By Jimmy Thang on Nov 16, 2017 12:02 am
Considering both the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S have 4K HDR Blu-ray players, we wanted to highlight the best 4K HDR Blu-ray movies. There's not a ton of Ultra HD (UHD) HDR movies at the moment, but we've rounded up the most compelling films that have received high-quality 4K/HDR treatment. The 28 movies in the following gallery are listed alphabetically. Make sure to check out our 4K/HDR guide for an explanation of the tech.
Alien: Covenant
Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant is a sequel to the director's 2012-released Prometheus. In addition to sharper visuals, the UHD Blu-ray version of the sci-fi film provides more realistic tones. TechRadar writes, "An emphasis has been placed on HDR's ability to provide deeper, more lifelike contrast." Metacritic score: 65
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
The original Blade Runner is a sci-fi classic from Ridley Scott and The Final Cut represents the definitive version of the movie. The film noir paints a vision of the future filled with digital signage. Our sister site, CNET, says "the neon-soaked visuals in Blade Runner are perfect for an HDR overhaul with the opening scenes as eye-popping as you could hope for." Metacritic score: 89
Deadpool
CNET suggests that Marvel's raunchy superhero flick Deadpool looks better than ever, stating, "The HDR 4K version is even more eye-popping than what you might have seen in the cinema." In terms of image reproduction, the HDR version doesn't oversaturate colors with the tech site saying that "care has been taken so that it still looks 'realistic.'" Metacritic score: 65
Deepwater Horizon
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Deepwater Horizon chronicles a disaster in 2010 that lead to the explosion of a large offshore drilling rig, which created the worst oil spill in American history. TechRadar says that the 4K Blu-ray version "delivers strong detail and impressive dynamics, with its HDR enhanced presentation offering great depth and color reproduction." Metacritic score: 68
Ghost In The Shell
Considering Ghost in the Shell takes place in a color-rich futuristic world, its 4K HDR treatment is a perfect fit for the film. TechRadar states that the movie "looks glorious on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, with its neon-drenched cyberpunk setting really popping on the format." Metacritic score: 52
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 looks sharper than ever at 4K. TechRadar says the level of detail is amazing in the UHD version of the superhero flick, stating, "Animated characters like Rocket and Groot looking especially detailed--just look at Rocket's realistic fur and the woodgrain texture that Groot exhibits. Costumes also get a notable boost in texture--it's now possible to see fuzzy fabric and stitching." Metacritic score: 67
Hacksaw Ridge
Hacksaw Ridge is a film about a medic in World War II who saved 75 men without firing a single bullet. The war movie was wonderfully shot and according to TechRadar, "High-dynamic-range allows the film's cinematography to really shine, showing very realistic color and light reproduction." Metacritic score: 71
Jason Bourne
The spy thriller movie Jason Bourne features great implementation of high-dynamic range with CNET saying that the film "shows that HDR is moving beyond the 'sticking spears at the camera' phase that 3D went through and is maturing as a cinematic tool." Metacritic score: 58
John Wick: Chapter 2
Action movie John Wick: Chapter 2 is often very colorful, and its HDR implementation makes great use of the higher color gamut and contrast ratio. CNET says the Blu-ray version "punctuates its grimy night scenes with HDR neon signs and taillights, lending the movie an energized noir atmosphere." Metacritic score: 75
Life of Pi
Adventure movie Life of Pi is a wonderfully shot film that presents a wide array of vivid colors. CNET says that its "high dynamic range makes what was already a visually stunning movie even more spectacular." Metacritic score: 79
Logan
Logan's 4K transfer is as sharp as Wolverine's claws. In addition, CNET says that the film's HDR implementation is "subtle and [as] well-handled as the story-telling." Metacritic score: 77
Lucy
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Lucy is a film about a woman who become a superhuman warrior. The UHD Blu-ray does a great job implementing high-dynamic range. TechRadar states that the disc displays "vibrant HDR-enhanced colors and terrific contrast." Metacritic score: 61
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies of the modern era, and it was a film that was masterfully shot in the deserts of Namibia. According to CNET, the Blu-ray version employs HDR effects that "range from subtle to gaudy (especially when it comes to 'flamethrower guitar guy')." Metacritic score: 90
Oblivion
Predominantly taking place on an abandoned earth set in the future, Oblivion is one of the most gorgeous-looking movies in existence. Its 4K HDR Blu-ray transfer makes it look better than ever with TechRadar stating that "the impressive color gamut and contrast afforded by the film's HDR grading give the film a real sense of depth and vibrancy." Metacritic score: 54
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim defines what it means to be a fun, summer blockbuster. While the movie looked fantastic in theaters, TechRadar suggests that its UHD version represents the prime way to watch it: "Thanks to some HDR tinkering, the film's colors and contrast now look even better than they did when the film was in theatres." Metacritic score: 64
Planet Earth II
While Planet Earth II may not be a movie, the BBC's nature documentary series looks stunning and is vital to any 4K HDR collection. The visuals are sharp and crisp, and it's easy to make out every strand of hair on a sloth and every texture of each tree branch. The color reproduction is equally amazing, and the blues of the ocean and greens of the forest are realistically portrayed. Metacritic score: 96
Sicario
Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin, Sicario is a movie about the escalating war on drugs between the U.S. and Mexico. The film was shot natively in 4K and doesn't go over-the-top with its high-dynamic range effects, and instead opts to go for a more subdued look. CNET says "its HDR effects are relatively subtle." Metacritic score: 82
Star Trek
J.J. Abram's first Star Trek film was a fun reboot packed with vibrant colors and lens flares. CNET says that its HDR implementation alone makes it "worth a rewatch," adding, "The picture simply bursts from the screen." Metacritic score: 82
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness has received among the best 4K HDR treatment that the medium has to offer. TechRadar says that "when it comes to the visual quality, the Ultra HD Blu-ray for Star Trek Into Darkness is absolutely mind-blowing," before adding, "Star Trek Into Darkness will make an instant believer of any 4K/HDR naysayer." Metacritic score: 72
The Fate of the Furious
The latest installment in the Fast and the Furious franchise looks great with high-dynamic range. TechRadar notes that "flesh tones look astonishing on this disc, as do the HDR-enhanced explosions that litter the film." Metacritic score: 56
The LEGO Movie
The LEGO Movie was a surprise hit when it released in 2014. Thanks to high-dynamic range, a colorful movie becomes even more vibrant with CNET saying that "it's perfect for showing off the wide color gamut capabilities of your 4K HDR TV" Metacritic score: 83
The Martian
Starring Matt Damon, The Martian is about an astronaut who ends up stranded on Mars and has to create a sustainable environment in order to survive. Because it takes place on the red planet, color is an integral part of immersing you into the film. CNET praised both its color reproduction and clarity, stating, "The HDR effects, with the right settings, make this movie pop on your TV, and you'll probably never want to go back to standard HD after watching it." Metacritic score: 80
The Revenant
Inspired by true events, The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is a story about surviving a cold winter within the uncharted American wilderness. The movie won the Academy Award for best cinematography when it was released in 2016, and according to CNET, "The picture quality is flawless" on the UHD Blu-ray and the expanded color palette allows the film to "pop." Metacritic score: 76
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is one of the best superhero movies within the DC universe. While the UHD version suffers from some film grain, CNET says that its HDR implementation gives the movie "a real boost." Metacritic score: 76
X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse was originally captured in 4K, and according to TechRadar, the comic book movie "comes to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with no loss to visual fidelity whatsoever." The site calls it "a visual effects showcase." Metacritic score: 52
By Dan Auty on Nov 15, 2017 11:28 pm
As the Marvel/Netflix show The Punisher proves this week, you don't need superpowers to be a superhero. While the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman are famous for their amazing superhuman abilities, there are plenty of heroes who have nothing but incredible training, high-tech gadgetry, and access to alien artifacts and body enhancing serums to help them. OK, that's quite a lot, but at least they didn't have to be bitten by a radioactive spider to get their abilities. Let's look at some of the best non-superpowered superheroes.
Black Widow
Natasha Romanova is a highly-trained Russian agent who defected to the West and was recruited by Nick Fury and SHIELD to use her abilities for the side of good. She's a superspy and master of disguise with unbelievable fighting skills. Powers not needed.
Blue Beetle
There have been three Blue Beetles over the course of many decades, but none have had their own superpowers. While the second version (Ted Kord) was simply equipped with a superpowered suit, the first and third Beetles (Dan Garret and Jaime Reyes) drew their powers from a piece of mysterious technology known as the Scarab. And although Dan just had to touch it, poor Jamie had it fused his spine.
Green Arrow
Like Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, Oliver Queen is a super-rich playboy who eventually found that fighting crime is a better use of his resources than drinking and womanising. His prowess as a hunter and martial artist and his skills with a bow are the rival of many more superpowered peers. He also has some super cool arrows, including gas and explosive tipped bolts.
Hawkeye
If DC has Green Arrow, Marvel has Hawkeye. Like Oliver Queen, Clint Barton fires arrows with scary accuracy and incredible speed but, again, it's all through training. He's also one of the only other heroes able to throw Captain America's shield just as well as Cap himself, and he wears purple better than any other superhero.
Batman
Batman is of course, the most famous powerless hero of them all. Of course, it helps when you are a billionaire under the cowl, with an unlimited budget to design and develop some of the coolest crime-fighting gadgets ever. However, the best Batman stories have always shown Bruce Wayne's vulnerabilities too, from the aging hero of The Dark Knight Returns to his bruising, spine-snapping encounters with Bane.
Iron Man
Iron Man is the closest that the Marvel universe gets to Bruce Wayne. But Tony Stark is no shadowy vigilante--his identity isn't even a secret. But his enormous wealth has allowed him to build a super-powered suit that does pretty much everything. Flying, super strength, high-tech weaponry--Stark's got it all.
Silver Sable
Silver Sable is one of the more ambiguous characters in the Marvel universe, and a frequent ally/adversary to Spider-Man. A mercenary also known as, er, Silver Sablinova, she is a highly trained expert in most forms of martial arts. She also wears a Kevlar costume and is armed to the teeth with a variety of guns and bladed weapons. Don't mess.
Captain America
Despite his incredible strength, agility, and endurance, Steve Rogers technically has no superpowers. The Super-Soldier serum that he was given has pushed his body to the outer limits of human potential, and while many of his athletic feats are clearly impossible in our world, within the Marvel universe they are still count as just about achievable by a human. Also, we all love Cap, so he's in.
Katana
It's one thing to be amazingly skilled with a sword--it's another when that sword contains the soul of your dead husband. But that's the fate of poor Tatsu Yamashiro, whose trusty blade, the Soultaker, was used to kill her husband Mateo and was soon possessed by his spirit. Despite this, Katana's weaponry skills and general martial arts prowess ensured that she has been a key part of both the Birds of Prey and The Outsiders.
Nick Fury
SHIELD boss Nick Fury may not have any powers but with some of the world's greatest heroes at his disposal, he doesn't need any. He also has the coolest eyepatch in the history of comic books, and in the MCU gets to be played by Samuel L Jackson. Admittedly, Fury's aging process has been slowed down by the use of the Infinity Formula, but who can blame him for wanting a few less grey hairs?
Batgirl
There have been four Batgirls to date, and while none possess superpowers, all are highly trained and every bit the match for DC's other famous Bat-themed superhero. Barbara Gibson is her most famous alter ego, but Betty Kane, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown all kicked serious Gotham criminal ass.
Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
Like his good pal Steve Rogers, Bucky doesn't have any powers. What he does have is years of physical training and intense Soviet brainwashing, plus a supercool bionic arm. As The Winter Soldier, Bucky fought on the side of the Russians, before being brought under the wing of Nick Fury and his old buddy Steve.
Mockingbird
Avenger and SHIELD agent Barbara "Bobbi" Barton is another recipient of the Super Soldier serum, which she was given after sustaining a deadly injury. But even before that she was a highly trained combatant, with bone-crunching abilities with batons and bo-staffs. Plus, she has a PhD in biology!
Robin/Nightwing
Bruce Wayne's legendary partner Dick Grayson might not have any powers, but he learned from the best. After many years as Robin, Dick took to the streets of Gotham as Nightwing when he quit the Batcave to pursue a solo career.
The Punisher
Frank Castle takes the vengeful vigilantism of Batman to the next level. While Bruce Wayne aims just to hurt his enemies and leave them for the cops, the Punisher has no interest in such niceties. If you're deserving of his wrath, you deserve to die. And possibly get tortured first. Castle obviously has an incredible arsenal of weaponry, but he has also trained his body and mind to a degree that he can withstand pain and any psychic or telepathic attacks that his enemies might employ against him.
By Kevin Wong on Nov 15, 2017 09:30 pm
It doesn't happen often, but it's always shocking when it does.
There are currently two top prizes in WWE: the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship. These belts seldom change hands, and when they do, it's typically on a massive stage like WrestleMania or SummerSlam. It's a marketing strategy; if a pay-per-view event increases the likelihood of a title change, people are more likely to open their wallets and buy the PPV. But occasionally, the world title will change hands on a much smaller stage: on Raw or SmackDown, or even on a house show, where no television cameras are rolling. It keeps the storyline unpredictable. And it tells that fans that, yes, the house shows mean something! There is a chance (albeit a minuscule one) that fans who attend a non-PPV can see history happen in front of them. Imagine the thrill of buying cheap tickets to a weekly taping and seeing your favorite wrestler clinch gold. Here are the most memorable times the WWE world titles changed hands at non-PPVs. Because like good ol' J.R. is fond of saying, "Anything can happen in the WWE."
AJ Styles
Here's the most recent entry. The WWE title never changes hands overseas as a matter of precedent. But AJ Styles is not a performer of precedent. He's the single greatest wrestler who is currently active. And when he pinned Jinder Mahal cleanly in the center of the ring, the Manchester Raw crowd, which couldn't have possibly expected a title change, roared in approval. Styles' next obstacle is Lesnar in a non-title fight at Survivor Series, although eventually, he'll have to face Mahal again. And then fans will know for sure whether WWE has given up on the Maharaja or if it still thinks he can be the access point to India's market.
Edge Steals Mr. Kennedy's Moment of Glory
It was a 2007 SmackDown moment that befitted the Ultimate Opportunist. The current WWE World Heavyweight champion, The Undertaker, had barely made it out of his match with Mark Henry alive. And then the music hit, and out came Edge, Money in the Bank briefcase in hand, ready to cash in on the wounded champion. He hit his signature spear and pinned the Dead Man for his third world title win. It was shocking and memorable, but it wasn't even supposed to happen. The original Money in the Bank winner, Mr. Kennedy, was supposed to cash in on The Undertaker instead of Edge. But unfortunately, Kennedy was diagnosed with a possible triceps tear, and he was forced to drop his briefcase to The Rated-R Superstar. To make matters worse, the triceps tear turned out to be nothing more than a hematoma, which meant that Mr. Kennedy gave up his title shot for no reason. How different would WWE history be if Mr. Kennedy cashed in on The Undertaker that evening instead of Edge? Coulda, woulda, shoulda. But Kennedy never recovered from this early career snag. He later got suspended for Wellness violations and gained a reputation for being injury-prone. The company released him in 2009.
Steve Austin Gives Kane A One-Day WWE Championship Reign
Kane's first year with WWE was impactful, to say the least. He made his debut at Badd Blood during the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match by ripping off the cell door and tombstoning The Undertaker. Then, he fought The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Then, in June 1998, Kane defeated "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at King of the Ring to become WWE champion. Unfortunately, Kane lost the belt back to Austin the following day on Raw, thanks to a well-timed Stone Cold Stunner. But Glenn Jacobs, the man behind Kane, holds no ill feelings about his short reign. He concedes that it was best for business--that Austin was once-in-a-lifetime talent who deserved his push. And Jacobs keeps fond memories of how electric the crowd was during their Monday rematch that evening.
Mankind Kills WCW
When Mankind, aka Mick Foley, won the WWE championship for the first time, WWE was losing the Monday Night war to WCW. But on Monday, January 4, 1998, WCW made a fatal mistake. Because Raw was pre-taped (Mankind actually won the title on December 29), WCW announcer Tony Schiavone spoiled Mankind's win on the live WCW Nitro, hoping that viewers would lose interest in the competitor. Instead the opposite happened, 600k fans switched over from WCW to WWE. Foley was an overwhelming fan favorite, and knowing the result drew fans to WWE programming rather than away from it. WCW began losing the ratings war and would eventually go out of business three years later.
Don't Cross The Boss
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is often accused of nepotism. His daughter Stephanie and her husband, Triple H, both help run the company he founded. Clearly, McMahon wants to keep WWE in the family. But one of his most nepotistic scripted acts occurred in September 1999, when he fought Triple H in the main event of SmackDown. Thanks to an assist from Austin, McMahon won the WWE championship, albeit barely; he had blood all over his face, and he staggered to his feet to accept the victory. Thankfully, McMahon didn't hold onto the title; he vacated it the following Monday on Raw. He, more than most people, understood the championship's importance, and holding onto it for any longer could have compromised its integrity. It was publicity stunt, and thankfully, it didn't become any more than that.
The Miz Cashes In On The Viper
In 2010, Miz had a better reputation as a tag team specialist than a singles competitor, thanks to his fruitful tag partnerships with John Morrison and The Big Show. But then he won Money in the Bank, and on the November 22, 2010 episode of Raw, The Miz cashed in his contract on a tired Randy Orton, who had just successfully defended his WWE Championship against Wade Barrett. Miz took a long difficult road to the top, from Real World reality star to WWE champion, with a whole lot of locker room hazing mixed in. This clip, of Miz celebrating backstage after winning the title, is a fascinating peek behind the scenes. Particularly interesting are his interactions with McMahon, who warns him not to "f*** up," and John Cena, who Miz thanks for helping him improve in the ring.
Diesel Pins Bob Backlund In Eight Seconds
Bob Backlund was WWE's All-American hero and champion in the late 70's and early 80's. But he missed the massive wrestling boom that followed, and got none of the glory that his contemporaries, like Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan, would attain. In the mid-90's, Backlund re-debuted, this time as an unhinged, dangerously violent heel, who insisted that everyone call him Mr. Backlund and was in denial that he ever lost the title to the Iron Sheik. In an unlikely turn of events, Backlund clinched the championship from Bret Hart at Survivor Series, after Owen Hart guilted their mother into throwing in the towel. Backlund was champion. But a new reign of dominance was not meant to be. At a non-televised house show at Madison Square Garden on November 26, 1994, "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel kicked Backlund in the gut, Jacknifed him, and hooked the leg for a pin. The match only lasted eight seconds. Diesel would go on to defend the title at WrestleMania XI against Shawn Michaels. And Backlund would persist for some time (including a kayfabe run for President of the United States) before fading into obscurity again. He recently resurfaced as Darren Young's manager and motivational speaker.
By Chris Pereira on Nov 15, 2017 04:43 am
Nintendo Switch is not even a year old, and yet already the system has no shortage of quality games to play. Even before a flurry of big-name third-party ports release for the system--Skyrim, LA Noire, and Doom all release on Switch in November--there were already a ton of worthwhile options on Switch. There are Nintendo's flagship titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Splatoon 2, and a variety of other Switch games you may have missed. Beyond that, though, there's a burgeoning selection of games that cost no more than $20. 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. Read our SteamWorld Dig 2 review
Picross S ($8 / £7.19)
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. Read our Stardew Valley review
Golf Story ($15 / £13.49)
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. Read our Golf Story review
Sonic Mania ($20 / £16)
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. Read our Sonic Mania review
Overcooked ($20 / £18)
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. Read our Overcooked review
Thimbleweed Park ($20 / £15)
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. Read our Thimbleweed Park review
Retro City Rampage DX ($15 / £13)
A throwback GTA Online mode aside, Grand Theft Auto has long since moved on from the classic top-down perspective of its earliest games. Retro City Rampage carries on that legacy, offering an open-world crime game in 8-bit style. What could have easily been a mere GTA clone, however, is distinguished with copious pop culture references and a distinctly arcade-style feel to its gameplay. This DX edition offers additional content not seen in the original version of the game. Read our Retro City Rampage review
Fast RMX ($20 / £17)
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. Read our Fast RMX review
World of Goo ($10 / £9)
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. Read our World of Goo review
Little Inferno ($10 / £9)
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. Read our Little Inferno review
Human Resource Machine ($10 / £9)
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. Read our Severed review
Shovel Knight ($10-$25 / £9-£22.49)
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. Read our Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment review
Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together ($20 / £18)
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. Read our Snipperclips review
Thumper ($20/£16)
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. Read our Thumper review
Axiom Verge ($20 / £15)
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. Read our Axiom Verge review
By Array on Nov 15, 2017 03:43 am
For the past five years, Double Fine Productions and iam8bit have hosted a public indie festival called Day of the Devs in San Francisco. It's a public, free event where fans are encouraged to meet up with indie devs and try out a host of in-development projects. This year, there were over 60 games at the show, and they ran the gamut from console titles, to VR experiences, to mobile games. We tried out as many as we could, and while there were a lot of wonderful games, we chose to highlight ten that particularly stood out and that otherwise might not be on your radar. Even though our list is small, the main takeaway is that it looks like 2018 is going to have a ridiculous number of amazing indie games. Side note: Gang Beasts isn't part of this list because, while it's really fun you've probably already both heard of it and played it yourself. After all, we play it on our charity livestream almost every year, and we'll probably play it again during our upcoming 2017 charity event.
Untitled Goose Game
Geese are jerks. And in the aptly titled Untitled Goose Game, you get to live out your fantasy of being the jerkiest goose. That might only be a fantasy for me. In addition to goose role-playing, the game also involves solving puzzles--I spent my time getting a farmer soaking wet and then stealing his keys. The farmer is probably, unlike the goose, a nice guy. But when you're a goose, you don't have to care. -- Justin Haywald
Chuchel
Chuchel is the latest project by Amanita, a developer best known for its work on adventure games Machinarium and Botanicula. You play as the game's titular hero, a ball of fur desperately trying get his hands on a cherry. Chuchel's vibrant characters amid a blank white background looks simplistic, especially compared to its developer's previous work, which often put a lot of focus on dense visuals and complex puzzle solving. However, Chuchel takes a rudimentary approach in its design to better focus on situational humor. In your journey to reclaim Chuchel's cherry, you move from one scenario to the next interacting with simple objects in the environment to trigger a host of whimsical situations. Across its multiple scenarios, Chuchel feels like a collection of animated shorts. Each carries a charming sense of wit and humor that I'm eager to see more of once it launches sometime next year. After all, I need to know: is that furball ever going to get its cherry back? -- Matt Espineli
Anamorphine
While surreal is a word that gets used a lot in gaming, Anamorphine embodies this sentiment. It takes the "walking simulator" concept and turns it into a dream-like journey through a person's hazy psyche. Rooms and characters morph in ways that elicit surprise, and even though you're limited in interactions to just walking up to objects, the game makes it feel like you're a part of the world. The game's tagline is "explore the past as you resolve the present," and the story revolves around a character dealing with the mental and physical fallout of an accident involving his wife. I'm not typically excited about games that involve so little actual gameplay, but I'm looking forward to--and slightly dreading--seeing more of Anamorphine's journey. -- Justin Haywald
Way of the Passive Fist
Way of the Passive Fist offers a unique twist to the side-scrolling beat 'em up genre. Instead of relying on standard button mashing to beat up pixelated goons, the game focuses on timing-based mechanics where you parry and dodge enemy attacks to defeat them. The result plays like a bizarre lovechild between Streets of Rage and Street Fighter III. It's awesome. The action is fairly straightforward: foes take turns trying to fight you, gradually teaching you the varying pace of their attacks before eventually tiring out. Then you simply push them over. While this fighting style sounds counterintuitive for a beat 'em up, it works surprisingly well. The act of parrying and evading is easy to execute, yet it offers a steady degree of challenge, especially against multiple enemies with different attack patterns. Add that on top of a Fist of the North Star-like narrative, and you have an action game that's as charming as it is mechanically distinct. -- Matt Espineli
Dead Static Drive
I have no idea what's going on in Dead Static Drive, but the game is stylistically rendered in a stunning way. DSD feels like a cel-shaded version of Grand Theft Auto mixed with aspects of Tremors (yes, the '90s science-fiction film). In my first attempt with the game I drank some coffee, peed in a urinal, found a bunch of weapons, then walked outside and got destroyed by some massive sand worm creature. In my second attempt, I hopped in a car and started driving around the desert. Then I got out of the car and got destroyed by a massive sand worm creature. Would play again. -- Justin Haywald
Crossing Souls
As a loving tribute to the classic 1980s films and tv shows of young explorers in the pre-internet era being swept up in a sprawling story--Devolver Digital's next action-adventure game is a throwback in more ways than one. Exploring a small town full of odd characters and some supernatural events with a twinge of government conspiracy--you and your friends will have to work together and use your particular set of skills to track down those who have gone missing. As you explore your town--meeting its many inhabitants and getting into a few scrapes along the way--you'll learn more of the setting's strange history. After coming in contact with a strange artifact, you'll be able to cross over into a parallel world where the lines between the living and the dead are blurred. Your town was weird enough before, but this new world adds a whole different layer to the strangeness--even explaining some of the behavior of the odder citizens. Crossing Souls evokes that sense of nostalgia for a seemingly carefree time where kids could tune out playing their NES and watching Saturday morning cartoons in the comfort of their rooms. But this throwback adventure may have more to say about its era than you would think. -- Alessandro Fillari
Ooblets
While this isn't the first time I've seen Ooblets, the game continues to win me over anew each time with its quirky charm. It's equal parts Pokemon monster collecting, Animal Crossing house decorating, and Havest Moon farming and management, but it all comes together in a game that feels unique and exciting rather than just derivative. I want to know how it's story will play out and how much that will pull me along, but the mechanics of the world already draw me in. -- Justin Haywald
Curse of the Obra Dinn
Curse of the Obra Dinn was one of the most visually striking games at Day of the Devs. Taking inspiration from classic text adventures on PC, it sports a two-tone color palette that at times is a bit tough on the eyes, but hidden behind the retro aesthetic is an intriguing detective game. Before arriving on board a ship called the Obra Dinn, you're given a book and a mysterious pocket watch. When you find a person's dead body, your watch allows you flash to the moment of their death, while revealing other details, such as who was in the vicinity. With this knowledge, you fill out the details of the crew in your book, flipping through the ship's manifest to intuit who died and who was killed by whom. As you steadily make more discoveries, more mysteries are revealed. The sense of intrigue that pervades the experience sets up a narrative that's not only fascinating but gratifying. In the two chapters I played, it actually felt like I was sleuthing. It's rare you get a detective-centric game that allows you to flex your deduction skills; Curse of the Obra Dinn challenges you to make sense of the events unfolding and gives you the freedom to infer. With only three names filled out of the seven pages worth you find in the manifest, I can't wait to step aboard the Obra Dinn again to uncover more. -- Matt Espineli
Knights and Bikes
Knights and Bikes has an impressive pedigree with the creative director behind Tearaway and a gameplay programmer from LIttleBigPlanet and Ratchet & Clank. But the developer, Foam Sword, is a new venture that's going the indie route, and so far, their game captures the innocence (and abject terror) of childhood in an effusively charming way. The art style is a paper cutout wonder, and the gameplay is reminiscent of some of the best SNES-era action-RPGs. Think Secret of Mana meets the Goonies, but with a rowdy cast of adventurous girls. The only thing I'm left wondering every time I finish playing is when I'll get to try some more. -- Justin Haywald
Below
More than likely, you have actually heard of Below. However, although it was announced back at E3 2013, the game was indefinitely delayed in 2016. But it's still in active development, and the playable version at Day of the Devs is probably the most refined build of the game yet. The rougelike dungeon crawler is light on explicit story and explanation. You wash ashore on a mysterious island, and the only place to go is into a cave. Then you delve deeper and deeper in the mysterious "below." I'm not very good at Below, at least I tend to die really quickly. And I'm curious how the roguelike aspect will play out over longer and longer sessions. But in short bursts at least, the mysterious exploration aspects combined with its intense combat make it feel like an epic journey. -- Justin Haywald
By Matt Espineli on Nov 15, 2017 01:12 am
What Is It Good For?
Call of Duty: WWII expands on the series' many multiplayer offerings with a brand new, highly involved game mode: "War." An objective-based team battle, War combines all the best parts of Call of Duty's other objective-based game modes to make lengthy battles in which one team attacks and tries to complete a series of tasks, and another team defends, doing everything they can to stop them. War changes the Call of Duty multiplayer formula in some key ways, requiring players to know the maps to access every advantage for defending and attacking. Not everything about War is obvious--so here are 10 tips to help you achieve victory over your enemies on all of Call of Duty: WWII's War maps. If you're looking for more general multiplayer tips, you can check out our Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer beginner's guide, our Zombie Mode guide, and our guide covering 11 tips we wish we knew before starting. Call of Duty: WWII is out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For our thoughts about the game, check out our Call of Duty: WWII review. You can also see what other critics are saying about the WWII shooter in our review roundup. And For more on Sledgehammer's huge title, check out our guide on how to get the Tesla Gun in Zombies Mode or take a look at the quest that rewards you for watching other players open loot boxes.
Create Multiple Useful Loadouts
The thing that makes War interesting is that the battlefield is constantly changing. As attackers clear objectives, defenders are pushed back repeatedly to new areas, where they have to change up their strategies. You can pick a single loadout for an entire mission, but as the situation changes, you'll often want to be able to switch your approach and your weapons to go with it. In general, you should have a good mid-range loadout (probably Infantry), a close-range loadout (Exploratory or Airborne) and a long-range loadout (Mountain) so you can play multiple roles in the battle. If your team is getting wrecked by a machine gun emplacement, for instance, switching to a sniper can help clear the way. If you have to fight in close quarters, a shotgun can do some serious damage. Play a few rounds and build loadouts to help you deal with the objectives you're struggling with.
It's All About Teamwork
Running around as a lone wolf is a great way to lose when you're playing War. The only real way to complete your objectives is to work together, and the team that operates as the best unit is the one that will prevail. Not only do you want to stick together with your teammates whenever possible, but you want to assist them as much as you can. That means laying down covering fire when teammates are building defenses, flanking enemies when they're already engaged in firefights, and generally doing everything you can to work like a team. War is a game mode in which communication is also key. You should listen for your teammates' characters to call out enemy locations--they'll do that automatically as part of the game--but grabbing a voice headset so you can speak with your squad directly is recommended. That way you can share enemy locations and coordinate strategies. It's the best way to guarantee victories.
Bring Smoke Grenades
You can get away with playing most of Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer without ever touching a smoke grenade, but in War, it's an essential tool. Buy it as soon as you can unlock it and add it to at least one of your loadouts--specifically, whichever one you plan to use to charge up the beach at Normandy in the Operation Neptune map. Smoke can obscure enemy vision significantly, allowing you to avoid getting shot up by machine gun nests or sniped at key moments, like on that Normandy beach. When putting together a War team, make sure everyone has smoke available for those times when you're assaulting enemy defenses. You can always tell a new team by a group that has no smoke grenades and thus gets chewed up by the enemy at key points on a map.
Build Your Defenses
When you're playing the defensive side of a War map, there are lots of ways to close off paths to the enemy and force them to stop, potentially making them vulnerable and giving you time to set up. The trouble is, while maps are full of buildable walls, machine gun nests and tank-stopping hedgehogs, somebody has to build them. Every time you're pushed back on a War map as a defender, you're entering a new area where the defenses are not yet set up. Keeping your defenses up is essential to winning a map. Attacking players can knock down walls and barricades you've built, but you can reconstruct them (and you earn points for doing so). Protect your defenses and make sure you get the most out of them by using them to do things like ambush players and blast unsuspecting attackers before they're ready for the fight. A team that gets lazy about its defenses usually gets overwhelmed.
Blow Stuff Up
The flip side of the discussion about defenses is that, for attackers, you constantly want to be blowing up barricades and other irritations even if you don't plan to take those paths. There are actually multiple ways into every defended area on a given War map, but defenders usually block them off. To destroy those barricades, you can plant explosives just by getting close and holding down the corresponding button, although this leaves you vulnerable. It's almost always worth destroying barricades, however. Opening up multiple paths to get into an area means you can make it hard for the defenders to anticipate your attacks. You can also blow some stuff up when playing on defense--on Operation Neptune, for instance, it's possible to destroy Allied ladders up into the bunkers. Whenever possible, using your demolitions abilities is key.
Grab The Flamethrower
Unlike other Call of Duty: WW2 modes, there are no scorestreaks in War. That means even if you're wrecking the other team and racking up objective points, you're not going to trigger your usual bonuses like air support. But there is one handy boost you can snag in the game if you're quick about it: a flamethrower. Flamethrowers float onto the battlefield in plane-dropped care packages, and they're pretty handy if you can grab them and use them correctly. Having the gun doesn't make you any more difficult to kill, but it does make you extremely lethal--it doesn't take much to kill an enemy with the flamethrower. Better still, you get to keep the flamethrower until it's empty, even if you're killed. Use it in tight areas and at clutch moments to kill lots of other players really quickly, and you might save yourself a loss. Just make sure not to ignore the flamethrower when it drops, or the other team can grab it.
Mounted Machine Guns Are Essential
Mounted 50-caliber machine gun nests are all over the place in the Call of Duty: WW2 campaign, but you'll find them scattered liberally around multiplayer maps as well. In War, they're extremely important, and whenever you can construct and use one==both on attack and defense--you should. In lots of situations in War, you'll need space to complete objectives. When constructing a bridge or holding down the beach at Normandy, stopping players from being able to group up is essential. Mounted machine guns leave you exposed, but they're extremely powerful. If you use them effectively, you can control the ground the other team needs to cover and keep them from achieving their goals.
Don't Worry About Dying
War isn't about getting kills, it's about completing objectives. You do want to be as lethal as possible and survive as much as you can in the game mode, but those aren't your primary motivators they way they are in a mode like Team Deathmatch. Sometimes, it's worth dying to help your team win. That means you shouldn't be afraid to throw yourself on a proverbial grenade if it comes to that. Risking your life to complete objectives is more important than staying alive. You'll often see teams full of sharpshooters, all staying back so they can pick off enemy players--and those kinds of teams lose. Choose your loadouts and your role based on what can help your team be victorious, and don't be afraid to charge into certain death if the distraction might help the cause. After all, you'll always come right back.
Explore The Maps
There's a lot going on in any given War match. Each map has at least three objectives, all of which could be a self-contained multiplayer map unto themselves. And all those objectives have multiple ways of entering and achieving them. There are lots of paths through the map, many of which can be blocked and defended, and elements like machine gun nests that can be set up by both teams. The point is, there are a lot of ins and outs to learn. It can take a bit to get familiar with the maps in War, but spend some time exploring them, even in the midst of battle. Finding all the paths through an area will make you better able to defend them, and better able to switch your tactics to deal with being stagnated by enemy defenses. Finding the right place to wait for enemy attackers can be key to fighting off the final assault in the last moments of a match. Try to get familiar with all the objectives in a map as quickly as possible.
Anticipate The Enemy--And Camp To Catch Them
Once you know the maps well enough to know where the other team will approach you from and where they're likely to hole up, you can use a tactic that is otherwise frowned-upon in multiplayer: camping. When defending, camping isn't just a possible tactic, it's often essential. You'll often need to sit on an objective and keep players from approaching it. The best way to do that is find a good spot to hang out and catch players unawares. There are tons of good spots where you can hang out and catch players as they climb up ladders, pop through doorways or try to blow up barricades. The best way to find those spots is when you're attacking; keep an eye out for places where your teammates don't expect a fight, and then use that information to slow up the other team. You can also find good places to camp as an attacker, too, which is especially useful when you're trying to set bombs on objectives. Get used to looking for out-of-the-way corners and use them to your advantage. War is about winning by any means necessary.
By Matt Espineli on Nov 15, 2017 01:08 am
Zombie Survival
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. If you're looking for more general multiplayer tips, you can check out our Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer beginner's guide. You can also check out our Call of Duty: WWII beginner's tips for War mode and guide covering 11 tips we wish we knew before starting. 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. Call of Duty: WWII is out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For our thoughts about the game, check out our Call of Duty: WWII review. You can also see what other critics are saying about the WWII shooter in our review roundup. And For more on Sledgehammer's huge title, check out our guide on how to get the Tesla Gun in Zombies Mode or take a look at the quest that rewards you for watching other players open loot boxes.
Melee Enemies For A Bigger Payout
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 Alive
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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