It's been a few months since we saw any promotional activity for the upcoming movie reboot of Tomb Raider, but now a new poster has arrived. The film is set to hit theaters in March, so it's very likely we will see another trailer soon too.
The poster shows Lara Croft actress Alicia Vikander looking very intense. It's less likely to attract the criticism of the last poster, which many fans felt made her neck look very strange. Check the new poster out below:
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Vikander spoke about taking on the role of Lara Croft and what would set her apart from both the Lara of the games, as well as Angelina Jolie's previous movie portrayal. "She has all the fierce, tough, curious, intelligent traits," she said. "But we've stripped away all of her experience. She hasn't gone on an adventure just yet. She thought she was a stuck up businessperson living in the modern youth culture of suburban London, but then this whole box of information. This is the beginning."
With only one week before the debut of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Disney/Pixar's Coco made the most of another weekend by topping the box office chart once again. In its third weekend, the animated film added an estimated $18.3 million to its total domestic haul.
In all, that brings Coco to $135.5 million in the United States and Canada, Entertainment Weekly reports. That puts the film above the entire domestic gross of 2015's The Good Dinosaur. Its next target is Cars 3, from earlier this year, which ended its run with $152.9 million at the domestic box office. Worldwide, Coco has grossed $389.5 million.
Justice League kept its spot at number two for the third week in a row, grossing $9.6 million. That brings its haul to $212 million domestically and $613.3 million worldwide.
Rounding out the top five are Wonder ($8.5 million), The Disaster Artist ($6.4 million), and Thor: Ragnarok($6.3 million). Jumping to number four in its first weekend of expanded release is good news for The Disaster Artist, the film about the making of The Room, directed by and starring James Franco. After opening to just 19 theaters a week ago, it made the jump to 849 screens this weekend.
Now the waiting game begins. With The Last Jedi set to debut Thursday night, there's practically zero doubt that Star Wars will reign supreme at the box office for the next several weeks. In the meantime, you can see the full Top 10 chart below, covering December 8-10. The numbers were compiled by EW.
image: Johnson at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere in Los Angeles
Disney has handed The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson the keys to its biggest cinematic franchise, giving him the opportunity to develop a new, original movie trilogy set within cinema's most famous galaxy far, far away. This is significant not only because of what a great opportunity it is for Johnson, but because of the infamously troubled time Disney has had with Star Wars directors.
Josh Trank, Colin Trevorrow, and the directing duo of Christopher Miller and Phil Lord have all been let go, while Rogue One director Gareth Edwards was reportedly sidelined in favor of screenwriter Tony Gilroy when the production underwent extensive reshoots. Will things turn out better for Johnson?
Depending on who you ask, either Star Wars is very lucky to have Rian Johnson, or cinema as a whole is worse off for the director being tied to a big blockbuster franchise for the next however-many years. But Johnson's talents are exactly what Star Wars needs; looking over his short filmography shows that, as a director and writer, he's capable of producing consistently great work across different genres and modes. His work in TV also shows how comfortably he can step into an existing world.
Despite having only directed three films, Rian Johnson is an obvious fit for Star Wars (assuming that The Last Jedi is as good as we want it to be, at least). Let's take a look at his career so far to see why.
Brick (2005)
Many argue that Brick is Johnson's best work. It's a neo-noir detective story about a high school student looking for his troubled ex-girlfriend, with a lot of long shots of bodies in motion. It's a film where Johnson seems to be constantly experimenting, figuring out what he can do with a camera, when to go wide and when to go close. The experiment is a huge success--it's gorgeous to look at. It's also the film that essentially kickstarted the next stage of star Joseph Gordon Levitt's career, and he would go on to re-team with Johnson for Looper seven years later.
Brick was made for under $500,000. Johnson has never worked with a budget even close to his Last Jedi budget, and some might worry that sending the director into the stars will make him less grounded. But in Brick, Johnson tapped into the humanity underpinning even his most ridiculous characters, and the emotions that drove them, a fundamental skill that's as important in a blockbuster as it is in a small indie. Brick also has some excellent chase and fight sequences--again, Johnson mines a lot of material simply out of watching people move, in the way a character might run or walk differently from others.
Above all else, Brick is just a great film--the sort that marks a director as one to watch.
The Brothers Bloom (2008)
Of the three films Johnson has directed, The Brothers Bloom--about a pair of con artist brothers played by Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo--is by far the least interesting. The plot is shaggy, the soundtrack is overbearing, and it's a little crowded with gimmicky narration and "cute" plot elements. But still, for all its faults, it's hard to dislike The Brothers Bloom when it keeps throwing amazing shots at you. Directors can't hit every time, but The Brothers Bloom is still a competent, interesting piece of filmmaking, even if it's not an absolute classic like Johnson's other two films are.
Terriers (1 episode, 2010) and Breaking Bad (3 episodes, 2010-2013)
Johnson's work on cult classic one-season wonder Terriers doesn't necessarily stand out above the other episodes on the show, but then there's no single episode of that show you could point to that encapsulated the show better than the others--it's a 13-episode run that never dropped the ball. Johnson's episode was the fifth, and it works very well for an episode that needs to stretch out the ongoing plots.
Breaking Bad, on the other hand, is a phenomenal showcase for what Johnson can do. His three episodes--Fly (season 3), Fifty-One, and Ozymandias (both season 5) are all distinctive, with Ozymandias often looked upon as the single best episode of the show. Each episode is memorable, and fits into a specific trope--Fly is a bottle episode, Fifty-One is a milestone (it is, amusingly, the fiftieth episode, also denoting a year since the story began), and Ozymandias is the show's great denouncement, the big finale where everything hits the fan before, essentially, a two-episode epilogue.
Although Johnson was not a writer on Breaking Bad, he expertly adapted to the different styles and tones of the three episodes. While Fly is a tightly wound coil of an episode that threatens to snap at any moment, Ozymandias is a harrowing, escalating series of horrors, and Johnson handled both with equal comfort and aplomb.
Looper (2012)
Looper, a huge critical and commercial success, is the film that most likely landed Johnson Star Wars. The premise--an assassin (Joseph Gordon Levitt) teams up with his time-travelling future self (Bruce Willis) to deal with a child who will grow up to be a powerful crime lord--is pure pulp. But in Johnson's hands, it becomes something truly special, a movie with so many cool ideas, characters, and scenes that it's hard to talk about without getting giddy.
Looper reveals Johnson to be a master of exposition. It's a movie heavy on plot details and concepts, and Johnson's script not only explains everything, but actively encourages viewers not to worry too much about the gaps. The existence of telekinesis in the world of Looper is explained and swept away at the film's opening with such care that by the time it re-emerges as a serious plot point it feels natural. Bruce Willis's insistence that they not worry too much about the particulars of time travel ("I don't want to talk about time travel because if we start talking about it then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws") is genius. Looper's ability to acclimate the viewer is something that is often missing from blockbusters.
One of the major problem with the Star Wars prequels, for instance, was that character motivation often didn't make sense--it wasn't clear what characters wanted, or why. The terminology and political makeup of the prequels was also muddled in a way it wasn't in the originals. The first Star Wars introduced viewers to a lot of concepts (the Death Star, the Force, the rebellion, Jedi), but did so elegantly enough that the viewer wasn't left confused.
Repeating history
To create new Star Wars films that move beyond what we've seen before, the franchise needs a person who--like Johnson--is good at communicating complex ideas plainly, and convincing audiences to go along for the ride, certain that they'll pick up ideas along the way.
Without a confident, thoughtful pair of hands behind the wheel, even a series as big as Star Wars can falter (see: the prequels). It's true that, in the short term, we'll lose something by not having Rian Johnson out there building his own unique passion projects, just as we perhaps lost something when a young George Lucas never followed up on American Graffiti. But if Johnson's career output is any indication, we'll gain something even more valuable by giving him the franchise: a new generation of filmmakers who will have grown up watching and loving Johnson's clever, exciting filmmaking, and who will find out where he came from and realise that anything is possible--which is the exact message Star Wars has always excelled at delivering.
A new selection of game discounts are now available in the US PlayStation Store. As was the case last week's PSN deals, this week doesn't feature any publisher-specific sales, though there are still some new PS4, PS3, and Vita discounts to choose from. [Update: In addition to the regular set of deals, a PS4 Flash sale took place but has now concluded. Time is also running out for the standard PSN deals, making this your last day to take advantage.]
As usual, the majority of the deals available this week are for PS4, and many feature an additional percentage off for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Among the games discounted right now are Hob for $15 (or $17 without a PS Plus subscription), the horror games Perception ($9.88/$11.95) and Don't Knock Twice ($10/$14), Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch ($28), Space Hulk ($21), and Space Hulk Ascension ($24.49).
PS4 owners also still have a chance to snag some of the game deals that had previously been available. Most notably, The Elder Scrolls Online is still on sale; the Gold Edition costs $30, while the Morrowind expansion is $30. The Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition - Duke Nukem Bundle is likewise still on sale for $40.49.
You can find the full list of deals available now on the PlayStation Store. Unlike typical weekly sales, not all of the aforementioned discounts will be available until the same day, so you should act quickly if you see any that you're interested in. Also of note is an upcoming temporary price cut on PS4 Pro and PSVR.
Microsoft has revealed the latest selection of discounts for Xbox One and Xbox 360. This week's Deals with Gold are available now for Xbox Live Gold members and include some notable titles on both platforms, as well as a few Spotlight deals that even those without a Gold subscription can take advantage of. [Update: You only have a few more hours to take advantage of the following discounts. This selection of Deals with Gold will only be available until tomorrow, December 12, when a new batch of discounts will roll out in the Xbox Store.]
A few notable Xbox 360 games are on sale this week, as well. Gold members can get discounts on the original Metro 2033 ($2.24/£1.79) and Metro: Last Light ($3/£2.24), Dead Space 3 ($5/£3.74), DuckTales Remastered ($3.74/£2.49), NBA Jam ($5/£4), and Street Fighter IV ($14/£10.49), among other titles.
Most of these offers will be available until 6 AM ET/3 AM PT on December 12, giving you a few days to take advantage of this week's sales. You can find the full list of Deals with Gold discounts on Major Nelson's blog. A limited-time sale dedicated to The Game Awards was also available in the Xbox Store but has since concluded.
The arcade Final Fantasy fighting game Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is set coming to the West next month. Ahead of its release, Square Enix has shared a new trailer that provides a closer look at the game's complete roster, as well as the seven classic Final Fantasy Summons that will appear in the title.
A total of 28 characters will be available in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT at launch, taken from various installments throughout the series' history. Along with popular heroes like Cloud from Final Fantasy VII and Noctis from the series' most recent title, Final Fantasy XV, the game will feature characters from several spin-offs, such as Ace from Final Fantasy Type-0 and Ramza from Final Fantasy Tactics. You can take a look at them all in the trailer below.
On top of the aforementioned characters, Square Enix will release an additional six DLC fighters following the game's launch. We don't yet know which new characters will come to the game, but we do know they'll be part of the game's season pass, which is included in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT's Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Collector's Editions. The latter also comes with a Warrior of Light bust figure, 15-song soundtrack, hardcover art book, and a unique steelbook case.
You can see the complete Dissidia Final Fantasy NT roster below. The game releases exclusively for PS4 on January 30. We recorded several matches in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT at New York Comic-Con 2017; you can watch Tidus take on his own dad and Lightning battle against Zidane.
With The Last Jedi about to hit theaters, there are currently only two more Star Wars movies scheduled for release--Solo: A Star Wars Story next May, and 2019's currently untitled Episode IX. A new spin-off focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi has been rumored for several months, and a new report suggests that it might start shooting in just over a year.
According to Omega Underground, the movie is scheduled to begin production at London's Pinewood Studios in January 2019. The site's sources also state that Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry will helm the film. To date, Lucasfilm has not confirmed that Obi-Wan will be the subject of next Star Wars spin-off.
The Obi-Wan movie was first rumored in August this year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daldry was in talks at that stage, and that he would be involved with the development of the script if he signed on.
It's not known if Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels, has been in discussion with the studio to reprise the role. However, McGregor has previously expressed an interest in doing so. In 2016 he stated that he believes there should be at least one movie that bridges the gap between Obi-Wan's story in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. In addition, McGregor can be heard very briefly as Obi-Wan in 2015's The Force Awakens.
Capcom had already confirmed that Monster Hunter World will receive an assortment of DLC following its release, including a set of Horizon: Zero Dawn gear and Mega Man armor for your Palico. That won't be the extent of the DLC coming to the game, however.
In an interview with Japanese publication Famitsu (via Gematsu), Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto revealed that Capcom plans to continue supporting the game following its release by adding new monsters. Tsujimoto didn't share any details on what kinds of monsters players can expect or give a time frame for when they will arrive, but he did confirm that the monsters will come as free post-launch updates.
PlayStation 4 owners who are interested in trying Monster Hunter World before it releases still have an opportunity to do so; a limited-time Monster Hunter World beta is going on right now for PS Plus subscribers. The beta ends at at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT on December 12 and features three sample quests in the Ancient Forest and Wildspire Waste levels. The monsters you can hunt in the beta include the Great Jagras, the Anjanath, and the Barroth. Players who complete all three quests will earn "some useful bonus items" in the full title when it launches.
Monster Hunter World releases for PS4 and Xbox One on January 26; a PC release is slated to follow later in 2018. Capcom still hasn't announced if a similar beta will be available for Xbox One and PC. However, the company did share a new trailer for the game during Sony's PSX stream last week, which showcases more of the game's story, as well as the aforementioned Mega Man armor. You can watch that trailer above.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is a phenomenon, and one of the most talked about games of 2017 within and without GameSpot. Those who've taken the plunge into 100-player battle royale matches recount losses and victories with equal passion, because win or lose, the pervasive moment-to-moment tension is what makes PUBG so thrilling. One misstep or indecisive moment is all it takes for another player to end you. And as survivor counts and the boundaries of the playable area shrink, the final moments reach fever pitch as everyone vies for the ever elusive trophy--a hard-earned chicken dinner.
Given its popularity, we had to seriously consider whether or not PUBG, a game that has and continues to be sold as an Early Access product, should be considered for GameSpot's Game of the Year awards. After all, game platforms like Steam are evolving, and definitions are blurring in the process. If you can spend money on PUBG, isn't it technically "out"? Yes, technically perhaps, but labelling itself early access and entering into that particular ecosystem also protects PUBG from the same level of scrutiny that traditional releases face upon launch. There's a good reason the game was released in Early Access--it needed a way to excuse its glaring issues despite being on sale.
Had PUBG simply come out without caveating its in-development status, the history of the game's ups and downs suggests that reviews might not have been favorable across the board. The game was plagued early on with severe glitches that resulted in absurd physical reactions and often hilarious blunders; part of the fun, no doubt, but certainly not part of the plan. Likewise, the arrival of hackers has also hurt the game as evidenced by the latest round of user reviews on Steam. These are things that are fair to call out in a review, but when they occur while a game is in Early Access, they justifiably get a pass. You were warned that this game isn't ready to be released (in the traditional sense), after all.
There's a potential counter argument to all of this, which is that AAA publishers are increasingly releasing games that feel buggy or incomplete in some way, with patches and new content drops coming after launch. It's not a totally unreasonable point of comparison, but the idea that a publisher's need to satisfy investors and make money at predictable intervals (by releasing games that require obvious improvement) should somehow influence the discussion around what Early Access means is a false equivalency. Those same publishers knowingly accept judgment and critical punishment for their rushed releases, whereas a game like PUBG can hide behind the veil of "you've been warned." Discussing a game that gets a free pass and a game that risks ruining a publisher's reputation in the same breath doesn't feel fair.
We now know that PUBG will graduate from Early Access and launch on Dec. 20, just over a week from the date this article was published. When that day comes, we, and likely hundreds of thousands of other players, will be able to judge PUBG at face value. Despite the fact that it will still be within the calendar year of 2017, GameSpot's Game of the Year discussions and production schedules will have long wrapped--our cutoff date for nominees was December 1. PUBG will obviously be eligible next year, and before you worry that we will forget about the game if it should come and go in the meantime, we won't. In recent years, games like Bravely Default and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker won GameSpot awards in the year following their initial release.
Even though PUBG will have to sit out our site-wide awards this year, it won't go unrecognized. In reducing the number of ranked games from 25 to 10, we've opened up Editor's Spotlight awards, which gives staff members a chance to champion one game from 2017 that they love, that didn't qualify for or win an award. Rest assured, PUBG is a shoe-in.
Like every year, in 2018 GameSpot will re-examine our approach to Game of the Year awards, to make sure that our categories and selection processes are logically sound and culturally relevant. As a reaction to PUBG's success, we will also ramp up reviews of Early Access games moving forward, and score them like we would in a traditional review.
We have plenty of Best of 2017 content in the coming days and weeks, and you can check our full 2017 Game of the Year schedule for a complete rundown. In the meantime, PUBG deserves a round of applause, and we look forward to its official release in the coming days.
This year was a massive success for Nintendo largely thanks to the release of the Switch. The convertible console capitalized on the framework established by its predecessor, delivering on the promise of its hybrid functionality. But for as great as the Switch is, it wouldn't be nearly as successful if it weren't for the amazing lineup of software that populated the first nine months of its release. Unorthodox and revolutionary are ample words to describe many of the best experiences you could get on the console. And on the other end, balancing out its most standout experiences were masterfully created renditions of classic genres and ports of games we've come to love in the past. Regardless of where you looked, the Switch had some of the best games this year you couldn't get anywhere else. In no particular order, here are our Best Of Switch from 2017:
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Everyone thought this was a terrible idea on paper. Everyone was wrong.
What's brilliant about Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is that it takes a traditionally complex and inaccessible genre, the turn-based tactical strategy game, and distills it into a purer version of itself.
Kingdom Battle's efficient design makes it simple to pick up and understand, without ruining the joys that make the genre great. The satisfaction that comes from defeating enemies with effective flanking maneuvers and the adrenaline rush of narrowly surviving missions are still present, despite its cartoon aesthetic. It's a version of Firaxis Games' XCOM where your prevalent emotion is delight, rather than frustration.
That's not to say that the game isn't also challenging. While each character's special abilities are useful on their own, experimenting with how these skills can interact with and complement each other goes a long way to giving you a variety of options with tactical setups. Challenge levels and the Kingdom Battle's late-game stages encourage you to push the limits of what you think is possible in this respect, if you're so inclined. But nothing is stopping you from cruising through with basic, effective tactics and simply enjoying this goofy world.
No matter what your opinion on either franchise is, it's hard to deny that the unholy union of Mario + Rabbids + XCOM is delivered by Ubisoft with long, confident strides. Its concise design, along with its undeniably charming art direction, makes every minute of Kingdom Battle a treat. It's fun, polished, a perfect experience for the Nintendo Switch, and watching Luigi snipe an opera singer from 50 yards with his cold, dead eyes will never get old.
Super Mario Odyssey
From the very first time you boot up the game's main menu, everything about Super Mario Odyssey feels like a treat. That blast of triumphant brass, Cappy and Mario's bright eyes staring at you in wonder, even the atlas wallpaper behind indicating you're about to embark on a journey--Odyssey embodies child-like joy from beginning to end.
Every interaction you have with the game is enjoyable. Possessing a frogs, onion, or dinosaur evokes a smile almost without fail. And so does exploring the game's endless nooks and crannies, or defeating its plethora of unique bosses, or finally reaching that elusive Power Moon you've been attempting to reach all evening.
Similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey changes up its series' formula, heading to a slightly more open-world structure (albeit in several smaller worlds, as opposed to Zelda's singular, vast landscape), and it utilizes it expertly. Odyssey's hub worlds continually tease you with extra stuff to do: minigames, secrets, Power Moons, windows into other worlds--you're constantly being rewarded for bothering to go off the beaten path, and doing so is irresistable.
Super Mario Odyssey makes you grin like an idiot on the bus to work or school, and not care that people are probably staring at you. More than anything else, Odyssey makes you happy. And what's a better reward than that?
Splatoon 2
Colorful and quirky, Splatoon 2 is easy to love. As far as shooters go, its unique movement mechanics stand out and make each match a blast. While the logistics of its multiplayer aren't perfect, it's an exuberant and vibrant shooter with more depth than it might appear at first glance.
The main multiplayer mode is Turf War, which is consistently so much fun that only having one casual mode isn't really a problem. Covering the most ground with your ink is a simple enough concept, but skillful inking, careful movement, and a good handle on your weapon of choice all work together to give each match more variety. Because you're in and out of matches in a matter of minutes, there's less pressure to perform in any one game--instead, you can learn from your mistakes and adapt for the next round right away.
Splatoon 2 is also the best implementation of the Switch's gyroscope aiming; it's supremely helpful when you're busy swimming to refill your ink and trying to avoid getting hit and can't focus on aiming on top of that. It's definitely a matter of personal preference, but it can make Splatoon 2's already fast-paced and fun gameplay really shine.
Golf Story
Massive franchises like Zelda and Mario dominated the headlines in Switch's inaugural year. But the unlikely Nindie hit, Golf Story, was one of 2017's most surprisingly hilarious and exceptionally fun games released exclusively on the Switch. It's endearing narrative and simplistic gameplay encourages you to carry out day-to-day responsibilities with your golf clubs, golf balls, and sheer will. And although the word "golf" is literally in its title, the game itself can be best described as an RPG that expertly disguises itself as a 2D sports title.
Everything about Golf Story is delightful, from the way the dialogue bubbles tilt, expand, and shake, to how its diverse cast of characters carry humorous conversations distinct to each locale. Golf Story is equal parts golf, bad puns, and "dad jokes." And in addition to its obvious golfing aspects, NPCs challenge you to solve a supernatural murder mystery, raise an army of the dead to defeat an evil wizard, and even geocache the greens in search for buried treasure.
Your journey from the sand covered fairways of the Bermuda Isles, to the haunted holes at the Oak Manor, combines the charm and RPG elements of games like Earthbound with the mechanically solid controls of Mario Golf. But the carefree nature of simply dropping a ball anywhere, anytime to tee off is what makes Golf Story shine as both a fantastic indie title and a must have for your Switch library.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a long time coming. It was announced as a Wii U exclusive all the way back in 2013 and was repeatedly delayed before eventually coming to both Wii U and Switch.
When that was confirmed, some fans were, understandably, disgruntled. Some had bought a Wii U specifically because they knew a Zelda game was coming. While Nintendo did deliver on that promise, those fans could in hindsight have skipped the Wii U entirely and not missed a single new Zelda title.
But with Breath of the Wild now out, we think it's safe to say the wait was worth it. Not only does the game take the Zelda series to new heights--by ditching the series' trademark dungeons and many more of its tropes and switching up its structure--it's also possibly the finest open-world game ever. It has seemingly endless places to explore, characters to meet, and feats to accomplish, and it never stops surprising you till the very end.
Shigeru Miyamoto has said he created the Legend of Zelda series in part to evoke the same sense of mystery and exploration and wonder that he experienced growing up Japan's countryside. That vision is expressed better than ever in Breath of the Wild--the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created.
GameSpot will be unveiling its picks for the best games of the year throughout all of December. Check out our Best of 2017 hub for even more.
As was the case with The Dark Below DLC for the original Destiny, Bungie has effectively locked Destiny 2 owners out of some activities they previously had access to if they have not purchased Curse of Osiris. The expansion launched earlier this week and, among many other things, increased the level and Power level caps, resulting in a corresponding increase to level requirements for select modes. As a result, those who have not purchased Curse of Osiris suddenly find themselves unable to take part in things they could play just a few days ago.
This affects a number of areas in the game. The Prestige Nightfall has seen its Power level cap requirement increased to a point that non-DLC owners cannot reach, rendering it inaccessible to them. The same is true for the Prestige version of the Leviathan Raid, which means it's not possible to earn the Achievement/Trophy for completing a Prestige Nightfall or Raid. Additionally, one of the three Meditations offered by Ikora this week is from Curse of Osiris, meaning those without the DLC only have two they can play. The same problem could potentially hit the standard Nightfall in the future; featuring an Osiris Strike would mean only DLC owners have access for that week.
The Heroic Strike playlist from Destiny 1 was also introduced to Destiny 2 for the first time this week. It seemingly could have been added for everyone to help compensate for the loss of the aforementioned modes, but it's restricted to Curse of Osiris owners.
At this point, Crucible is largely unaffected, as new playlists have been introduced for Osiris owners to be able to play the new maps. It's unclear at this point if, for instance, Trials will be limited to some players if an Osiris map is featured during a given event.
As you'd expect, players are incredibly angry, flocking to places like Reddit to express their frustration. Particularly in light of how long the game has been out--about three months, or closer to six weeks on PC--there are complaints about already having limited access to content. Players have described the expansion pass as feeling more like a subscription fee required to continue making full use of the game, rather than an optional DLC.
One of the key post-campaign activities for Destiny 2 players to check out after finishing the new Curse of Osiris DLC expansion's campaign are Lost Prophecies. Completing these reward you with unique new, Vex-style weapons, but you don't immediately gain access to any of this. Here's how to unlock Lost Prophecies.
After finishing the campaign, speak with Brother Vance at the Lighthouse on Mercury. He'll provide you with a mission to complete some Adventures. Once you've done three of them, you'll unlock access to Heroic Adventures. These are more difficult versions of standard Adventures with a recommended Power level of 300 and Nightfall-style Modifiers to contend with. While difficult, you can thankfully respawn. Completing one of these will earn you a variety of rewards (including a new shader and emblem), and you'll be able to speak with Vance to move things along.
At this point, he'll provide you with your first Lost Prophecy quest. You'll receive an item that needs to have certain requirements fulfilled; for instance, you might have to farm Heroic Public Events or chests to obtain a specific type of item that must be consumed. (This can take the form of a single blue item, or a green version--in which case you'll need to acquire 10 and then trade them into Vance.) Once you're done that, head back to the Lighthouse, speak with Vance, and activate the Forge. From here, you can craft the first of the new Vex weapons--check out one we got above. It's unclear at this point exactly how often you can repeat all of this, but there are a number of weapons and Lost Prophecy "verses" to complete.
Even aside from these, there are numerous new weapons in Curse of Osiris to obtain. There's also a variety of new gear, new Exotics, and tons of new Eververse cosmetics to obtain through the newly refreshed Bright engrams. As noted above, the expansion also introduces a new (if somewhat brief) campaign set on Mercury, additional Crucible content, and more.
Among the additions in Destiny 2's just-released Curse of Osiris expansion is a new Public Event on Mercury. Like those in the base game, players looking for an extra challenge (or simply better rewards) can activate a more difficult, Heroic version of this activity. However, doing so isn't simply a matter of pressing a button--and it's a more involved process than of any Public Event that we've seen before. Here's what you need to do.
After completing Curse of Osiris's first mission, head to Mercury and walk straight out of the Lighthouse. The Public Event starts near the two Vex who are standing at attention; stand near them and wait for the event flag to appear, then go toward the inner ring of the Fields of Glass. Enemies will begin spawning on the left and right sides from portals; kill them until an enemy with a yellow health bar named Keeper of Ages appears. It will drop orbs, which you'll then need to take to two warp gates near where it spawned. Then repeat this process on the other side.
Next, you'll want to wait for the catapult to turn around. Jump on top of it so you can reach one of the two islands on either side of the area. Kill the enemy named Keeper of Ages Present (or Past), pick up the orb it drops, and dunk it at the center of the island. You'll then see a Vex object floating near the back of the platform. Shooting this will provide platforms for you to jump on. You'll likely need more than one person to follow these platforms to the top of the island where they can activate a plate on the roof.
With the Heroic version of the event triggered, the Vex Gate Lord will spawn, this time with a shield. Kill the enemies around it and take the orbs they drop back to the gates from the first part of the event. Catapult up to the roof of the center area, and from here, you can dunk orbs to drop the Gate Lord's shield, allowing you to damage it. Repeat the process until it's dead to complete the event.
This Public Event is just one of the new pieces of content you'll find in Curse of Osiris. There's also new story content and Strikes on Mercury, as well as Crucible content and a variety of new weapons, gear, and cosmetics to acquire. Its release coincides with that of update 1.1.0, with another major Destiny 2 update due out next week.
A ton more Generation 3 Pokemon are now available in Pokemon Go. Developer Niantic has rolled out a huge update for the popular AR game that introduces new monsters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, as well as a dynamic weather system and other changes.
The new update, version 1.53.2 for iOS and 0.83.1 for Android, is available to download now and most notably adds 50 Gen 3 monsters to Pokemon Go. While a small handful of these were introduced during this year's Pokemon Go Halloween event, players can now encounter a much wider variety of Pokemon from the Hoenn region, including Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Salamence, and more.
In addition to the new Pokemon, Niantic has added a dynamic weather system to Pokemon Go, so the weather in the real-world will now be reflected in-game. This affects how often you'll encounter certain Pokemon, as some types will be more common during certain weather conditions; Water-types such as Mudkip, for example, will appear more frequently during the rain. You can tap on a new weather icon to see which types of Pokemon are more likely to appear in your area based on the current conditions.
Other new features include the ability to create Battle Parties. Players can now create and save teams of up to six Pokemon for use in Gym and Raid Battles. Additionally, Niantic has increased the number of Pokemon you can have in your collection to 1,500. You can read the full patch notes for the update below.
It's officially December around the world, which means Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now pick up the first of December's free Games With Gold titles. Two more games are now available to download for free if you're an Xbox Live Gold member, with another two set to arrive later in the month.
Also note that one of November's Games With Gold titles, Tales From the Borderlands, will continue to be free on Xbox One through through December 15. You can see the full Games With Gold schedule for December below.
In other news, Microsoft has rolled out the latest weekly Xbox One and Xbox 360 deals. A variety of games are on sale for Xbox Live Gold members in particular, including Unravel, The Jackbox Party Pack, and the Metro games. These will be available through December 11, while the Games With Gold title schedule varies, as outlined below.
December 2017 Free Xbox Games With Gold
Xbox One
Warhammer: End Times - Verminitide (December 1 - December 31)
Tales From the Borderlands (through December 15)
Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Edition (December 16 - January 15)
Xbox 360
Child of Eden (December 1 - December 15)
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death (December 16 - December 31)
November has wrapped up, and streaming platform Hulu has announced all of the TV shows and movies coming to and leaving the platform through December. As you might expect, there are a handful of holiday-themed movies landing on Hulu this month.
One of these is A Christmas Wedding Tail, which tells the story of two dogs who fall in love. Other holiday movies landing in December include A Princess For Christmas, Chilly Christmas, and I'll Be Home For Christmas. As for non-holiday additions to the Hulu library in December, some great movies like Silence of the Lambs, Space Jam, Searching for Sugar Man, and Apocalypse Now, among others.
As for what's leaving Hulu thismonth, James Bond movies Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, The Man With the Golden Gun, Die Another Day, and A View to a Kill are all on the way out. Congo, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Total Recall are also headed out.
You can see a full rundown of what's coming to and leaving Hulu for December below, as compiled by the company and shared with GameSpot. In other streaming news, here's everything coming to Netflix in December.
Hulu December 2017:
Available December 1
East Los High: Finale Event (Hulu Original)
The History of Comedy: Complete Season 1 (CNN)
Inside Number 9: Complete Season 2 (BBCWW)
Tree Fu Tom: Complete Seasons 3 & 4 (Sprout)
Trust Me: Complete Season 1 (StudioCanal)
The Wine Show: Complete Season 2 (Sky)
3 Ninjas (1992)
A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
A Princess for Christmas (2011)
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)
At Close Range (1986)
Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction (2006)
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Bloodsport (1988)
Breakheart Pass (1975)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Buffalo 66 (1998)
Cheri (2009)
Chicago (2002)
Child's Play (1988)
Chilly Christmas (2012)
Coopers Camera (AKA Coopers' Christmas) (2010)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Downhill Racer (1969)
Driftwood (2006)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex… (1972)
Evita (1996)
Extortion (2017)
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
The Final Cut (2004)
First Kid (1996)
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
George of the Jungle (1997)
Hammett (1982)
Hannibal (2001)
Heaven's Gate (1981)
Hitch (2005)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall (2013)
In & Out (1997)
In Enemy Hands (2003)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Jack (1996)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
L7 Pretend We're Dead (2016)
The Last Warrior (2000)
Light Sleeper (1992)
Meet Wally Sparks (1997)
A Midsummer Night Sex Comedy (1982)
The Missing (2003)
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Moonstruck (1987)
Mr. Wrong (1996)
One from the Heart (1982)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
P2 (2007)
Penelope (2008)
The Perfect Score (2004)
Political Animals (2012)
The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
Presumed Innocent (1990)
Primal Fear (1996)
Puppetmaster: Axis Termination (2017)
Red Corner (1997)
Robocop (1987)
Robocop 2 (1990)
Robocop 3 (1993)
Rocky (1976)
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky III (1982)
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky V (1990)
S.F.W. (1995)
Sarafina! (1992)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
Serpico (1973)
Shelby: A Magical Holiday Tail (2014)
Silence (2016)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Space Jam (1996)
Stealing Harvard (2002)
Stigmata (1999)
The Three Musketeers (1993)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Three Men and a Baby (1987)
Titanic (1997)
Total Recall (1990)
Valkyrie (2008)
The Water Horse (2007)
The Weight of Water (2002)
Winnie the Pooh, A Valentine for You (1999)
Without (2011)
Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007)
The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa (2012)
Available December 2
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)
Available December 3
Cop Land (1997)
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Available December 4
Frontera (2014)
Superbad (2007)
Available December 5
The Great Christmas Light Fight: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)
Iron Protector (2016)
Available December 6
Shut Eye: Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original)
Killers (2015)
Available December 8
Defining Moments: Season 1 Premiere (ESL)
The Great American Baking Show: Season 3 Premiere (ABC)
Legion: Complete Season 1 (FX)
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
Legion of Brothers (2017)
Available December 9
Dave Made a Maze (2017)
Available December 11
Steven Universe: Complete Season 4 (Cartoon Network)
Available December 12
Younger: Complete Season 4 (TV Land)
Holiday Fairy Tale Wedding: Special (Freeform)
Foreman (2017)
Available December 13
Vengeance of an Assassin (2014)
Available December 14
Bunheads: Complete Season 1 (Freeform)
Available December 15
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
The Crow (1994)
Everest (1998)
Kate and Leopold (2001)
The Limehouse Golem (2017)
Score (2016)
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Available December 16
The Next Step: Complete Season 5B (BBC)
Available December 18
Graves: Complete Season 1 (Epix)
Made In Chelsea: Complete Seasons 1-13 (E4)
Mighty Magiswords: Complete Season S1A (Cartoon Network)
A new month means a slew of new programming to watch on Amazon Prime. The streaming video component of the service is ending the year on a high note by adding some notable franchises and classic movies like Point Break to its offerings in December.
Most notable, the Rocky movies are coming to Prime. Rocky through Rocky V will all help Amazon kick off the month. They join Creed, which is already available to subscribers. Now Amazon just needs to snag the rights to Rocky Balboa and the collection will be complete.
The streamer is also adding the eight-film Marvel Animated Features collection. The cartoon movies, originally released direct-to-DVD, include Ultimate Avengers, Planet Hulk, Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, and Thor: Tales of Asgard, among others. Originally released between 2006 and 2011, the films exist in their own universe apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
December also brings several more Thursday Night Football games, as the NFL presents the Saints vs. the Falcons, the Broncos vs. the Colts, and the Steelers vs. the Texans. Those games will air live through Amazon Prime.
With the arrival of the holidays comes a slew of new shows and movies on Netflix. It's a particularly busy month for the streamer, with many holiday specials joining the service, alongside several Netflix originals and a number of new library titles. With popular titles like V for Vendetta, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Black Mirror, and Disney's The Santa Clause trilogy arriving, December is going to be a busy month for streaming.
However, it's a Netflix original movie that you should be paying closest attention to. December 22 will see the premiere of Bright, starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. The fantasy crime movie is directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) with a script by Max Landis (American Ultra). The film marks Smith's first time starring in a Netflix project and he's certainly picked an interesting one.
Bright is set in a world where humans and fantasy creatures coexist. Smith plays an LAPD officer who is partnered with an Orc (Edgerton) when they find a very powerful magic wand that has the potential to change the world. Other new entries include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a new season of The Ranch, and Dave Chappelle's latest stand-up comedy special. It's not all good news, though.
There are also many titles departing the service in December. Black Snake Moan, Practical Magic, and 11 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are just a few of the movies and shows that will no longer be available after the end of 2017. So make sure you watch them while you still can.
You can take a look at the full list of what's coming and going on Netflix throughout December below. You can also see everything that's arrived in November.
Arriving on Netflix, December 2017
December 1
8 Mile
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
All Hail King Julien: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
A StoryBots Christmas (Netflix Original)
August Rush
Chef & My Fridge: 2017
Dark: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Diana: In Her Own Words
Dreamcatcher
DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays (Netflix Original)
Easy: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Exporting Raymond
Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story
Full Metal Jacket
Hitch
My Happy Family (Netflix Original)
Nacho Libre
Sahara
The Farthest - Voyager in Space
The Little Rascals
The Wackness
The Young Victoria
Tyson
V for Vendetta
TURN: Washington's Spies: Season 4
Voyeur (Netflix Original)
While You Were Sleeping
December 4
When Calls the Heart: Season 4
December 5
Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight (Netflix Original)
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
December 6
Trolls Holiday Special
December 8
El Camino Christmas (Netflix Original)
The Crown: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 11
Catwoman
The Magicians: Season 2
December 12
Disney's The Santa Clause
Disney's The Santa Clause 2
Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Judd Apatow: The Return (Netflix Original)
December 14
41 Dogs in My Home
A&E: When Patients Attack
Ainsley Eats the Streets: Season 1
Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4
December 15
A Five Star Life
Christmas Inheritance (Netflix Original)
Discovering Bigfoot
El Señor de los Cielos: Season 5
Erased: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Freeway: Crack In The System
Neverlake
Pottersville
Reggie Yates Outside Man: Volume 2
The Haunting of Helena
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer
The Ranch: Part 4 (Netflix Original)
Trollhunters: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix Original)
Wormwood (Netflix Original)
December 18
Hello, My Twenties!: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 19
Miss Me This Christmas
Russell Howard: Recalibrate (Netflix Original)
The Indian Detective: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
You Can't Fight Christmas
December 20
La Casa de Papel: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 21
Peaky Blinders: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
December 22
72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Bright (Netflix Original)
Dope: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Fuller House: Season 3, New Episodes (Netflix Original)
Rosario Tijeras: Season 1
The Toys That Made Us: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 23
Creep 2
Myths & Monsters: Season 1
December 25
Cable Girls: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Planet Earth II
December 26
Todd Barry: Spicy Honey (Netflix Original)
Travelers: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
All Hail King Julien: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Beat Bugs: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Larva: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Pororo: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Puffin Rock: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Skylanders Academy: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Trollhunters: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
True and The Rainbow Kingdom: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Word Party: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
December 27
Pusher
December 29
Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 2: Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Killer Legends
La Mante: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Shelter
The Climb (Netflix Original)
December 31
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix Original)
Fun Mom Dinner
Leaving Netflix, December 2017
December 1
All I Want for Christmas
Bedazzled
Black Snake Moan
Compulsion
Cousin Bette
Hoffa
La Viuda Negra: Season 1
Picture Perfect
Practical Magic
Rebelde
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Super Size Me
Terriers: Season 1
The Crucible
The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus
The Man from Snowy River
Touch: Season 2
Toys
Two Girls and a Guy
Waking Life
Young Frankenstein
Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Seasons 1-2
December 5
Holes
December 9
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1-11
December 10
Lucky Number Slevin
Nightcrawler
The Rite
December 11
Dollhouse: Season 2
December 13
The Queen of Versailles
December 15
America's Funniest Home Video Kids: Holidazed
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Animals with Attitude: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: It's Tough Being a Kid: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Playtime Ain't for Wimps: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos: New Collection D: Nincompoop Nation
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself
December 19
Dance Academy: Series 1-3
December 20
Che: Parts 1 & 2
December 24
Amores Perros
December 25
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
To call 2017 a "good year" for gaming would be a grave understatement. With Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 all receiving Essential 10 review scores, and a multitude of amazing games that have captured similar critical accolades, trying to pick just one title to be Game of the Year seems like an almost impossible task. But that's just what we're going to try and do!
Over the course of December, we'll be rolling a out a series of features and videos that look back at 2017, look ahead to 2018, and that list out what we collectively feel are the best games of the year. Check out the list below for our full content schedule for both games and entertainment as we celebrate the Best of 2017!
Nintendo Report Card: Switch and 3DS -- Wednesday, December 6
VR Report Card -- Thursday, December 7
Console "Best Of" Award Winners
Our unranked list of the five best games for each console. This year we are (obviously) dropping the Wii U category and adding Nintendo Switch.
Best 3DS Games -- Friday, December 8
Best Mobile Games -- Friday, December 8
Best Switch Games -- Monday, December 11
Best VR Games -- Tueday, December 12
Best Xbox One Games -- Wednesday, December 13
Best PS4 Games -- Thursday, December 14
Best PC Games -- Friday, December 15
Best Expansion -- Monday, December 18
Best Reissued/Remastered Games -- Tuesday, December 19
Game of the Year Countdown
Game of the Year #10 -- Monday, December 11
Game of the Year #9 -- Tuesday, December 12
Game of the Year #8 -- Wednesday, December 13
Game of the Year #7 -- Thursday, December 14
Game of the Year #6 -- Friday, December 15
Game of the Year #5 -- Monday, December 18
Game of the Year #4 -- Tuesday, December 19
Game of the Year #3 -- Wednesday, December 20
Game of the Year #2 -- Wednesday, December 20
Game of the Year #1 -- Wednesday, December 20
Editors' Spotlight Awards -- Thursday, December 21
These awards highlight games that we think deserve special recognition, but which didn't earn a spot in our "Best of" or GOTY lists. Looking ahead to 2018, on Thursday December 21 we'll have a host of features looking at the most-anticipated games of next year:
The 20 Biggest Games to Play in 2018
The Biggest PS4 Games to Play in 2018
The Biggest Xbox One Games to Play in 2018
The Biggest Nintendo Games to Play in 2018
The Biggest PC Games to Play in 2018
Players' Choice Awards
Voting Begins Friday, December 22
Voting Ends Tuesday, January 2 at midnight PST
Players' Choice Winner Reveal Wednesday, January 3
In the latter half of the month, we'll focus on our favorite movies and TV Shows:
2017 Entertainment Year-in-Review
The Craziest Entertainment News Of 2017 -- Thursday, Dec. 21
Biggest Comic News of 2017 -- Thursday, Dec. 21
Report Card: Marvel -- Thursday, Dec 21
Report Card: DC -- Thursday, Dec 21
Report Card: Star Wars -- Thursday, Dec 21
The Biggest Disappointments In Movies And TV This Year -- Friday, Dec. 22
The Entertainment That Should Have Been More Popular In 2017 -- Friday, Dec. 22
Characters We Loved (And Loved To Hate) In 2017 Movies And TV -- Friday, Dec. 22
Worst Reviewed Movies of 2017 -- Friday, Dec. 22
Game Of Thrones Season 7 Episodes Ranked From Worst To Best -- Tuesday, Dec. 26
Best And Worst Adaptations, Reboots, And Remake -- Tuesday, Dec. 26
The Best And Worst Entertainment Trailers Of The Year -- Tuesday, Dec. 26
The Biggest Moments In WWE This Year -- Tuesday, Dec. 26
Best of Entertainment
The Top 10 Movies of 2017 -- Wed, Dec 27
The Top 10 TV Shows of 2017 -- Wed, Dec 27
The 10 Best Netflix Originals Of 2017 -- Wed, Dec 27
The 10 Best Comics of 2017 -- Wed, Dec 27
The Best Horror Movies And Shows -- Thu, Dec 28
The Best Sci-Fi Movies And Shows -- Thu, Dec 28
The Best Superhero Movies And Shows -- Thu, Dec 28
The Best Anime Of 2017 -- Thu, Dec 28
The Best TV Show Episodes Of 2017 -- Thu, Dec 28
The 10 Best Scenes In 2017 Movies And TV -- Thu, Dec 28
And looking ahead to 2018:
The Biggest Movies to Watch in 2018 -- Friday, Dec. 29
The Biggest TV Shows to Watch in 2018 -- Friday, Dec. 29
The Biggest Comics to Read in 2018 -- Friday, Dec. 29
The Biggest Anime To Look Forward To In 2018 -- Friday, Dec. 29
Ubisoft has announced Far Cry 5's release date has been delayed. The open-world first-person shooter will now launch on March 27, 2018, instead of the previously announced February 27, 2018 date, which constitutes a delay of one month.
In addition to this, The Crew 2's release has been moved from March 16, 2018 to the first half of Ubisoft's 2018-19 fiscal year, which means it will launch between April 2018 and September 2018. One other Ubisoft franchise game, which has not yet been revealed, has been moved to its fiscal year 2019-20.
Far Cry 5 is set in Hope County, Montana. It lets allows players to create their own characters, who is a junior deputy. The main antagonists in the game are a religious cult called Eden's Gate, which has impacted the lives of some of the characters that join the player on their mission. The cast of supporting characters include Pastor Jerome, an African-American priest who has lost his flock to the cult; Mary May, a bartender with a penchant for flammable cocktails; and Nick Rye, a pilot who wants to create a better future for his child.
One of the big new additions is the ability to use dogs to distract enemies and pick up weapons for you. Other classic open-world gameplay opportunities such as flying planes are also available to the player. Far Cry 5 is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The Crew 2, meanwhile, features an "open-world USA" that has been "completely reshaped for motorsports." In addition to cars, players will be able to take control of boats and planes for the sequel. There are four main motorsport categories in the game: street racing, off-road, pro, and freestyle, each of which has its own set of "deep" options and "wide selection of vehicle types." A beta is coming for The Crew 2, and you can register for it on the game's website here.
Curse of Osiris has been released for Destiny 2, kicking off the shooter's Season 2 and introducing a variety of new gear. Xur has now arrived, marking his first appearance during the new season to sell more Exotic armor and an Exotic weapon. For the second week in a row, he can be found in the same spot on Earth; here's exactly where to find Xur and what he's selling.
Xur has taken up temporary residence once again in the EDZ's Winding Cove. To reach him, fast travel to the Winding Cove landing zone and jump on your Sparrow. You'll see a winding road to your left--head up there, and you'll come upon a cliff with a downed ship. Exit your sparrow and jump up the rocks to the right side. (You can also jump on the left and then walk across the top of the ship, but you'll need to be fast, as this is technically out of bounds.) Once you reach the top, Xur will be right in front of you.
While his location might not be new, some of the gear he is selling is. Two of the four items for sale are from Curse of Osiris, including Titan leg armor. More notably, Xur's weapon this week is the trace rifle PrometheusLens--the same Prometheus Lens that is wrecking players in Crucible right now due to a bug. Bungie has said a fix is coming, but not until update 1.1.1 next week, meaning Crucible--and the newly launched Trials of the Nine--are going to be especially chaotic, albeit with everyone having a fair shot at using the gun. Here's everything Xur has for sale this week:
The Dragon's Shadow (Hunter Chest Armor) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Nezarec's Sin (Warlock Helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Mk. 44 Stand Asides (Titan Leg Armor) -- 23 Legendary Shards
That's all Xur has for this week. Bungie previously announced that he would begin selling a new Three of Coins item, as well as Fated Engrams (which will provide you with an Exotic you don't already own). However, it appears that will have to wait until next week, after the next patch.
The release of Curse of Osiris has resulted in non-DLC owners losing access to some activities in the game. With both Prometheus Lens and the Stand Asides being Osiris items, that means those looking to buy a weapon or Titan gear from Xur this week will have to own the DLC. Locking players out of some content--namely the Prestige Nightfall and Prestige Raid--means it's now impossible to earn all Trophies and Achievements in the base game. Bungie has said it will address this issue, but it has not yet indicated if it will provide more content to non-DLC owners.
Call of Duty: WWII has consistently charted well in the UK since its November launch, and for the week ending December 9 it has once again finished top of the table, according to sales monitor Chart-Track. The shooter has now finished at No.1 for six consecutive weeks, which is the longest unbroken run at the top since 2015's Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
FIFA 18 takes the No.2 spot once again, while Star Wars Battlefront II rises one place to No.3 this week. We are now just a few days away from Star Wars: The Last Jedi's cinema debut, which will likely aid Battlefront sales. Rounding off the top five are Nintendo Switch exclusive Super Mario Odyssey (No.4) and Ubisoft's historical open-world game Assassin's Creed Origins (No.5).
You can read the full top 10 physical sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
Capcom has announced six new characters for Street Fighter V in a surprise reveal at the conclusion of Capcom Cup 2017. The roster of newcomers includes some long-requested fan favourites, as well as two brand-new fighters for the game.
Returning characters include Sakura and Cody--both who made their debuts in the Alpha series--and Sagat and Blanka, who have been around since Street Fighter 2. The two new characters, meanwhile, are G--a presidential-looking bearded man sporting a rather large tophat--and Falke, a new female fighter who looks to be closely connected to Ed.
These six characters make up Season 3 of Street Fighter V's content. The announcement came as quite a surprise, as Capcom has traditionally revealed one character at a time, instead of the complete lineup for a whole season.
Sakura will be available on January 16, 2018, when Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition launches. Along with the character, there will be Story, Battle, and Nostalgia costumes available for her. She also gets her own stage, the Kasugano Residence, which is inspired by her Alpha 2 stage. You see the stage and Sakura in action in the reveal trailer above.
Release dates for the other five characters have not yet been confirmed. Take a look at the slick cinematic video for all of Street Fighter V's Season 3 characters below.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition is a new version of its Capcom's flagship fighting game and will be available for PlayStation 4 and PC. The updated version will all include post-release content from Season 1 and Season 2 of the game, as well as a number of new gameplay changes.
Following its release for PC back in March, PUBG is launching very soon on Xbox One. It debuts on Microsoft's console on December 12, and now the company has confirmed precisely when you will be able to start playing depending when you live.
In a blog post, Major Nelson also pointed out that players in New Zealand Australia might have a hard time finding matches early on, but this should improve as the game rolls out more widely around the world with new servers coming online. You can see the global release schedule below, as shared on Major Nelson's blog.
In other news, Microsoft also has revealed some key details on the control setup for PUBG on console. In an Xbox Wire post, Microsoft revealed that it worked with the Xbox Advanced Technology Group and Gears of War developer The Coalition on a setup that will provide "enough flexibility to survive in the hostile battleground and to effectively manage in-game equipment on the fly." You can click through the images in the gallery below to see the game's control setups to help you hit the ground running. Unfortunately, the blog post made no mention of the ability to re-map the controls.
PUBG launches on Xbox One through the Game Preview program. As such, the game is not finished and could have bugs, glitches, and other oddities, so people should be aware of that before buying it. Ahead its release, Xbox One players can already purchase some exclusive items for their characters now.
In other news, PUBG's new desert map, Miramar, was shown off during The Game Awards. Unlike the current map, the lush Erangel, Miramar encompasses industrial areas, beach towns, arid desert land, and more, which the developers say will dramatically change how players approach the survival game.
There has been a management shakeup at LawBreakers studio Boss Key. Co-founder Arjan Brussee has left the Raleigh, North Carolina-based game developer to re-join nearby studio Epic Games. In a tweet, Brussee said he's going to be working on a "secret project" at Epic Games. Brussee worked at Epic Games in the '90s before leaving the company to establish Killzone studio Guerrilla Games; he also worked at EA Visceral.
Boss Key's other founder, Cliff Bleszinski, said in his own tweet (via GI.biz) that Brussee is "not only a brilliant person but also a dear friend and I wish him well in his future endeavors. Onward and upward--still makin' games here!"
Brussee was Boss Key's COO; some of his duties included general management, strategy, planning, production, finance, and legal. There is no word as of yet regarding who may take over for Brussee in that role at Boss Key.
Boss Key was founded in 2014, and Korean company Nexon published LawBreakers. The studio was originally planning for LawBreakers to be free-to-play before switching to a $30 up front price. Bleszinski has said the game could switch to a free-to-play, and that would theoretically help fluff up player figures, though there are no guarantees.
Speaking this weekend during PlayStation Experience, Naughty Dog teased the story of The Last of Us: Part II and more. Asked by the interviewer if Joel is dead or alive, writer/director Neil Druckmann teased, "Everybody dies at some point."
More seriously, he said no character is safe in The Last Of Us: Part II. "There are stakes--there are real stakes," he explained. "With The Last of Us, no one is safe. We want people to go into The Last of Us: Part II, especially with this theme [of hate] and what we're trying to say with this game, is knowing that no one is safe--not even these two [Joel and Ellie]."
Whereas the main theme of The Last Of Us 1 was love, the theme of the sequel is "hate," and that was pretty clearly demonstrated in the brutal new trailer from Paris Games Week.
Also during the panel, writer Halley Gross (Westworld) talked about how she enjoyed the collaborative writing process that she's been involved with to make "the best game ever" in The Last Of Us: Part II. Intriguingly, Druckmann said he was happy with the story beats he had in place for the start and end of the game, but he was struggling to come up with story elements to fill out the middle. Gross hit the ground running, Druckmann said, contributing great ideas for how the story should play out.
Druckmann wanted to give the PSX audience an example of what he meant by this, and, after fidgeting in his seat he relented and gave a very interesting tease. He said of writer Halley Gross, "After her first day, Halley goes home and says to her husband, 'I think I got someone pregnant.' And you'll see what that means [in The Last Of Us: Part II]."
Also during the panel, Druckmann said that while the game has an overarching theme of hate, there are elements of hope, as well as some lighthearted scenes. Overall, the game tells a story about "pursuing justice; the positive and the negative and the really messy grey area that can occupy that," Druckmann said.
Below are some other things Druckmann said about The Last Of Us: Part II during the PSX panel. You can watch the full panel above; it starts with a moving musical performance by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson.
A "large part" of the game takes place in Seattle.
Naughty Dog is about 50-60 percent finished with The Last Of Us: Part II
Actress Laura Bailey, who plays an unnamed character, says she feels like she wants to throw up every day on set because she wants to live up to the expectations.
Fans of the first game might not like the sequel, Druckmann said.
"We will forever continue to make single-player, linear, narrative-based games," Neil Druckmann said.
More details on The Last Of Us: Part II are coming at E3 2018.
Online play will be enabled for Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, allowing players to compete in ranked and casual matches, as well as jump into lobbies and place on leaderboards.
The trailer shown during Capcom Cup touts "arcade perfect gameplay" along with "comprehensive galleries" that contain interactive timelines, concept art, a music archive, and a sprite viewer. A complete list of games included in the package can be found below.
Street Fighter
Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition
Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting
Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers
Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
Street Fighter Alpha
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter 3
Street Fighter 3: Second Impact
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
In related news, Capcom recently announced Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, a new version of its flagship fighting game that will be available for PlayStation 4 and PC from January 16, 2018. The updated version will include post-release content from Season 1 and Season 2 of the game, as well as a number of new gameplay changes.
Mario's influence within the gaming world can hardly be matched, even on mobile. Apple recently released its charts for 2017, and Super Mario Run happens to take the crown in two of the lists.
Super Mario Run released at the end of 2016 on December 15. Since then, it has netted over 200 million downloads. Now it sits at the top of the top 20 free iPhone and iPad games lists. Apple was not clear if these lists are based on ratings or number of downloads.
While it dominates both the free app lists on iPhone and iPad, it didn't take home the Editor's pick for best game. The best iPhone game went to Spitter Critters, and best iPad game went to The Witness.
A Witcher TV show is headed to Netflix, and now it has reportedly found a writer. Variety reports today that Lauren Schmidt Hissrich--who wrote for the Marvel TV shows The Defenders and Daredevil, as well as the political drama The West Wing--has joined the Witcher TV show as its writer. This has yet to be officially confirmed, however.
Hissrich is also serving as the program's showrunner and executive producer, according to Variety. As of yet, there is no word on who will play main character Geralt or any of the other principal characters.
Officially announced in May, the Netflix Witcher show is based on the eight-part novel series written by Andrzej Sapkowski, instead of the games. Sapkowski will be working on the English language drama series as a creative consultant.
As for the Witcher game series, the newest instalment was 2015's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. No new projects in the series have been announced, and developer CD Projekt Red is now working on the much-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077.
The Uncharted series has reached a new sales milestone. During Uncharted's 10th Anniversary panel at PSX this weekend, Naughty Dog announced that franchise sales now stand at 41.7 million units. According to PushSquare, which reported the figure, this covers sales of every game in the series, along with the The Nathan Drake Collection.
Franchise sales stood at 28 million in May 2016, PlayStation boss Shawn Layden told FoxBusiness, so that means Sony sold almost 14 million more Uncharted games in the 18 months since then. That is pretty remarkable.
All entries in the core Uncharted series to date have been developed by Naughty Dog. PlayStation Vita games Golden Abyss and Fight for Fortune were made by Sony Bend, while The Nathan Drake Collection was developed by Bluepoint Games. It remains to be seen which studio might take over for Naughty Dog.
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