While there are a number of X-Men films in various stages of development and production, including Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and Kitty Pryde, 20th Century Fox isn't done playing with the Fantastic Four universe. In fact, it seems as though a Silver Surfer movie is secretly in the works at this very moment.
That news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which says Silver Surfer is one of several projects being developed under wraps by the studio. The only time the character was previously seen on the big screen was in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The project is being scripted by comics writer Brian K. Vaughan, who has plenty of Marvel and DC credits to his name--including Ultimate X-Men, Runaways, and Young Justice.
However, just because a movie is in development doesn't mean it will ever see the light of day. After all, The Walt Disney Company is currently working to acquire the studio behind the X-Men and Fantastic Four film franchises. Who's to say once the deal goes through, any of the films in question will end up getting made?
According to THR, there are some on the Fox side that are wondering what will happen to these franchises once Disney is in charge. After all, though the Marvel Studios films are filled with comic book violence, they never go beyond a PG-13 rating, while movies like Deadpool and Logan found success as R-rated fare. Disney boss Bob Iger previously said that there might be room in the Marvel portfolio for R-rated movies like Deadpool, but it remains to be seen how likely that is once the acquisition is complete.
As one agent tells THR, though, "They have to proceed as business as usual in case the merger doesn't go through." So it's full steam ahead on a number of projects. In addition to the Silver Surfer standalone movie, Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley is working on developing a Doctor Doom standalone movie.
Regardless of what happens with the possible merger, there's still plenty of Marvel movies on the way from 20th Century Fox. Deadpool 2 arrives on May 18, Dark Phoenix hits theaters on November 2, and New Mutants premieres on February 22, 2019. Meanwhile, the Gambit standalone movie is still out there somewhere in the ether waiting to find a director that doesn't quit.
Recent years have seen Square Enix release more and more of its classic catalog on PC. The results have in some cases been mixed, with players taking issue with the visual overhauls that some games have seen. Out of nowhere, the company has surprise-launched one of its most acclaimed games of all-time, Chrono Trigger, which is now available on Steam.
Square Enix describes this as the "definitive version" of the RPG. "[N]ot only have the controls been updated, the graphics and sound have also been revamped to make your adventure even more fun and enjoyable to play," the Steam description states. And before you worry about the visual makeovers that have plagued some other RPG re-releases, this one mostly maintains the original look. Alongside higher-resolution graphics, composer Yasunori Mitsuda has supervised updates to "all songs" to make for an "even more immersive gameplay experience."
Also included are the Dimension Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons from the DS release, which is widely considered to be the best version of the game available. This Steam edition also features support for keyboard or gamepad controls, as well as an autosave function that activates as you roam the map. Despite all of this, it appears this version is based on the mobile release, much to the chagrin of fans.
As you'd expect for a game originally released on SNES in 1995, the system requirements are quite modest. It's Windows-only, at least for now, and requires only an Intel Core i3, 4 GB of RAM, an Intel HD Graphics 530, and 2 GB of space. Resolutions range from 800x600 up to 1080p.
This version is available on Steam now for $15/£12. A limited edition is available from now until April 2. Those who purchase it will be entitled to some bonus content, including downloadable music, Mitsuda's digital liner notes, and six PC wallpapers.
Chrono Trigger is still heralded as one of the great RPGs of all time, thanks to its excellent combat system, time-travel mechanics, and great soundtrack, among other things. Its development was led by Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii and Final Fantasy's Hironobu Sakaguchi, who at the time worked for the competing RPG developers Square and Enix (before the two companies joined to form Square Enix). The game has now been enhanced and re-released on a number of platforms, though it's still never received a full remake.
Marvel and Star Wars are such huge franchises that it's inevitable that they share some of the same actors. Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Serkis have had notable roles in both series, and they might soon be joined by Luke Skywalker himself--Mark Hamill. Hamill was drawn into a conversation on Twitter with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn about potentially appearing in the next film in Marvel's sci-fi series.
It all started with a tweet from a fan @ianfee, who asked Gunn if he would cast Hamill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn replied by commenting that Hamill lived nearby in Malibu, and he could "just come over and talk about it over a cup of coffee."
At this point Hamill himself entered the conversation and told Gunn that "as a good neighbor and an unemployed actor" he would love to pop over for a coffee and a chat. The exchange ended with Gunn saying "let's do it" and Hamill asking him to DM him for his contact details if he was "serious and a good neighbor."
I would be happy to do so, both as a good neighbor & an unemployed actor. All the best, mh
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters in 2020. Gunn has confirmed that this will be his final movie in the series, and last year explained that he wanted to ensure that Vol. 3 ended the trilogy properly. "There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn't want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn't exist," he said.
"My love for [the characters] goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine. I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit."
Following last year's breaking point with loot boxes and recent moves by lawmakers to take action against them, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has announced a new label that will be affixed to select games. The overall goal is to inform consumers--and in particular, parents--about which games offer a way to spend additional real-world money from right within the game itself, but whether it will be effective is unclear.
The ESRB's new label, which will read "In-Game Purchases," will be located near the rating category (E for Everyone, M for Mature, etc.) but will not be housed inside the same box as content descriptors (Sexual Content, Comic Mischief, etc.). The ESRB expects games to begin arriving in stores with the new label in the "near future." This will coincide with the launch of a new website intended to inform parents about the ESRB's ratings system, how in-game purchases work, and how to use parental tools to control what and how children play games. The new label will offer no specifics about the type of in-game purchases available so as to avoid overwhelming parents with too much information.
Despite loot boxes being perceived as the most contentious element, ESRB president Patricia Vance says parents are not specifically concerned with those, but the broader potential for their children to spend money in general. As such, this label will cover not just loot boxes, but other forms of DLC like maps or purchases of in-game currency. This of course raises an obvious question: Isn't that every game these days?
During a conference call with the ESRB attended by GameSpot, Vance drew a distinction between things that are offered "in-game" versus a traditional expansion pack or "large DLC." However, she did say that if such content is offered in-game, it would necessitate the label. This would seemingly include the vast majority of games; as publishers increasingly focus on post-launch microtransactions, there are certainly few big-name games that don't offer players some way to spend more money on them. Vance would only say, "There are games that do not have in-game purchases."
This move by the ESRB comes not long after United States Senator Maggie Hassan called on the group to look into loot boxes and their effects on players. She also requested that the ESRB label games that contain loot boxes. Vance believes the new In-Game Purchases label is an "effective response," but it's not necessarily the last step the ESRB will take.
"We believe that this is an effective response," she says. "If you care about parents, if you care about their concerns, this is an effective response. ... This is just a first step. We are going to continue to look at this issue, we're going to continue to determine if there are additional measures that we can take, additional guidelines that we can put in place. We are always evolving our system and this is obviously an issue of concern to the gamer community. We're going to continue to take a look at what more we can do."
Vance also says that the ESRB doesn't plan to use its Simulated Gambling or Real Gambling content descriptors because a game includes loot boxes. She reaffirms that the ESRB doesn't consider loot boxes to be gambling, in part because they are typically optional and can sometimes be acquired by playing: "We think it's a fun way to acquire virtual items for use within the game and to enhance your experience or personalize your experience. Obviously, there's an element of surprise, just like baseball trading cards, but you always get something, there's no way to cash out, players can complete a game without ever buying a loot box if they choose not to... There are a lot of different factors where we just don't think it would qualify for either of our gambling descriptors."
The ESRB also plans to issue a response to Senator Hassan's recent letter, in which it highlights the new label and website. It also cites its research into how few children are allowed to make in-game purchases without permission (91% are not allowed, it claims) and says the problem is primarily one of awareness. It remains to be seen whether any of the proposed loot box legislation--either in the US or abroad--goes anywhere, but it seems unlikely that this new measure by the ESRB alone will quell lawmakers' interest in pursuing the issue.
Blizzard continues to release teasers for what is widely assumed to be a reveal of Overwatch's next hero. This latest piece of the puzzle still doesn't confirm who the character is, though it does feature what appears to be an Easter egg for those who are familiar with behind-the-scenes news involving the game.
Once again, Blizzard has published an image on Twitter along with a brief quote; this time, it's "Last minute check! Everyone squared away?" That urgency may suggest an actual reveal is imminent--Blizzard learned its lesson about excessively long teases with Sombra--or it might mean nothing. Either way, we do have an image to dissect.
Much like the previous tease, this include schematics for something. It looks as if it could be a shield with a Reinhardt-like lion face on it. Many players believe these are schematics being drawn by Torbjorn's daughter, Brigitte, and that she'll be the new character.
That all remains educated guesswork. However, there is what is presumably a joking tease for a jetpack-wearing cat, as can be glimpsed in a drawing hidden just behind the main schematic in the new picture. The so-called Jetpack Cat was at one point a hero considered by Blizzard before the studio decided it would be too outrageous to include.
As for the new character, we know it was in playtesting at least as early as January. Game director Jeff Kaplan has described he or she as "very needed," but it's anyone's guess just which of the roster's holes this hero is meant to fill.
By Anonymous on Feb 27, 2018 11:47 pm Join us as we check out the early part of Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet including dungeons, roaming, pvp, treasure hunting and chatting with familiar faces like Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, and more.
Professional wrestling locker rooms are notoriously difficult environments, especially for newcomers. Hazing, harassment, and general bullying are reportedly commonplace. There's an unspoken, unwritten code of etiquette that's easy to run afoul of. Forget to shake someone's hand? Disrespect a veteran by accident? You could be changing outside the locker room for the next month.
Today, WWE is a publicly traded company, and with stockholders come greater scrutiny and regulation. WWE's locker room is allegedly far more professional than it used to be. But not so long ago--especially from 2003-2007--there was an unofficial Wrestler's Court, where the locker room would "try" an accused wrestler for some perceived slight or bad behavior. In theory, this was a straightforward way of settling disputes without coming to blows or getting management involved. In practice, it was often a way to screw with the weak and intimidate those who didn't have backstage clout. The Undertaker served as judge over this kangaroo court. JBL (yeah, that gem) served as prosecutor. And if the defendant was found guilty, that wrestler would be disciplined or hazed.
Here are the seven most notable times that wrestlers were punished backstage (for real) either by the locker room or by management. What did these wrestlers do to deserve punishment, and what was their disciplinary sentence? Read on, and be thankful for your HR department.
7. The Miz Gets Kicked Out Of The Locker Room
The Miz is one of the best WWE superstars working today. He's a former world champion and multi-time Intercontinental champion. His ring work is solid, and his mic skills are unrivaled by anyone on the roster. But at one time, Miz was on the bottom rung of the locker room. He was a former Real World cast member, and he got into WWE by competing on the Tough Enough reality show. And because he didn't "pay his dues" on the indie circuit, he was ripe for targeting.
One day, Miz was eating chicken in the locker room. Unfortunately, he got crumbs on referee Scott Armstrong's bag. Chris Benoit saw this and kicked The Miz out of the locker room. The Miz was forced to change in the hallway, and sometimes, he even changed in the arena's general bathroom, where WWE fans would occasionally catch a glimpse of him.
This continued for over half a year. Then, unexpectedly, Chris Benoit died. And since it was Benoit's call to kick Miz out of the locker room (and thus, his call to let him back in), the Miz was stuck in a sort of punishment limbo. Eventually, the Undertaker noticed what was going on and invited Miz back inside.
6. Muhammad Hassan Picks Up A Bar Tab
The Muhammad Hassan character was so wrong in so many ways. A relatively inexperienced Italian-American wrestler, Marc Copani, played an Arab American who complained about prejudice. It's the sort of "ripped from the headlines" race baiting that WWE is infamous for. And if that's all it was, WWE might have even gotten away from it.
Unfortunately, WWE decided to take things one step further and made Hassan an actual terrorist. On one SmackDown episode, he summoned a gang of ski-masked, camo-wearing followers, who choked the Undertaker with piano wire. This was taped on July 4, 2005, but it aired on July 7--the same day as the London bombings. Under pressure from TV executives, WWE removed Hassan from its programming. But backstage, the locker room hadn't taken well to Hassan either. He was a new guy who rocketed to main event status, which didn't endear him to any of the veteran midcarders.
Hassan's finisher was the Camel Clutch, adopted from the Iron Sheik. When Eddie Guerrero used the move in a match, Hassan was convinced by Kurt Angle to confront Guerrero backstage. Hassan didn't know that Eddie's father, wrestling legend Gory Guerrero, was the one who originated the move. For this disrespect, Hassan was forced to pick up one of the wrestlers' bar tabs in Tokyo, which ran over $2000. According to Hurricane Helms, when Hassan bought shots for the wrestlers that evening, they all simultaneously poured their drinks onto the floor.
5. Melina Breaks Down In Tears
Melina, according to many of her peers, was difficult to work with. The most publicized incident stems from her relationship with fellow wrestler John Morrison. Melina felt that Trish Stratus took her spot at WrestleMania XXVII--the match ended up as John Morrison, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and Michelle McCool--and she got in Morrison's head about it. This resulted in Morrison treating Trish with disrespect the entire weekend, even while they were planning out the match.
But even prior to this, Melina had backstage friction with a lot of wrestlers. In 2006, she was reportedly dragged in front of Wrestling Court to address her stuck-up behavior, including a recent incident with Sharmell. Soon afterwards, MNM--the wrestling stable she was in, along with Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro--broke up. At the time, the gossip was that the Court's "verdict" was a contributing factor to the stable's dissolution. Melina had a tough day in Court; according to Paul London, the wrestlers took bets on how long it would take for her to cry.
4. Crapping in the King's Crown
Jerry "The King" Lawler is an iconic part of WWE, thanks to his '90s feuds with the Hart family and his sexually barbed commentary during the Attitude Era. But Lawler, due to being top draw in the Memphis territories when he was younger, had a massive ego. And The Kliq (the influential backstage group that included Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Sean Waltman) decided to do something about it by taking a crap in the King's crown. Literally. They filled it to the brim.
This sort of thing became such a recurring problem (even the Undertaker was rumored to have crapped in the crown) that according to Raven and the Honky Tonk Man, WWE circulated a memo asking its employees to stop doing it.
3. Enzo Amore Gets Booted Off The Tour Bus
Enzo Amore's entire character was a brash, out-of-control party animal. And according to numerous sources, this "certified G" and "bonafide stud" persona seeped into his real life behavior. Amore had a bad habit of bringing friends backstage, who would take pictures and act disruptively. And multiple people in the company--most notably Corey Graves--outwardly disliked the man and made their feelings known on WWE programming.
In late 2017, Amore was reportedly kicked off a WWE tour bus by Roman Reigns for being loud and obnoxious, which prevented his fellow superstars from getting sleep. When asked about it at the beginning of this year, Amore dodged the question with a middling non-answer:
"You can't kick me out of someplace I don't want to be."
Two weeks later, after a graphic allegation of rape, WWE fired Amore, kicking him off the tour bus for good.
2. Chris Benoit Tortures A Newcomer
When WWE first found out that Chris Benoit, his wife, and his son were found dead in their home, the company decided to cancel Raw and air a three-hour tribute to the former world heavyweight champion. This was a hasty, poorly thought-out decision. Mere hours later, it became clear that Benoit had killed both his wife and son before committing suicide; he hanged himself from a weight machine in his basement.
The Chris Benoit tribute special has never aired again and is not available on the WWE Network. But it's a fascinating document if you can find a copy online. One of the highlights is that many superstars, including CM Punk, Edge, and John Cena, recorded unscripted, personal tributes to Chris Benoit. And Triple H's tribute is particularly interesting; he describes how Benoit punished a new wrestler who was disrespectful to Shawn Michaels:
"Chris made the young wrestler do 1000 squats in a row... the next day when that young wrestler couldn't bend his legs, Chris made him do 500 more."
Back then, Triple H framed this anecdote as an example of how Chris valued respect. With the benefit of hindsight, it takes on a more sinister, sadistic tone.
1. Batista Eats A $100K Fine
The current PG era of WWE means that intentional bleeding, without the expressed permission of management, is strictly forbidden. But many wrestlers, who considered blood a traditional storytelling device, pushed back. And one of those wrestlers was Batista.
In 2008, not long after the "no blood" policy had been implemented, Batista intentionally bled in a steel cage match with Chris Jericho. His logic was that it was an important championship match, where the title would switch hands, and thus, bleeding was the right thing to do for business. But Vince McMahon did not see it that way. He handed out fines. Jericho, Mike Chioda (the referee), and Dean Malenko (the producer) were each fined $5000. And Batista, the man who bladed, was fined $100k.
Batista paid all of the fines. He felt the punishment was overly harsh, and according to him, it was the beginning of the end of his full-time wrestling career. But perhaps it all worked out in the end. Batista is one of the few wrestlers to successfully make the jump to Hollywood. He has Marvel money now, thanks to his role as Drax the Destroyer, and he doesn't need to take bumps off furniture for 12 months out of the year.
The real March madness is how much binging you'll be doing with everything new coming to Netflix. The streaming service is going all out with its March additions, including a ton of new originals, along with more movies, TV shows, and specials.
While there are over 50 originals being added to the streamer in March, there are two you need to pay very special attention to. Firstly, the new season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is back as the whiskey-drinking hero, along with co-stars Rachael Taylor (Trish) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth). Notably, David Tennant will also reprise his role as the evil Killgrave in a guest appearance. The new season of Jessica Jones arrives on March 8--International Women's Day.
The other major original to keep an eye out for is the return of Santa Clarita Diet--the horror comedy zombie series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The first photos from the new season were released recently, showing new characters moving into the neighborhood and more undead insanity. New episodes of Santa Clarita Diet arrive on March 23.
As for movies, the Cruel Intentions trilogy--yes, it's actually a trilogy--will begin streaming in March. Other new titles include Adventureland, Jackass: Number Two, Wet Hot American Summer, and Let Me In.
It's not all good news, though. With the arrivals come the departures. March will see all four Jaws films leave Netflix, as well as three seasons of Brickleberry and the Santa Clause trilogy.
Season 3 of Fortnite's free-to-play Battle Royale mode is underway, and developer Epic has now kicked off the first limited-time mode of the season. Right now, players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One can participate in the Solid Gold event, which will only be around in the game for the next few days.
The Solid Gold mode is only available to play with Squads, with the theme of this particular event being Legendary weapons. For the duration of the mode, every weapon that players find in chests or around the map will be of the Legendary variety. Among those are the Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle, Minigun, and the recently introduced Hand Cannon.
Epic recently teased that it plans to hold roughy five limited-time modes in Fortnite: Battle Royale "in the next month or so." The developer didn't provide a time table for when the modes will roll out, but one will be a modified version of the 50v50 event that ran back in December, while another, called Blitz Mode, will feature shorter matches than usual. Epic has also teased that jetpacks will be coming "soon" to Battle Royale.
Season 3 of Battle Royale began last week with the release of Fortnite's 3.0.0 patch. That update introduced a new Battle Pass, which can be purchased for 950 V-Bucks and features 30 more rewards tiers than previous Battle Passes. Among the new items that can be unlocked in Battle Royale are Back Bling cosmetics, which allow players to customize their avatars' backs. You can take a look at all of the Season 3 Battle Pass rewards in our gallery.
With Disney owning some of the biggest franchises in cinema, it was inevitable that the company would want to incorporate them into its theme park business. Two massive Star Wars parks have been under construction in the US for several years, and it has now been announced that Disneyland Paris will undergo a $2.5 billion expansion to incorporate areas based on Star Wars, Marvel, and the animated hit Frozen.
The plans were revealed by Disney boss Bob Iger, following a meeting in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron. In a statement, Iger said: "We're very excited about the future of Disneyland Paris and continue to invest in its long-term success. The resort is already the leading tourist destination in Europe, and the transformative expansion we announced today will add even more of our beloved characters and unparalleled storytelling to create new lands, attractions and entertainment that further elevate the guest experience and drive new opportunities for tourism in this dynamic region."
The Star Wars, Marvel, and Frozen areas will be rolled out in stages, starting in 2021. While the company's specific plans are unknown, Disneyland Paris will start to introduce a Marvel element from this summer with characters appearing at the park and a Marvel-themed hotel opening in 2020. In addition, Iger hinted earlier this week that Black Panther could play a part in the company's future theme park plans.
The two Star Wars lands in Florida and California are set to open in 2019. Last summer, a scale model of the park design was revealed at the company's annual D23 convention. According to the company, "both Star Wars-inspired lands will transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before Wild Space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." Iger previously explained that they would be "largest single-themed land expansions ever," covering 14 acres of land.
Too often VR games seek (and fail) to replicate the feel of traditional games. Their inability to translate the smooth gameplay we're used to--as opposed to working with the strengths of the hardware to create something new--often sours the experience. Moss, a new PlayStation VR exclusive from developer Polyarc, does the complete opposite. With its careful use of the hardware it's running on, Moss is a platformer that isn't just full of charm and surprises, but one that wouldn't feel at home outside of VR.
Moss stars Quill, an incredibly adorable white mouse with an aptly tiny sword and satchel on her back. Quill lives within folk tale, the sort of whimsical fantasy that comes to life from the watercolours of a story book and narrated over with a single personable voice. Due to a terrible war years earlier, Quill and an adorable city of similar rodents live on the outskirts of a castle that kisses the horizon. There's mysticism and magic at play around every corner, different factions controlling parts of the thick forests surrounding you, and dangers that have everyone keeping their heads down.
Quill doesn't seek to change this balance, but like in all good fantasy tales, fate doesn't share that opinion. It doesn't take long for her to stumble upon a magical item that introduces a second protagonist: you. You control Quill with a standard DualShock 4, but you also play the part of the Reader, a ghost-like figure with a mask that only Quill can see. You do double duty as an ever-present deity, actively observing Quill's adventure and aiding her where you can.
Your relationship with Quill and the investment in her journey are paramount to why Moss entangles itself in your heartstrings. Using motion controls, you're able to give Quill a little head scratch, which she reciprocates with an appreciative smile and wave. At certain times, Quill will gesture for a high-five after completing a difficult task or gesture toward the solution of a puzzle when you're stuck. Quill is almost unbelievably animated; her motions give her personality and entice you to just watch as you control her scamping about. The way she kicks her legs at the end of a climb or communicates through sign are both contextually fitting and wondrous in both minute detail and fluidity, and never ceases to bring a smile to your face.
Moss is all about multitasking. You handle Quill's platforming in small, bite-sized areas, with the thumbsticks and face buttons for control. As the Reader, though, you interact with objects within Quill's world with the use of motion controls and single button holds. At the same time you're able to peer around every nook and cranny the space has to offer, manipulating your view to discover new routes, spy on well hidden secrets, and just keep up with Quill's fast movements. Moss doesn't feel like a game that would work without VR. It combines its many input options eloquently, using them to inform and drive the design of its puzzles instead of the other way around. It's a joy to engage with in ways that so many other VR titles struggle to achieve.
Moss requires you to interact with specific objects in Quill's world. You can move large stones with small motion gestures to shorten a gap for Quill to hop over or pull staircases from the ground that lead to doorways above. You can even load a ballista for her to fire with a lever nearby. These interactions are enacted with simple motion controls and single button holds to grab onto items. Moss does a good job of gently increasing the difficulty of its challenges as you go but always understands the limitations of its control scheme. It's rare to run into puzzles where deft timing is the only way to succeed. Instead, Moss requires you to understand how to work together with Quill, and its challenges are designed around that rather well.
Often, puzzles involve moving elements in each area to create paths for Quill to traverse. Gates might be controlled by a pressure pad nearby, forcing you to keep it pressed down as Quill rushes to slink beneath it. Other times it's a simple matter of spacial awareness. Quill can scale ledges demarcated with white paint, but reaching them might involve moving a platform along a small rail of track and blocking it at just the right time to make the jump possible.
Enemies punctuate this in a clever way, making up what would in any other game be additions to Quill's inventory. Quill never gets access to anything more than a sword, leaving her with just a simple string of attacks and a useful dodge in her repertoire. As the Reader, though, you can take direct control of three distinct enemies. For example, one will simply rush Quill with dangerous swipes of its arms, while another will sit atop a ledge and fire off balls of energy in your direction. The latter just explodes in a fountain of green, smelly goo, with its blowback proving useful in making space during combat or knocking down walls impeding your progress.
Alone they are pieces to a puzzle: taking control of a projectile-based enemy lets you trigger switches from afar, while a well-timed explosion can remove a fragile wall blocking the way. In combination--specifically in the limited combat arenas you will find yourself in--it becomes a tricky dance of control. Quill is fragile, with only a handful of hits spelling death. It's up to you to keep her dodging around the battlefield while locking down enemies for her to strike, or better still, using their abilities against each other to level the field in imaginative ways.
It's a pity that you aren't given a lot of time to truly experiment with these combinations in more ways. Moss is almost criminally short. Quill's adventure abruptly ends after about three hours, with a tease that Quill's story isn't yet complete. It's heartbreaking in the way that finishing any good game is, but Moss could certainly have benefited from a little more finality after such an emotionally engaging journey.
Slight hiccups in performance also detract from what is otherwise an impressive VR achievement from a technical standpoint. Quick movements with the motion controls are difficult for the PlayStation Camera to pick up reliably and can often result in the wrong enemies being locked-on to. But while it's inconvenient, death is hardly punishing, so these stumbles are easier to swallow. As are the infrequent technical issues, which resulted in some enemies clipping through walls and being unable to move--a small fracture in what is otherwise a captivating and rich technical showcase.
Moss thrusts you deep into its whimsical world with a variety of different locales throughout Quill's journey. The sense of scale that VR affords lends the world a lot of weight. A stirring deer in the distance might be a throwaway movement in another game, but its tremendous sound and size in comparison to Quill make it an earth-shaking moment. Later in the game, glowing sentinels and a suffocating infestation of metal vines wrap around a city long forgotten, acting as a strong change of scenery after extended trips through damp catacombs and sandy beaches. Quill might be small in stature, but she takes you on a riveting trip through some truly beautiful scenery.
It's a testament to just how well Moss understands PlayStation VR and works with the device instead of trying to bend it to a will it was never designed for. Moss wouldn't feel right without it at all, and its many strengths are married to the interactions that only full immersion can manufacture. Unsurprisingly, then, Moss is easily one of PlayStation VR's best titles to date, even if it's a little too eager to get you in and out of its world.
The first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War delivered plenty of action, plus an appearance from pretty much every hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. A few more pieces of information have emerged this week, including new looks for both Iron Man and Black Widow.
A promotional image posted on Reddit reveals that Tony Stark will be sporting two new additions to his Iron Man suit--a bionic arm and a pair of wings. As Digital Spy points out, a fleeting shot in the recent Super Bowl TV spot for the movie suggests that Tony is missing an arm. We obviously don't know how he loses it, but it looks like he might be getting a bionic upgrade. As for the wings--Stark has never needed them to fly before, but hey, they look pretty cool.
Black Widow's change is less dramatic, but her new costume is partly green, which at the very least ties her in visually to her good pal the Hulk. Check the image out below:
In addition, a piece of Infinity War merchandise has revealed one of the movie's new villains. A promotional mug shows Thanos alongside his evil Black Order, plus a mysterious new bad guy. While we don't know who it is exactly, Heroic Hollywood has suggested that it could be Warbringer, a Chitauri warlord who first appeared in a 2015 issue of Marvel's Nova comic.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4. It is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed the last two Captain America movies, and will follow it up with next year's currently untitled Avengers 4.
In related news, Captain American star Chris Evans last week seemed to confirm that the rumored Black Widow movie is in development at Marvel. Evans was asked about the success of Black Panther, and said, "There's nothing they can't do, man," he said. "I'm sure it's going to have the exact same effect when Captain Marvel comes out, and then the Black Widow movie comes out. Marvel just has the winning recipe."
Devil May Cry HD Collection is launching soon on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and today it got a new trailer. But DMC fans still have something to look forward to before it is released: later this month, you can check out the first Devil May Cry game on PC for free through Twitch Prime.
Capcom announced on its blog recently that all subscribers of Amazon/Twitch Prime can snag the freebie starting on February 27. After claiming it, you'll be able to download the full game through the Twitch desktop app.
Devil May Cry originally launched back in 2001 for PS2, so some players may find it a bit dated. But it's still cool to see where the series began, especially if your first exposure to the series was the reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry, which was released in 2013. Previous Twitch Prime free games have sometimes been free for only a few days, so be sure to jump on this promotion when it goes live. It's free to anyone with a Twitch Prime membership, which comes with an Amazon Prime subscription.
The Devil May Cry HD Collection, meanwhile, launches on March 13 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It includes remastered versions of the first three games in the series, all of which run at 60 frames per second. You can check out the new trailer for the collection in the embed above.
You might have heard that Spongebob Squarepants, one of the most enduringly successful and popular animated shows ever, was coming to an end in March. This is not true.
A fake tweet from a Twitter profile claiming to be the official SpongeBob account (complete with a blue checkmark!) said the show was coming to an end on March 1, 2018. The tweet looked and sounded real and genuine enough to pass for something Nickelodeon might say. But it turned out to be a bunch of baloney; a good Photoshop job and nothing more.
Even if SpongeBob does end after the 12th season in 2019 (and Nickelodeon has given no indication that it will pull the plug then), a third SponbeBob movie is scheduled to hit theatres in 2020 so the franchise is set to continue regardless.
SpongeBob the TV show premiered in 1999, so it's 20th anniversary is right around the corner. According to Entertainment Weekly, it remains the No. 1 highest rated show on TV among children aged 2-11. One of the newest extensions of the hit show was a SpongeBob musical that premiered on Broadway in 2016.
By Anonymous on Feb 27, 2018 08:30 am Black Panther may have finally fixed Marvel's long-running villain problem in the MCU with its compelling villain, Erik Killmonger. Ryan tells you why Michael B. Jordan's character is the best villain in the MCU yet!
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Join us as we check out the early part of Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet including dungeons, roaming, pvp, treasure hunting and chatting with familiar faces like Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, and more.
Black Panther may have finally fixed Marvel's long-running villain problem in the MCU with its compelling villain, Erik Killmonger. Ryan tells you why Michael B. Jordan's character is the best villain in the MCU yet!
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