actor Greg Sestero. The film looks hilarious; see for yourself in this trailer.
Guillermo del Toro's newest film is The Shape of the Water. Fans have been waiting since they got to see the magical and horrific trailer back in July. The movie takes place during the early '60s, in Cold War America. A janitor at a government laboratory discovers a bizarre being during work.
I, Tonya is a biopic about ice skater Tonya Harding. A true story about an ice skater sounds dull, unless it's Harding because her story is crazy and unbelievable. She was a potential Olympic skater whose husband took her #1 competition, Nancy Kerrigan, by attacking her leg. Margot Robbie stars in this movie as the titular character, and the trailer is what won me over, as it's pretty funny.
I, Tonya opens on December 8.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
You probably already have your tickets to The Last Jedi, since it's one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The newest teaser for the film has a few extra scenes we haven't seen already, but it doesn't matter. It's Star Wars. Regardless of what we say, you already have your mind set. If for some reason you're on the fence about heading to the theaters, remember Porgs are a thing now.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens on December 15.
Jumanji
Jumanji was a movie I loved when I was younger, and while Welcome to the Jungle--which is a sequel that avoids feeling like a sequel--doesn't seem to have that same sense of wonderment as the original, it does have an air of fun in the trailers. It may be the Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson fanboy inside of me, but I'm pretty pumped for this movie, even though there is little-to-no chance it will stand up to the original.
Jumanji opens on Wednesday, December 20.
Bright
Netflix original movies can be hit or miss. They're either marvelous or mediocre, but Bright looks pretty awesome. Will Smith stars as a police officer who lives in a world where mystical creatures--like orcs--exist alongside humans. With his orc partner, Smith is on the hunt for a weapon that everyone is after. This has the potential to be one of Netflix's bigger original movies, as the service already has some great original series.
Bright comes to Netflix on December 22.
Downsizing
Matt Damon stars in Downsizing, a movie about people who shrink themselves down in order to reduce their impact on the environment. The trailer is quirky and compelling, and it is a really cool concept, especially if you're someone like me who likes Innerspace or any film with Rick Moranis shrinking things.
Downsizing comes out on December 22.
Insidious: The Last Key
If horror is up your alley, the winter has a few promising-looking movies. The first big horror film of the season is the fourth installment in the Insidious franchise. This time, Dr. Rainier must stop a new haunting: one that is happening in her family home. As you can expect, the trailers are creepy. Now, there's a new terrifying ghostly being with keys for fingers hunting people down. The Last Key looks like more of the same, in a good way.
Insidious: The Last Key opens on January 5.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The third installment of the Maze Runner series has had a rough go, after star Dylan O'Brien was injured on the set in 2016 and production was pushed to February 2017. However, the latest trailer was released over the summer, and it looks like the movie is setting up an excellent final act to the story. For the third film, Thomas and his friends must break into a large labyrinthine city which is controlled by the WCKD.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure opens on January 26.
Extinction
In the past, we've recommended upcoming films that haven't released a trailer, but with Extinction, there aren't even any movie posters or set photos anywhere, hence the Universal Pictures logo above. The movie stars Michael Pena and Lizzy Caplan, who find that Earth has been invaded and is on the verge of destruction. That may not be a lot to work with, but Extinction does have Arrival writer Eric Heisserer attached, and that should be reason enough to be interested.
Extinction opens on January 26.
Cloverfield/God Particle
Here we go again. One year ago, we put this movie on our list for Winter 2017 movies to watch, and it still hasn't come out. It was supposed to come out this past October but was pushed back yet again. Now, the movie about a group of scientists on a space station, fighting for their life against something horrible will come out in February--we hope.
The upcoming Cloverfield universe movie comes out on February 2.
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built
I've always been infatuated by the Winchester Mystery House and the story of its origin. Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is about Sarah Winchester, the air to the Winchester firearms company. She believes the souls of those killed by the Winchester rifles were haunting her, so she built a large house with doors and staircases to nowhere in order to confuse them. Helen Mirren stars in this supernatural horror film, and it is directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig (Predestination, Jigsaw). The trailer seems pretty standard for a movie about angry ghosts, but what excites me is the story of the house itself.
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built opens on February 2.
Disclosure: Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is by CBS Films. CBS is GameSpot's parent company.
Black Panther
Marvel is getting things started early in 2018 with Black Panther. Personally, I'm more excited for this movie than Ant-Man and the Wasp or Avengers: Infinity War. The movie follows T'Challa--the hero known as Black Panther--as he takes his place as king of Wakanda, as his father was killed during the events of Civil War. The latest trailer for the movie shows that the technologically advanced nation is on the verge of a revolution and T'Challa must rise to the occasion.
Black Panther opens on February 16.
Annihilation
Before we head into the spring, there's Annihilation, a movie that should be on everyone's radar. Starring Natalie Portman and written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina), the film follows a biologist who goes on an expedition in an environmental disaster zone, where life is a bit strange. The trailer from back in September is mind-blowing. If that hasn't sold you yet, Garland wrote 28 Days Later, Dredd, Sunshine, DmC: Devil May Cry, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
Backed into a corner by curtains of laser fire, I hop and twist, curling my shots and grinding foes into nuts and bolts. After hacking a support drone to bring in some extra muscle to the fight, I battle my way out and continue my maelstrom of destruction. These moments are common in Rive, and they're emblematic of how the game melds sharp design and challenging encounters to reinvigorate the shoot-em-up genre. It's a chaotic game backed by explosive action, snarky cracks, and an affection for the ridiculous.
You play as a no-name, space-salvaging badass in a robust spider tank. It's an armored, all-terrain machine with a giant machine gun for its basic weapon. As you progress, you'll earn more upgrades like new weapons and armor, plus some gadgets that let you take control of everything from turrets to trains.
In the beginning, you stumble across a gargantuan derelict vessel ready for plunder. But, of course, there's a catch: As you explore, you're accosted by countless drones and bots programmed to put you down. You'll learn to shoot, move, and use some other basic skills, but then Rive situationally limits how can use your newfound abilities by forcing you into a corner or into a zero-g bubble. These moments are as tense as boss battles, asking you to utilize your skills in novel ways, all while under the duress of constant, high-energy action.
Despite that, Rive rarely feels overwhelming. It's intense and taxing, but it doesn't often feel like it's asking too much. It's common nowadays to herald difficult games as intrinsically "good," but that trend belies that fact that there's a tenuous balance between difficulty and frustration. Rive is challenging, but even if you die, you can instantly jump back into the action. You never lose more than about 30 seconds of progress, and death doesn't drain resources or knock down your overall score. The game includes plenty of tough spots, but it doesn't take too long to acclimate to the challenge and wriggle through.
Along the way, you'll find some rather strange locales, given that the majority of the game takes place on a spaceship. Between giant lava lakes, oceans, zero-G bubbles, and the like, Rive gives you plenty of playgrounds to explore. Each area is bright, colorful and gorgeously animated. Creatures skitter along the floor while lights and backgrounds hum with life. That's all window dressing, sure, but each level is also distinct, presenting new sets of challenges every few minutes.
One of the few solid knocks against Rive comes from its protagonist. He's got all the corn and cheese of classics like Duke Nukem (without the crass misogyny). He has all the personality of a brick, and only a couple of his jokes hit their mark. It's a strange addition that doesn't seem necessary given the game's focus on action over storytelling, and is borderline cringeworthy.
Rive is demanding, but it pushes the kind of near-thoughtless play that shoot-em-ups strive to achieve. When faced with an onslaught of enemies and environmental hazards, you'll have to think fast or die. Rive also doesn't run all that long, but what's here is excellent, top-notch action, and the game delivers some of the most memorable moments in a shoot-em-up in years.
Editor's note: After a few additional hours of testing Rive: Ultimate Edition, GameSpot has updated the score to reflect the Switch version of the game. - Nov. 25, 2017, 7:00 AM PT
Happy Friday! Jess McDonell and Dan Crowd bring you another GS News Roundup, to catch you up on the big events that have happened this week! Here's the lowdown.
Cyberpunk 2077 Developer Responds To Games-As-Service Concerns
Some speculation surrounding the next project from Witcher 3 developers CD Projekt Red came up this week, which suggested that Cyberpunk 2077 will trend towards a game model that included games-as-service traits such as micro-transactions in order to make the game more profitable. Thankfully, CD Projekt came out pretty strongly to refute this claim. Get all the details in today's episode.
Even More Rainbow Six Siege Content Details For Next Year
Rainbow Six Siege is one of those multiplayer games that seems to be doing good by its fanbase with a steady flow of great post-release content. This week, Ubisoft announced a gamut of new things coming to the game for its third year! Watch Dan get excited about it all in the video.
Global Governments Are Getting Organised Around Loot Boxes
In the wake of Star Wars Battlefront 2's loot box controversy, a number of government agencies and officials around the globe have begun looking into the mechanic, which is becoming increasingly common in games. There are concerns that the practice could constitute gambling, and many are organising to look into restrictions to stop the practice entirely.
What did you think about today's news? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and we'll see you next week!
By Anonymous on Nov 25, 2017 05:30 am Rainbow Six Siege: Operation White Noise operators and maps revealed, while governments around the world condemn loot boxes.
Rainbow Six Siege: Operation White Noise operators and maps revealed, while governments around the world condemn loot boxes.
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