Last year, Hidetaka 'Swery' Suehiro--the creator of Deadly Premonition and D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die--launched a crowdfunding campaign on Fig for a new project called The Good Life. Focusing on the exploits of a New York photojournalist in serious debt, the lead character Naomi travels to the secluded small town of Rainy Woods where she finds herself investigating the murder of one of the town's residents. Things aren't what they seem in the idyllic small town, with any one of the town's citizens being a suspect. Also, many of Rainy Woods' residents--including Naomi--just so happen to transform into animals on certain evenings.
As a quasi-open world RPG, you would be able to interact with many of the locals, learn their behaviors, and take pictures of the strange happenings around town. While the concept showed promise, the Fig crowdfunding campaign was unsuccessful. Undeterred by this, the developers at White Owls went back to work on the game, improving many of the in-game systems and mechanics, while also giving the game more detailed visuals that still retain the stylized look.
During GDC 2018, Hidetaka 'Swery' Suehiro gave GameSpot an advance look at the game before its relaunch on Kickstarter--which is now live. During our talk, he described just what changed after his last attempt, and how he determined he is to make The Good Life into a full game..
"The Good Life is a product of someone like me who likes to think about strange and weird ideas, but is still able to make them into real products that people can experience," said Suehiro. "One of the things I've been really surprised by in the current creative process is that I come up with some strange abstract idea, and the team can make it happen within a matter of days for our future planning on the game. There's a lot of aspects about this game that speak to me, but one thing that I like is that you can play as a cat. It's something I've always wanted to do in a game. Another thing I like is that you're playing as a female character, and that's something I haven't done for my previous games before. With Naomi, you can do all the mundane and strange things you want to do, which is what interests me. I've always had male leads in the past, so I'm glad to change things up for this game."
One thing that the developers felt they didn't succeed at with the previous campaign was offering a clear vision of what The Good Life is about. While the broader ideas were there, the creatives felt that the previous crowdfunding effort was too vague and didn't show enough of a materialized product. In the months after the previous attempt, White Owls spent time on developing the game into a playable state. This not only allowed them to create a more fully realized game, but also garnered the attention of outside partners to help fund the game. With a Kickstarter goal of $650,000--as opposed to the original Fig goal of $1,500,000--the developers feel that expectations are far more modest and realistic.
In addition to refining the base concept and vision, the developers also worked on improving the game's graphics and AI systems. Running on the Unity engine, the team behind The Good Life focused on creating a greater sense of visual fidelity for the game. With the expanded AI systems, Swery felt that this would give greater belieability to the town's dynamic. Moreover, the developers claim that the added interactions and NPCs with their own individual schedules will create more unique moments for players--potentially altering the true suspect of the game's murder-mystery plot. Also, the game's creator took the opportunity to add in the ability for the lead character Naomi to turn into a dog, instead of only just the cat--which he claimed was due to an outpouring of requests from his dog fans.
With the Kickstarter campaign now live, Suehiro and the developers at White Owls feel they have a better shot at making The Good Life happen. The game manages to bring in similar themes and motifs from past Swery titles--a small town, weird people, and an even weirder premise--while placing them in a setting that feels oddly charming. While the game is planned for a late 2019 release, this is all dependent on the Kickstarter's success. With that said, the developers still vow to continue on with the game even if the game doesn't succeed on Kickstarter. For Swery, he felt that the opportunity to make a game like this was too good to pass up.
"As a creator, I have this innate desire to make something," said Swery. "When I look back on the original crowdfunding campaign for The Good Life, we recognized we made a lot of mistakes. It would be a missed opportunity to just walk away from that as once time experience, and because we have that passion we're willing to come back to the table and state that this is the thing we're doing better, and these are the things we've learned. And another thing is that online community has been really inspiring for us, and they've really pushed us to move forward with this project. Even though the last campaign didn't succeed, it still excited a lot of people to the point where we're people are sending us pictures of their cats and dogs on twitter. I just feel very compelled to take this to the finish line."
We're giving away a God of War Limited Edition 1TB PS4 Pro, grey DualShock 4 Controller, and copy of the game!
This special bundle features a fully customized Leviathan Grey 1TB PS4 Pro console inspired by Kratos' Axe, a matching DualShock 4 wireless controller with insignia, and a copy of God of War Day One Edition.
Entry is open to United States residents only, since the prize is shipping from the US. Competition ends Monday, May 7 at 11:00 AM PDT. One (1) winner will be chosen.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
In the months following its September launch, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has been in a tight spot trying to keep its community happy. Despite a solid start that showed stronger storytelling, quest variety, and sense of progression compared to the original, the sequel eventually fell into the same pitfall that its predecessor did: there's just not much to do in Destiny 2 if you're in it for the long-haul.
During the developer's recent livestream showcasing many of the points of interest in the upcoming Warmind expansion, they were frank about their attempts to address the problems regarding challenges, content diversity, and the steep grind the Destiny 2 community has been unhappy with--me included. While I really enjoyed Destiny 2 in its early months--even clearing the game's story and reaching Raid status with three characters--my enthusiasm for the game quickly dropped after Curse of Osiris.
As the May 8 release date for Warmind draws closer, it's worth considering whether Bungie's recent seasonal updates and the upcoming expansion can fix the game's issues relating to its grind and the resulting fatigue.
To start, let's take a look at the current state of Destiny 2. Since the release of December's Curse of Osiris DLC, which included forge weapons, new story missions, and a new Raid Lair (an additional area to explore in the Leviathan Raid), Bungie has introduced seasonal updates, offering scheduled tweaks to improve the core game. During the ongoing Season 2, quality-of-life updates such as new Crucible and Nightfall rewards, weapon and class rebalancing, Masterwork weapons, tweaks to Exotic drop rates, and changes to the sandbox exploration were introduced. Destiny 2 is all the better for these additions. However, the game still needs to make larger attempts to figure out how to combat the slump that makes it hard for players who may have fallen out with the game to want to come back.
One of the biggest problems with the original Destiny was that it was easy to exhaust much of the game's content given its relatively brisk campaign and focus on repeating missions and events. This was a symptom of the original game's growing identity, which it slowly developed over the course of its first year--resulting in the fantastic, game-changing expansion The Taken King. Destiny 2 has a greater sense of itself and is smart about how it manages to make things interesting during the early months, but it quickly falls victim to the recurring issue of player engagement, along with a series of poor matchmaking, quest design, and shallow endgame content.
One issue that's arguably worse in the sequel is that it's difficult to measure progress gained after reaching a certain point after the campaign's completion. While reaching Raid status was the benchmark, the pursuit of that often forces players to go through a series of hurdles to make it. Players will eventually find themselves having to repeat the same content with continually diminishing returns--made worse by some odd drop-rates and occurrences of repeat loot that Bungie have attempted to address with recent patches. While this is inevitable for many online games focusing on the grind, other titles have made that pursuit of fresh loot engaging in the long-term, but Destiny 2's approach to the endgame cycle makes for a largely futile and exhausting experience. When your efforts to progress seems to conflict with the game's grind--which is supposed to fun and challenging, but comes off as taxing--then it creates a sense of angst among the community, making them feel like their time isn't being well-spent.
The Warmind expansion shows more of an earnest attempt on the developers' part to address these concerns. Focusing on a return trip to Mars, players will explore a new region called Hellas Basin and take on new missions and world events. In addition to new story characters to interact with, new bosses to fight, and new Exotics to find, the expansion also features a different approach to world quests. With Escalation Protocol, you'll be able to tackle a horde-mode style mission in the sandbox, taking on waves of Hive in order to reach the boss of the world event. Unlike other world events tied to specific schedules, Escalation Protocol is activated at any time after finishing the main story. Moreover, you can join other players who are engaged in their own events--even if you haven't reached the DLC campaign's conclusion.
While this side mission is a smaller remedy to Destiny 2's issues--and it's similar in design to The Taken King's Court of Oryx event--it still represents one of the more reassuring aspects of Warmind. As one of the key ways to acquire higher-end gear outside of the new Raid Lair, Escalation Protocol can be done at your leisure--which cuts back on general fatigue and frustration, making it feel like you have more control over what kind of rewards the game can offer you. This is a stark contrast to how gaining higher-end gear worked in Curse of Osiris, which placed its Lost Prophecies behind arbitrary gating. By leaning into systems that focused on grinding and sticking players in situations where they had to wait for stuff to happen, it personally made me less inclined to want to finish playing through more of the campaign's endgame content.
This also goes into the heart of the issue with Destiny 2, in that it has trouble respecting the average player's time. With Raids being commitments of several hours, PvP rewards being mostly middling and too dependant on whether you have a good team, and Nightfall and Heroic quests requiring players to repeat the same tired quests over and over, the game struggles with allowing meaningful gains to be made in short bursts. When the systems designed to keep players playing are too tiring to enjoy in the long-term, then it calls into question the structure that houses all the content you want to explore.
Warmind doesn't sound like a major revision, unfortunately. Having said that, what I find interesting about the expansion is that it feels awfully nostalgic of Destiny 1. With the return to Mars, the Rasputin AI finally being given some more attention, and Exotics like the Suros Regime making a comeback, the expansion seems to know how to perk up some returning players. But in truth, making Destiny 2 more enjoyable and less of a slog isn't just about adding in more weapons and armor, new areas to explore, and new story quests. It's about offering those great heroic moments and making them feel like they matter long after your quest's completion--as opposed to being just another moment in a long series of moments during a grind for better gear.
Destiny 2's new expansion seems like a step in the right direction. Not big steps, but movement towards progress all the same. With Season 3 starting on the same day as the DLC's launch, Bungie will be adding in more quality-of-life changes including additional vault space, private matches, an emote wheel, and Exotic Masterwork weapons. Destiny 2 is still a solid first-person shooter with some of the best-controlling action and gameplay in the genre, and while it feels like we're about due for this game to have its own Taken King-style expansion that fleshes out its core in the right ways, Warmind does show a greater awareness of what Destiny 2's issues are--and how it best tries to improve itself.
By Anonymous on Apr 28, 2018 08:30 pm We chat with the creative director of God of War, Cory Barlog, about the game's ending, Norse mythology references, and more.
Like any war, Avengers: Infinity War had casualties. Lots of them. Marvel comics fans expected this ending, but that didn't make it any less impactful. By Infinity War's ending, Thanos had claimed all six Infinity Stones, which gave him the power to wipe out half the universe's sentient life with a snap of his fingers. So naturally, he did.
There were plenty of ways the Avengers and their allies could have prevented this throughout the movie. Doctor Strange could have let Tony Stark die instead of giving up the Time Stone, and Gamora could have let Thanos kill Nebula rather than guiding him to the Soul Stone. Star-Lord could have kept his cool despite learning of Gamora's death, and Thor could have "gone for the head," as Thanos himself put it.
All the characters who disintegrated at the end of Avengers: Infinity War can (and probably will) come back through some sort of magic in Avengers 4 next year. But for now, they're dead as dead can be. And don't forget the other characters who lost their lives earlier in the movie--chances are they're actually gone for good.
So as far as we know, here's every character who died in Avengers: Infinity War.
1. Heimdall
Thor's friend Heimdall bites it in the opening scene after Thanos attacks the Asgardians' ship.
2. Loki
Loki also dies in the opening scene, after trying rather unwisely to shank Thanos.
3. Gamora
Thanos throws Gamora off a cliff to her death to secure the Soul Stone.
4. Vision
Vision dies when Thanos tears the Mind Stone from his head. No surprise there.
5. Ebony Maw
Ebony Maw gets iced when Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange Aliens him out of his own ship.
6. Corvus Glaive
Vision kills Corvus Glaive with his own weapon.
7. Proxima Midnight
Proxima Midnight gets cut down by a giant space lawnmower in Wakanda.
8. Cull Obsidian
Cull Obsidian is defeated and killed by Bruce Banner in the Hulkbuster armor.
9. Bucky
Bucky got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
10. Black Panther
T'Challa got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
11. Groot
Groot got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
12. Scarlet Witch
Wanda got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
13. Falcon
Sam got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
14. Mantis
Mantis got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
15. Drax
Drax got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
16. Star-Lord
Peter Quill got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
17. Doctor Strange
Stephen Strange got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
18. Spider-Man
Peter Parker got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
19. Nick Fury
Nick Fury got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
20. Maria Hill
Maria Hill got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
21. Half of everyone here
Yes, half of everyone else on Earth got disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers.
22. The Collector?
Presumably, Thanos killed the Collector when he visited him offscreen.
23. Valkyrie?
It's unclear what happened to Valkyrie--did she die when Thanos attacked? Thor must think so, or he would have tried to rescue her. Hopefully she'll pop up again.
24. Korg?
Taika Waititi's beloved stone warrior may have gone out when Valkyrie did--or maybe not.
25. All the other Asgardians?
Thanos absolutely decimated the Asgardians' ship just before Infinity War's opening scene, so hopefully we'll learn in a future MCU movie whether any of them survived.
Whether they're direct continuations that carry on the events of the previous game or unrelated follow-ups that share a general theme, gamers love--and love to hate--video game sequels. While you can argue that the emphasis on sequels seems to overshadow the creation of new, original IP, sometimes sequels produce unique experiences in their own right. Like the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--the characters and themes are the same, but the game was a refreshing take on the entire open-world genre.
Sequels are a huge part of game development, but most creators shy away from revealing what they have in the works too early. With E3 2018 coming up, there are potentially some big-name sequels primed to be revealed. So in this feature, we've gathered together our wishlist of games that deserve sequels, or unannounced games that potentially could be announced at this year's E3. Some are a little more far-fetched than others; Grand Theft Auto VI, outside of Rockstar Games seeming like it always disappears off the face of the planet, is going to happen someday soon. Bethesda will likely make an Elder Scrolls 6, and there are already rumors circulating of a new Bioshock. But Bloodborne 2, Bully 3, and Portal 3? Those aren't necessarily guaranteed.
This isn't a definitive list of every game that we want a sequel to, but it represents some of the titles the GameSpot editors feel most strongly about and would love to see appear at E3 2018. What unannounced games do you hope get a surprise announcement at this year's E3 or other gaming event? Let us know in the comments below!
Animal Crossing | Switch
Nintendo hasn't said explicitly it's working on a Switch version of Animal Crossing, but one is almost definitely in the works. With Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on mobile last year, the company only whetted the appetite of fans who want a full-fledged entry in the relaxing life sim. And although Pocket Camp is surprisingly robust for a mobile game, it's still missing many of the most important elements of the Animal Crossing franchise: a large list of collectible wildlife, the ability to write letters and notes to your townsfolk, and customization options for your villagers' catchphrases. Pocket Camp is Animal Crossing in spirit, but not quite in execution.
But that mobile release does seem to portend that the next chapter on Animal Crossing, this time on Switch, is imminent. Nintendo has stated that the core purpose of its mobile games is less about making money and more about keeping people engaged with its core franchises. For Animal Crossing, all that's left is the follow-through.
What new features a Switch release of the game could bring is anyone's guess, but we imagine a large roster of potential neighbors and a more active way to connect and interact with other Animal Crossing players online. | Justin Haywald
BioShock 4 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
Where the original BioShock launched to praise from fans and critics alike, the third and most recent game in the series--BioShock Infinite--divided opinion somewhat when it came out in 2013. While some--including our own reviewer--loved it, others felt it turned the series too far towards shooter territory, and the story felt muddled.
Time, then, for a new game in the series to unite everyone behind BioShock once again. One that can bring BioShock back to what everyone loved in the first place--its mystery, its atmosphere, its storytelling, and yes, its inventive powers--while also taking it to new frontiers. We've now done underwater and above the clouds; perhaps BioShock 4 could deliver another shock to our systems by taking us to space? | Oscar Dayus
Bloodborne 2 | PS4
From Software's Bloodborne forces Souls players to step outside of their comfort zone; to stop peeking at horrors from behind a shield and instead charge headfirst into them. Its gameplay focuses on bluster and brutality, but feels like a delicate dance of sword swings, explosive gunshots, and timed dashes.
However, what really elevates Bloodborne is Yarnham, the mysterious gothic city where disease-ridden inhabitants wander around squalid streets, mindlessly attacking all that approach. It's also a place where science clashes with faith, factions battle over ideologies, and the presence of an unseen cosmic evil pervades.
Bloodborne was both critically and commercially successful and, most importantly, fans of it are desperate for more. From Software recently teased a new project that adopts the studio's distinct style, but the use of the phrase "shadows die twice" could be hinting at something entirely new. A new From Software game is exciting, but we can't help but hold on to hopes of returning to the Bloodborne universe. The sweet blood, it sings to us. | Tamoor Hussain
Bully 2 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
Leading up to Bully (2006), Rockstar had been best known for hyper-violent games like Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and Manhunt. Then the developer adapted many of the core tenets that made those games great to craft an earnest, yet over-the-top tale of a troublemaker thrust into a private boarding school. Stereotypical cliques filled the student body at Bullworth Academy and painted a lively caricature of high school. It was your job as Jimmy Hopkins to navigate the dangerous waters of Bullworth and try not to get kicked out, all while trying to become the baddest, most respected fool on campus. Getting to class on time (presented as minigames), getting in fights, and causing all sorts of mischief makes up most of the game, but Bullworth and its surrounding town is also a believable place full of life. Not many games have topped the soundtrack's funky basslines and whimsical xylophone melodies either.
Despite being twelve years old and one of Rockstar's best games, it never got a follow-up (although it was remastered). There have been rumblings throughout the years of a possible sequel; producer and lead writer Dan Houser said he had ideas for a Bully 2 back in 2013, and concept art believed to be tied to a sequel was shown last year. That's the extent of our hopes, though. Rockstar's portfolio has evolved since 2006: GTA continues to succeed, Red Dead emerged as a huge franchise, and LA Noire showed that action can take a back seat to story. With a resume like that, it's a lot of fun to imagine what Bully 2 could be.| Michael Higham
Bushido Blade 3 | PS4, X1, PC, Switch
Bushido Blade was a 3D, one-on-one sword-fighting game for PlayStation that was uniquely unforgiving. With no health bars, landing a clean hit on your opponent meant a crippled limb, if not instant bloody death. Tension was the name of the game, where every standoff was a strenuous task of reading your opponent, playing mind games and exercising quick reflexes. It was also a game concerned with maintaining honorable disposition and respecting your opponent. Bowing formally before a match, fighting fair, and never stabbing your opponent in the back was encouraged, and enhanced the game's zen-like appeal.
But, you could also do the exact opposite: throw dirt in someone's face, kick them when they're down, and run frantically through the game's large, open arenas to search for an environment that could put your opponent and their choice of weapon at a disadvantage--a bamboo thicket could restrict naginata slashing maneuvers, a deep river could mask the movements of your katana, for example.
Although Bushido Blade got a sequel in 1998, there hasn't been a a game in the last 20 years that has successfully come close to matching its understated qualities and strict mechanics. Its nearest neighbour today would be Nidhogg, if Nidhogg could be slowed to a snail's pace.
In a post-Dark Souls era where players celebrate pure, unforgiving game experiences, a true Bushido Blade sequel with online competitive multiplayer is just the thing Square Enix should think about bringing back. | Edmond Tran
Diablo 4 | PS4, X1, PC
While Blizzard had a rough start with Diablo 3, they made great strides with improving the game in the years since its release. Once the expansion Reaper of Souls launched, Diablo 3 had earned its spot as one of the most impressive loot-focused action-RPG games on the market. Even now, regular updates are still ongoing, and with successful launches on PS4 and Xbox One, there's plenty of loot to go around for would-be adventurers traveling through Tristram and the underworld.
Though Blizzard is still going strong with Diablo 3--along with Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone--the developers should look to the future of loot-oriented action-RPG games and get started with Diablo 4. The series scratches a certain itch that not many other games can, and Diablo 4 can take advantage of the second-wind the series has experienced in D3's post-launch life. | Alessandro Fillari
Elder Scrolls 6 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
There's no question that Elder Scrolls 6 is happening--Todd Howard has said as much a few times now. But between myriad ports of Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online's recent Morrowind expansion, the questions are: "What kind of game will Elder Scrolls 6 be?" and, "Where will it be set?"
The series has already explored several regions of Tamriel, but there are still places we haven't been: the Argonians' Black Marsh and the wooded region of Valenwood, just to name a few. But perhaps it's time to leave Tamriel behind and explore the rest of the world of Nirn. Yokuda is a continent destroyed by an unknown cataclysmic event. Could that be a chance to marry the gameplay of Elder Scrolls with the story trappings of Bethesda's other premiere RPG franchise, Fallout?
Another possibility is the land of Akavir: a continent that rivals Tamriel in size, populated by four new races at war with each other. That covers the Elder Scrolls trope of multiple factions, and thanks to several mentions throughout the franchise, we already know that those four races--snow demons, snake people, monkeys, and tiger dragons--are important to the history of the world. Plus, it's easy to fit a fancy Roman numeral into the title, as Bethesda already did once with Obl(iv)ion. Elder Scrolls: Aka(vi)r, anyone? | Tony Wilson
Elite Beat Agents 2 | Switch
There's no reason to think that a sequel to Elite Beat Agents is in the works, but with the newfound success of Nintendo Switch, the quirky rhythm game from developer iNiS is a cult classic that's due for a revival. EBA was actually a localization of the cheerleading game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (which got a Japanese sequel on DS), but while the two versions are the same gameplay-wise, the soundtracks and overall themes were changed drastically to make the series fit into a Western archetype.
But either way, both versions were solid games that took advantage of the DS' touch screen to let you tap out rhythms in time to the music. Ports of the originals would be great for a new generation of gamers to experience, though it's likely the music licensing deals make that a difficult process. But a new version of the game that takes advantage of either the traditional controls or the unique joy-con capabilities of the Switch would be delightful--maybe a Just Dance-style game that tracks your hand movements as you go through the game's on-screen choreography? | Justin Haywald
GTA 6 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
The last Grand Theft Auto game doesn't feel like it came out almost five years ago. Of course, that's partly due to the fact that its roll-out across Sony and Microsoft's consoles and then PC took three years. But it's also because the game is still consistently in the top 10 best-selling games of every month (here it is as number 10 for December and number 6 for the best-selling game of 2017).
Although the GTA games are known for their multi-layered, single-player stories, GTAV's continued success is primarily driven by its multiplayer GTA Online mode. A sandbox set in GTAV's world, the game has captured such a large portion of Rockstar's resources that the long-ago promised single-player expansion has been dumped. But surprisingly, it's both not something that gamers seem to be clamoring for, and it hasn't affected the adoption of the game sales-wise.
GTAV casts a long shadow, and it'll be interesting to see how its open-world model will affect the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. But it'll also be worth keeping an eye on how it affects the inevitable GTA VI. At some point, V's popularity will start to wane and we'll get another entry in the GTA world. But will this next game be a multiplayer-only experience that borrows both from elements that make GTA Online such a continuing success and other popular online games like Destiny 2? Or will GTAVI be a return to the single-player narrative with an even more robust online mode that just happens to exist alongside it?
It's also worth noting that the gap between GTAIV and GTAV was only five years, so it's possible a new chapter in the rampant crime saga might be closer than you'd expect. | Justin Haywald
Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 | PS4
Despite exclusively making shooters for its first decade-and-a-half of existence, Guerrilla Games tried something very different with Horizon: Zero Dawn, and it more than succeeded. Guerrilla's debut open-world effort was impressive on a number of fronts, including its Monster Hunter-style combat and gorgeous visuals. But as with the first entry in any series, it had a number of areas that stand to be improved.
Although combat encounters could be intense and memorable, that was only really the case at range--melee combat was simplistic and boring. Navigating anything but flat surfaces could be a frustrating chore, particularly in comparison to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which made climbing so effortless. The bulk of the narrative, while interesting, was told through exposition dumps where you'd stand around and simply listen to someone talk. Improvements to these areas, combined with Guerrilla continuing to amaze from a technical standpoint (which we got a taste of with Zero Dawn DLC The Frozen Wilds' improved snow effects), would make Horizon 2 something really special. | Chris Pereira
Metal Gear Solid 6 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
After Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima left Konami in 2015, fans began to question the series' future and whether a new entry would be warranted. Months passed until publisher Konami finally revealed the next game in the long-running franchise: a survival-focused co-op spin-off with zombies, called Metal Gear Survive. As you'd expect, fan backlash was understandably negative, as it seemed diametrically opposed to the series' lineage. At the same time, it left questions as to whether or not Konami would ever develop a true successor or reboot.
While a new mainline Metal Gear Solid game not directed by Kojima raises alarms for hardcore fans, it's difficult to rule out how awesome it would be if Konami managed to let an ambitious studio build upon the series' foundations or provide a completely new vision of what Metal Gear can be for its sixth entry. After all, a Metal Gear game doesn't necessarily need Kojima to be good or interesting. You need only look to franchise spin-offs like Metal Gear Rising and Metal Gear Solid (GBC), which each played incredibly well despite lacking Kojima's involvement.
But imagine the possibilities of what Metal Gear Solid 6 could be: a game starring The Boss during WWII, that Grey Fox spin-off we always wanted, or maybe an entirely new game starring a fresh face mercenary/government agent in a far-future, post-MGS4 world? The Metal Gear series' universe is ripe with characters and concepts that could be used to create a fascinating new entry in the tenured franchise. Regardless of whatever shape or form it takes, we're hoping Konami takes full advantage of Metal Gear's rich history for whatever it has in mind for the series now that Metal Gear Survive is out. | Matt Espineli
No One Lives Forever 3 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
Even before the saturation of first-person shooters in the mid-to-late 2000s, there were so many great single-player FPS games on PC. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and the original Call of Duty were staples of the genre, but nothing had quite the charm of No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way. For those not familiar, imagine the grandeur of James Bond and the absurdity of Austin Powers wrapped in an espionage tale with the highly capable operative Cate Archer at the helm. This was the foundation for a well-crafted shooter set in the Cold War era that took you across the world for hilariously ridiculous missions. Anyone who played it will never forget its incredibly adorable soundtrack, which so perfectly captured the campy spy theme.
That was 2002, and 16 years later, little-to-no hope is out there for Cate Archer's return. NOLF 2 and its predecessor The Operative: No One Lives Forever are cult classics, but over time, the rights to the franchise went into a sort of limbo. Both games were developed by Monolith (known for the recent Middle-earth games), but were published by Fox Interactive. Fox was acquired by Vivendi, which merged with and separated from Activision. However, Monolith is now under Warner Bros. So, who the hell knows which company can even revive the series. Regardless, we're holding out hope that this series lives to die another day. | Michael Higham
Portal 3 | PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
Why hasn't this happened already? Portal and Portal 2 are masterpieces, with the 2011 sequel successfully expanding on the first game's amazing puzzle game base with an intriguing story, improved script, and more diverse environments. A third game would surely be even better. It wouldn't even have to do much! It's been long enough that just more Portal would likely be satisfactory for a lot of people.
But this is Valve we're talking about. As we all know, this company doesn't just make games for the sake of it. The developer even seems happy to almost troll its own fans by allowing other companies to use the Portal license in their own games: the past few years have seen Rocket League and Lego Dimensions recieve Portal-related content, and last year we even got a full game crossover with Bridge Constructor. And yet, still no proper sequel.
We might be waiting a long time for Portal 3. If only those wormholes allowed us to travel through time... | Oscar Dayus
Silent Hills | PS4, Xbox One, PC
Despite game director Hideo Kojima's very public departure from Konami, the company is still seems adamant about supporting the auteur's Metal Gear series. Kojima was also tied to the next game in Konami's Silent Hill franchise, and while that project (a collaboration with film director Guillermo del Toro and actor Norman Reedus) is canceled, Konami has publicly stated that the Silent Hill franchise will continue on at some point. And despite Konami's issues, Silent Hill is still a tortured video game location that we'd want to visit again.
Spanning multiple developers and a wide range of protagonists, the series is uniquely positioned for a follow-up that doesn't strictly adhere to the games of the past. And a success with the long-running horror franchise could potentially mitigate the disastrous PR left by Kojima's departure. It seems like a sure thing that Konami will get around to making another entry in the franchise, and even though it would've been fascinating to see what a horror mashup between Kojmia and del Toro would have been like, we'll likely get a taste of that in Death Stranding. The next Silent Hill will be a new creature, but what form it takes has yet to be decided. Hopefully, it can return to its critically acclaimed roots, and avoid being another average spin-off like Downpour and Book of Memories. | Justin Haywald
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 3 | PS4, Xbox One, PC
Though there have been many games that have taken advantage of the Star Wars brand to great effect, one title in particular has stood out for many fans of the storied franchise. Bioware's narrative-focused RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic followed the adventures of an up-and-coming Jedi and their crew as they explored the galaxy, thousands of years before the rise of the Empire. At its time, it was a rather seminal game for the Star Wars series. Instead of shoehorning new characters into established lore and repeating moments from the films, this RPG title told its own story with a memorable cast of characters. While KOTOR had two sequels, one of which was the moderately successful MMO The Old Republic, there's been a yearning for a third game focusing on the single player experience with modern visuals and systems.
However, much has changed with the Star Wars IP in recent years, and making a direct sequel isn't so clear cut. With Disney having acquired the Star Wars license, while also jettisoning much of the material from the 40-years of expanded universe fiction--including the plot of KOTOR--a follow-up would have to be a reboot. While this may draw the ire of hardcore fans, this also presents a wonderful opportunity to tell fresh stories with new characters.
A Star Wars RPG seems well overdue, and with Bioware a part of EA--and with the publisher currently possessing the exclusive rights to produce Star Wars games--the timing seems perfect for the original developers to return to the Star Wars universe. Which should totally happen sooner, rather than later. | Alessandro Fillari
Super Mario Maker 2 | Switch
Mario Maker was one of the last hurrahs for Wii U owners, and what an event it was. It offered a chance for people to get creative with one of gaming's greatest icons, share Mario levels they've created online, and browse through thousands of levels made by other passionate players across the globe. If you followed game culture in 2015 and 2016, you probably saw plenty of people sharing videos of tremendously difficult stages being bested by skilled (or lucky) players; a testament to the game's widespread popularity and its effectiveness as a game creation tool.
The Wii U GamePad touchscreen made the process of creating and editing levels a breeze, and all it takes is one look at your Switch to realize that it's built for a game like Mario Maker. Given that Switch's online environment is still a work in progress, it's understandable why Nintendo isn't rushing to make it happen, but given the massive Switch install base (relative to Wii U), it's easy to imagine that we'll see the next Maker game sometime down the road. | Peter Brown
Super Mario RPG 2 | Switch
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars blessed the SNES back in 1996, where our franchise favorite characters banded together to fight common enemies throughout the Mushroom Kingdom… in the form of a turn-based RPG. Squaresoft had created Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana by this time, but to wrap its refined RPG elements in the Mario universe made for one of the best mash-up/collaborations ever. Bowser was driven out of his castle, Peach was fed up with being held captive, and newcomers Geno and Mallow joined Mario in an adventure through new places that gave a nod to what we've seen in previous Mario games. What tied everything together and ingrained this game into our memories was the catchy, joyful soundtrack full of songs with layered instrumentation. You've probably heard the infectious "Beware the Forest Mushrooms" before. And shout out to those that fought Culex to the rearrangement of Final Fantasy IV's boss battle theme.
Paper Mario, and its follow-up The Thousand Year Door, are incredible games in their own right, but are essentially spiritual successors separate from the world that was built in Legend of the Seven Stars. In this day and age however, the appetite for Mario spin-offs is strong; we got a tactical strategy game with Rabbids, and a remake of Superstar Saga on 3DS just in the last year. A proper follow up RPG should be on the shortlist for future Switch games. Of course, this is just wishful thinking given that there are no rumors, leaks, or cryptic messages from Nintendo that would indicate a true successor to one of its greatest games. | Michael Higham
God of War is a phenomenal game that everyone should play, no question. And if you're in this article, it's probably safe to say that you're interested in playing it, if you haven't already started. But if you want to really get the most out of its stunning world and its fantastic and definitely not boring combat, then you should really consider playing in Immersive mode.
You'll find an option in the game's setting menu that lets you toggle the game's HUD between Normal and Immersive mode, which removes most of the game's pop-ups, meters, compass, and icons. God of War's HUD is already quite minimal, which is great, but after finishing and playing the latter half of the game in Immersive mode, let me tell you: this is the way to experience God of War.
The idea of no HUD is always a little daunting, for sure. But don't be scared! I wrote this article to assure you that it's totally viable, explain how you can parse information you need, and tell you why the things you're missing out on aren't a big deal.
First of all, why do it, and what are the benefits of not getting every single little detail of information? On a superficial level, God of War is a very, very good looking game. Immersive mode makes sure the entirety of your screen can be used to appreciate the beauty of the environments, character models, and get the full impact of the game's truly impressive camera work with that one, long, 40-hour steadycam shot.
On a more substantial level, being able to pay full attention to the environment without any distractions will help you with your exploration. You'll pay more attention to the details in the environment and you'll almost be guaranteed to never miss a collectible. You'll more easily notice the shine of purposely obscured items, and distinctly hear the tinkling of Odin's ravens. No alternate paths will go unnoticed, and no stray pot or wooden item will go un-smashed, because you're looking so keenly at the world, instead of the icon on a compass.
But most importantly, the Immersive mode will make you better at combat. In action games, it's a common, and completely logical, tendency to always keep one eye on either your health meter, your enemy's health meter, enemy location indicators, your skill cooldowns, whatever. But that's one eye that's not actually watching the fight.
Immersive mode lets you focus completely on using all of your skill to be the best fighter you can be. Hit every parry, dodge every attack, take advantage of every opening. If you're like me, and you know you have a full bar of health, you'll sometimes get a little sloppier because you know Kratos can take a few hits. But why not perform at your absolute best all the damn time? You need to set a good example for Atreus, after all. Is that enemy you're taking on a purple enemy who's supposed to be overpowered for you? Who knows, who cares? If you can beat it, then what does it matter? Free yourself from self-doubt!
Now, I do recommend that on your first playthrough you should definitely spend the early hours with the default HUD just so you can get a basic feel of how combat operates, especially how the stun mechanic works. But by the time you get to the Lake of Nine and the game opens up, you should be good to go Immersive.
However, if you're STILL a little scared to go on a grand adventure without all of this info, there's one thing I've been keeping from you: God of War also has a Custom HUD option which lets you toggle certain elements of the HUD on or off. But best of all, it allows you to assign some HUD options to the PS4's touchpad, meaning you can turn everything off, but take a brief look anything you want to with a gentle tap of the touchpad. So if you're finding Immersive mode hard to get used to at the beginning, give the touchpad stuff a try. Bet you forgot that function was even there!
Okay, so how do you actually manage all the information you need for combat without seeing bars or indicators? Well, God of War has a bunch of in-world cues that make Immersive mode accessible and tell you literally everything you need to know. They're all pretty obvious, but let's run through them for peace of mind.
Watch for enemy attack rings! If an enemy is attacking you, and there's an expanding golden ring coming from them, it means you can and should parry this attack by blocking at the last minute. If there's an expanding red ring, it means it's an unblockable attack, and you should dodge the hell out of there or get Atreus to interrupt it. The game teaches you both of these things.
If you've been wailing on an enemy with light attacks or your bare fists, and see the pulsing red circle around them, it means you can execute your takedown move. Not being able to see how much stun you're dealing to an enemy might seem like a disadvantage, especially against Revenants, who have a rapid stun recovery. But just keep in mind that if you're looking to stun someone, you need to maintain focus on them and keep the pressure up regardless, otherwise you'll never get there.
If the screen has a glowing red vignette, it means you're low on health. That's a pretty standard thing. But Atreus will also tell you as much just in case it wasn't obvious enough. If Kratos is blue and icy, it means you've been affected by frost, and your attack speed will be slowed. Poison and shock effects are also pretty obvious--you'll see the distinct colors on Kratos. You don't need to see a little icon to know you're poisoned!
You also don't need the enemy indicator ring to know when you're being blindsided, just listen carefully to Atreus, because he'll tell you when you're being attacked, and from where. When he says "Watch out behind you!", or "Fire from your right!" it's a good idea to act on that advice immediately.
You see what I mean? All of that knowledge is pretty straightforward and pre-existing. They're all things you'll be accustomed to by the time you internalize the combat system. I'm sure you have a bunch of questions and concerns, such as: How do you know when you need to heal? Well naturally, it's a good idea to save green gems for until you really need them, and you know that when Atreus is yelling at you and your screen is turning red, you need to find some health gems to stomp on, pronto.
Now, remember when I talked about Immersive mode giving you way more awareness in combat? You'll likely be avoiding more hits overall, which means you'll likely have more spare health gems lying around, and as you play more you should organically get an idea of roughly how many blows you can take before hitting the red zone. Health then becomes more of a gut feeling thing. For example, if I enter a fight and am aware I've taken three or four hits from some Draugr, I can be pretty sure that grabbing one of those green gems will bring me back up to max health. Once the fight is over, you'll naturally want to clean up all the pickups on the battlefield, which should put you in perfect shape for the next battle. You can check your health with the touchpad just to be sure.
Things a little clearer for cooldowns on your runic weapon and talisman skills, as well as Atreus' abilities. When an ability comes off cooldown and is ready to use, there'll be a handy chime from either the left or right of the screen, where the meters would normally be. Atreus will say "I'm set! Or "Tell me when!" when his arrows are ready after using them all up. That said, it's good to keep in mind roughly how long the cooldown on your chosen abilities are (anywhere from 30-90 seconds) and keep rough track when you use it. Personally, I found myself having a lot more fun with them in Immersive because I would see myself identifying the perfect situation to use a skill before activating it (rather than noticing that it was available to use, thinking "I should use that", and then kinda wasting it and missing out on a better opportunity moments later).
The tricky one, depending on your play style, is knowing when Spartan Rage is ready to go. I typically only used Spartan Rage during boss fights or particularly large mobs, so I rarely found myself in a bad situation with it. But if you like to use it as soon as you can, as much as you can, you might want to use the custom Touchpad HUD to periodically check on the meters.
Finally your compass. God of War's open areas are not so convoluted that you're going to need to constantly follow an objective marker to get where you need to go. Glancing at your world map in the main menu, making a note of your orientation and where your next main or side objective might be, and set off in that general direction, allowing the natural pathways and your perception of major landmarks to guide you usually enough to get you where you need to be.
Okay, so how about all that sweet loot you're going to find along your journey? In Immersive mode, most of the white highlights you pick up off the ground, and the stuff you find in chests, coffins, and on the water won't activate a popup. But seriously, don't sweat. It's probably either just some hacksilver, a small XP boost, or crafting materials. None of these are things you need to worry about immediately!
And let's face it--every time you come upon a weapon stall, you're going to check in and see if you can craft or upgrade any new gear anyway. If you have the prerequisite hacksilver and crafting materials, great! And if you don't, well, see you next time! With Immersive mode, you'll likely be a lot more aware of hidden paths and pickups along the way, so it's not like you're going to miss a whole mess of stuff that's going to stop you from upgrading something, because you wouldn't have been able to anyway.
Now, if you find significant items like new Runic Attacks, uncommon, legendary, or epic gear, legendary materials, Iounn Apples, or Mead Horns, a big pop-up will come up regardless, because that's stuff that you might find useful immediately. Lore popups and new bestiary entries are pretty straightforward--You can safely assume that once you stumble upon a lore stone for Atreus to decipher, or encounter an enemy you haven't seen before, there'll be a fresh passage of text waiting for you to read in the main menu.
Unfortunately for those of you who are super into lore, Both the loot and lore popups are things that can't be toggled individually in the custom HUD screen, and can't be assigned to the touchpad menu. You're either all in or all out. So this might have to be a personal decision based on how badly you want to read the lore immediately, and seeing a popup saying you picked up 5 hacksilver every time you smash a pot.
So that's a lot of words and time spent to assure you that, yes, playing God of War in Immersive mode can be a completely practical and good option. Again, it's something that I implore you to do because it'll give you a greater appreciation of just how well designed its environments are for exploring, how deep and exciting combat can be, and just how stunning every facet of this game is. I wish I had done it earlier. Turn on Immersive mode in God of War. It's the best way to play.
The opening track to God of War begins with dark, pounding percussion and a deep, male choir chanting a series of ominous notes. It's a repeating motif that perfectly speaks to the Kratos we've known for decades, a brutal god-slaying monster. But there's another motif that accompanies it, a more uplifting series of horns and strings that seem almost hopeful. It hints at a calmer Kratos, though still prudent and stoic--it's the side of him that we see executed so superbly in this new game in his interactions with his son, Atreus. But the hook of the deep ominous chants remains, like the Ghost of Sparta that still haunts Kratos, and it's a sound that will continue to haunt you throughout God of War.
The idea of somehow instantly hooking an audience with a note or sound that stays with them long afterward has always stuck with Bear McCreary, and was a key factor in creating the soaring and emotional score for God Of War. It was a concept passed down by his mentor of almost ten years, Elmer Bernstein, the legendary composer of The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and Ghostbusters, among others. "I always strive to find a sound or instrument that can hook the audience instantly and in this, God of War is arguably an embarrassment of riches. Between the Nordic instruments, choirs, vocal soloists, percussion and the huge orchestra, there are many different sounds fighting for your attention. However, I must say that I think the 3-note low male choir phrase that begins the main theme are probably 'the thing' that will hook people the fastest. When I first played the theme for Santa Monica Studio and Cory (Barlog, creative director), they remarked instantly on that sound. Something about it evokes Kratos instantly. I felt very fortunate to have stumbled on to such an effective idea, so early in the creative process."
But that early acknowledgment is no surprise considering the experience behind the composer who wrote it. McCreary's career has already reached legendary status with his immediately recognizable work on The Walking Dead (including THAT theme music) and Battlestar Galactica. He won an Emmy Award for his work on Da Vinci's Demons and the Cloverfield movie franchise is now safely in his hands. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Sails, Outlander and Black Mirror all combine to make McCreary not only one of the most prolific composers working today, but one that has creeped into your subconscious without your knowledge. For a composer, that's a success.
Carving out an identity in music is not an easy task, so McCreary puts the tools into each job by looking at storytelling and character. "I always strive to find a musical approach that inherently draws inspiration from the story it is supporting. In the case of God of War, I strove to use Nordic folk instrumentation, languages, voices and musical modes to help transport the audience. I was inspired to write for instruments such as the Nyckelharpa and Hardanger Fiddle, because the process of exploring their strengths and weaknesses inevitably led me to discover new forms of musical expression."
Making your own way in the world but knowing the importance of a parental bond is one of the key themes of this new rebirth of God Of War. After being first contacted by Santa Monica Studio in 2014, McCreary's work on the game evolved over a period of years and throughout that time, he had a very personal influence to draw from which paralleled the journey of Kratos. "I had just become a father when I first was hired and my parental experience in the intervening four years has changed my life forever. This life experience was a huge influence on my work for God of War, perhaps in ways buried too deep in my subconscious for me to even be aware of. Practically every musical decision I made for the score was influenced by the relationship between Kratos and Atreus. Parental themes are rarely explored in video games, which helps set this story apart."
From the blind, one-dimensional rage that inhabited the young ghost of Sparta back in the PlayStation 2 days, 2018 has turned him on his head to develop layers of personality, empathy and depth in a character that had arguably reached his natural conclusion on the PlayStation 3. For McCreary, this revolutionary new direction played into the title track he wrote (and performed at E3 2016) and helped give him a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve with the overall score. "When I wrote that theme I was trying to communicate vital and often conflicting, information about Kratos. He is still the same character from the classic games. He retains that rage and power, simmering beneath his stern exterior. That's where the bombastic brass, pounding percussion and deep, male vocals helped. But more importantly, I wanted to communicate that he is older, wiser and calmer now. There are more layers to his storyline. Put simply, he is just a more mature character now. So to communicate that, I included his theme harmonic and melodic components that are quite beautiful, occasionally even soaring. The combination of visceral, powerful instrumentation with lyrical, soaring melodies and chord progressions is something I hope resonates with audiences."
In addition to the pounding bombast and deep choir voices that are typically associated with God Of War, McCreary also wrote numerous somber pieces that look to the past of the franchise while also giving Kratos and his son moments of wistful and perhaps mournful connection. Tracks like 'Echoes Of An Old Life', 'The Healing' and 'Memories Of Mother' have a quiet introspection to them that would have seemed ludicrous for this character when he was spending his time cutting off heads and enjoying quicktime-event sex scenes back in 2007.
There's a distinct sense of growth and self-reflection here, both with McCreary's work and the God Of War franchise itself. A lot of that has come about simply because of the four year lifespan of the music. "The score has evolved immeasurably," says McCreary, "and in some ways that evolution represents a move back towards a sound that is more consistent with the older games of the franchise. My first stab at a theme for God of War was a lonely, melancholy tune for female voices and Nyckelharpa. I was inspired by the new story arc for Kratos, and his relationship with his son. It was heartbreaking!"
"Ultimately, we realized it was simply too sad and subdued to function as the primary theme for Kratos, and for the game, so I put it away. That original theme I composed still ended up in the game, however, becoming the primary theme for Kratos and his Atreus, representing their family storyline specifically. The theme is featured prominently on the soundtrack album in the cue 'Memories of Mother' and ultimately heard in the game almost as much as the main theme."
Travelling to Iceland to record choir voices, McCreary felt an incredible sense of belonging to the Nordic influence of the game. He spent time walking around local glaciers and waterfalls to feel the mythological history of the area. Using Swedish and Norwegian instruments that date back to the 14th century helped push the score to a place that McCreary felt it couldn't have reached otherwise.
If that wasn't enough, the collaboration with Faroese throat singer and musician Eivør Pálsdóttir lent a further level of authenticity on many of the tracks and opened new avenues of collaboration for the composer. "Eivør was a fantastic creative partner, and she brought a whole new level of personality to the music. I was thrilled with the vast dynamic and emotional range her singing voice provided. High, ethereal angelic tones to deep, guttural, percussive bursts. I learned a lot about collaboration on this project. A game score this immense is vastly more complex from a logistical standpoint than a typical film score. Teams of music editors, producers and engineers worked on this score for nearly a year after primary recording was completed in order to integrate it into the game in an impactful way."
McCreary still enjoys this process in his own work to some extent. "I enjoy listening to my previous work, though I don't do it very often. I like to take a moment to recognize how much I've grown as a composer. I'm always looking forward but it's fun to sometimes listen back to older scores and recognize a job well done. The score to Capcom's Dark Void is still one of my greatest melodic achievements, and I am flooded with emotion when I hear it again."
The transformation of Kratos from angry, one-trick god to stern yet responsible father coupled with a parental bond being the key story theme for an entire game is remarkable. In tandem, Bear McCreary's personal connection to this journey over almost half a decade of his career has delivered a collection of emotionally thunderous music which soars through the rebirth of this franchise with confidence and grandeur without forgetting to hook the audience from the beginning. With three simple notes.
We're giving away a God of War Limited Edition 1TB PS4 Pro, grey DualShock 4 Controller, and copy of the game!
This special bundle features a fully customized Leviathan Grey 1TB PS4 Pro console inspired by Kratos' Axe, a matching DualShock 4 wireless controller with insignia, and a copy of God of War Day One Edition.
Entry is open to United Kingdom residents only, since the prize is shipping from the UK. Competition ends Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM BST. One (1) winner will be chosen.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
By Anonymous on Apr 28, 2018 09:30 am Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel Studios' most ambitious film yet, 10 years in the making. Chastity and Ryan tell you why it's truly one for the fans, list the best moments and team-ups, and give their predictions for Avengers 4! (Caution: SPOILERS!)
Is there room in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a superhero who smashes enemies in the face with buckets of paint or knows how to grocery shop on a budget in the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War? If so, Macaulay Culkin--who first rose to fame in 1989's Home Alone--would like to throw his name in the hat.
Culkin has officially put Disney and Marvel Studios on notice that he's ready to be of service to the MCU in a tweet. "Hey [Marvel] and [Disney] there's still time to cast me in part 2 of Infinity War," he writes. "I'm around." He also includes what he's calling a reel to show the producers and directors of the film exactly what he's capable of. In case you were wondering, he excels at wearing bunny ears and beating WWE superstars at thumb wrestling.
Unfortunately, there's some bad news for Culkin. It actually is too late for him to snag a role in Avengers 4, as it's already been filmed. In fact, it was shot back-to-back with Avengers: Infinity War. Voth movies wrapped production back in January.
The MCU isn't slowing down anytime soon, though. There will be plenty of chances to integrate the actor if the powers-that-be decide it should be done. First, he'll have to take off those bunny ears, though.
If you've already had the chance to check out Avengers: Infinity War, GameSpot has plenty for you to check out. Once you know all of the MCU secrets, take a look at our deep dive into that post-credits scene, as well as a primer on that shocking cameo appearance.
Saudi Arabia held its first live, televised WWE event, the Greatest Royal Rumble. The main event for the evening was a 50-Man Royal Rumble match, the largest in the history of WWE. Additionally, the show featured some big name talent from Undertaker to John Cena to Triple H for the people of Saudi. WWE put a lot into this show, but ultimately--for WWE fans--it was one of the biggest letdowns in years.
Understandably, this was the first time the people of Saudi Arabia got to see these WWE superstars live, so of course, the sports entertainment company trotted out many of its biggest names. However, what WWE failed to realize in this scenario is that overpacking a show with big names, and a lack of storyline, makes these matches dull.
Take for example Triple H and John Cena, which opened up the entire event. Their battle was slow-paced, strategic, and not a great way to start a show. Tests of strength between two powerhouse wrestlers are fine, but shows need to kick off with excitement and have something at stake. And it didn't work here because there were no stakes. If John Cena won, nothing happens. If Triple H won, nothing happens. The only thing the crowd could get invested in was the individual mythos of these characters, as there was no story driving the fight.
Additionally, there was Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket Match. Honestly, no one should have expected much from this match, and the only story building up to the event was Rusev being removed from the match then later added back on. While the almost 10-minute match lasted longer than Taker's appearance at Wrestlemania 34, it left many fans, like myself, wondering what the point of it was. Rusev won't continue to feud with Taker, and the match in no way made the Bulgarian Brute look tough. The match itself was fine and enjoyable, but again, what were the stakes?
Greatest Royal Rumble was a poorly put-together highlight reel of what the sports entertainment company is, mixed with a bit of WWE nostalgia. Five of the matches on the 10-match card came in at under 10 minutes, and two of those matches were five and six minutes long. What makes that crazier is that those were both title matches. These were both matches with a lot of potential that were cut too early.
And that's a huge bummer for fans as the full-time talent involved in the majority of these matches deserves better. Even the matches with stories behind them were extremely problematic, like Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, which had a bizarre finish where Reigns should have won, but Lesnar came out victorious for some reason that was never clear. However, if you like finishing moves that don't finish the match, Lesnar vs. Reigns is for you.
One of the true highlights of the evening came from the cruiserweight match between Cedric Alexander and Kalisto. While their match barely broke the 10-minute mark, these two men made sure that every moment of it was exciting and kept the audience on the edge of their seats. As most cruiserweight matches go, it was filled with acrobatic moments and high-risk maneuvers. The story behind the two facing each other was thinner than many fans would have liked, but overall, it was one of the standouts for the event.
Additionally, there was the four-way ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, which featured some of the top talent in the company: Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, The Miz, and Finn Balor. It was fun and fast-paced and had a finish that came out of nowhere, in a good way. Also, while the finish to Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles was disappointing, the rest of the match was one of the best of the evening, and Nakamura plays a heel incredibly well. Both of these matches are a must-watch.
Then, there was the 50-Man Royal Rumble match, which felt exceptionally fast-paced despite being one hour and 17 minutes long. It ended with Braun Strowman as the last man standing. For his prize, he was awarded a gigantic trophy and a championship belt, two things WWE, as well as fans, will forget about two months from now. Like most Royal Rumble matches, it was fun, and there were plenty of memorable spots. But that's not saying much when the rest of the show was mediocre and forgettable.
The real standout part of the event was Daniel Bryan in the Rumble match. It told the audience a story. It was a man who entered the match and was determined to win, against all odds, even though he was the first wrestler to enter the ring for the 50-Man event. There were numerous moments where we saw him triumph and just as many where we saw him falter. All-in-all, the odds were stacked against him, and he ended up being eliminated. And while he didn't win the match, he spent one hour and 15 minutes inside the ring, which is a new record for most time spent in a Rumble match. Why couldn't the rest of the event have done more things like this?
The first Greatest Royal Rumble did not live up to the enormous amount of hype WWE put behind the event. The fireworks, big names, gigantic stadium, and numerous title matches can't cover up the fact that WWE put way too much on its plate and delivered a highly polished house show at best. Sure, there were a few moments that were great, but that was only a tiny light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
If you're looking to see the best the show had to offer, watch these matches and skip everything else:
Cedric Alexander vs. Kalisto
The Miz vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
The WrestleMania 34 match between Brock Lesnar and The Big Dog, Roman Reigns, was bad. The rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the Greatest Royal Rumble, was worse. It was poor in its own right, but it also rendered the prior title match pointless.
The entire appeal of professional wrestling is that--unlike in boxing or MMA--a professional wrestling match has a predetermined pace, variety, and outcome. In boxing, you never know what you're going to get as a paying customer; you could get a shifting battle of styles between a counter puncher and a brawler, or you could get a miserable slog, with two guys clinching and smothering each other for 12 rounds. In professional wrestling--at least in theory--the fans are guaranteed a good fight for their money; the bookers can plot out the perfect offense, defense, counterattacks, and comebacks to maximize the entertainment value.
And that's why there's no excuse for the awful match we saw. The Lesnar vs. Reigns match at the Greatest Royal Rumble was the one thing worse than being actively bad; it was boring. For the entire match, which took place inside a steel cage, the two men traded signature moves, special moves, and finishers. Typically, these are the trademark turning points of a match when momentum shifts and one wrestler takes the upper hand. But these were the only moves that both competitors did, over and over again. There was no grappling, no psychology, and barely any use of the steel cage that surrounded them. Why create a stipulation and then apply it so infrequently?
There were four German suplexes, two F5s, five Spears, and an endless number of Superman punches. I know this because the broadcast team kept track of these statistics and updated them as the match progressed--proof of how pervasive and played-out they were. They are no longer "signature" moves or "finishing" moves now. They are simply "moves" with no sense of danger, specialness, or purpose.
And the match's ending was terrible too. Roman speared Lesnar through the cage, and both men hit the floor outside. And since Lesnar hit the floor first, he was declared the winner. The only problem, however, is that those aren't the rules of the match. The winner of a steel cage match needs "both feet" to touch the floor. And Reigns, very clearly, did this before Lesnar did. There should have been a clean, non-flukey finish to pass the torch from one generation to the next. As is, this "controversy" will stretch the Lesnar vs. Reigns feud into extra, tedious innings--this time, by stirring up drama where it didn't need to exist. WWE is getting too clever for its own good. Give fans a good, solid match, with clear stakes, a narrative arc, and clear winners. Fans will be much happier.
BROCK LESNAR WINS.... thanks to Roman Reigns spearing him through cage!!! Lesnar hit the ground first! #WWEGRRpic.twitter.com/ItpLfOVHSg
Wrestlemania 34 was the event where Reigns should have won the Universal Championship. Despite its predictability, it would have served a practical purpose--of putting the world title on a full-time worker who could show up to Raw every week. And it made logical, narrative sense, which is one of the reasons why it was so predictable.
Then, shockingly, Reigns lost at Wrestlemania 34. And some defenders said, "Well, maybe WWE wants the title to change hands in Saudi Arabia, where the audience response would be more pro-Reigns." And lo and behold, it was! Saudi Arabian fans cheered for Reigns the whole match. But still, WWE stuck Reigns with another loss and rendered the Wrestlemania 34 loss even more pointless. This was no underdog narrative. This was a man getting beaten once, and then getting beaten harder.
What's the end game to all this? In the past, Reigns had suffered from the common perception that he is the "top guy" who beats everyone else. But the current reality is worse; he's the top guy who can't even beat the part-time guy. And not only does that make him look weak-- it makes everyone beneath him look even weaker by comparison.
For three months, Reigns has delivered multiple, passionate promos, telling the WWE fans that Lesnar's run as Raw champion has created a worse, less consequential show. That is absolutely true. And now, rather than correcting that status quo, WWE has decided, against all reason, to maintain it.
Throughout God of War's many realms lie hidden chambers sequestering powerful Valkyries. These cursed warriors offer some of the toughest fights in the entire game and grant you access to impressive-looking armor. You won't be able to fight them until you acquire the tip of a certain giant's chisel, but once you have that key item it's time to start thinking seriously about hunting Valkyries down.
Below, we will show you the exact location of each Valkyrie fight, and provide general tips on how to take them down and protect yourself from their attacks. For more on God of War, check out GameSpot's God of War review. For more guides, check out our progression system explainer and our feature detailing 11 tips you should know before starting.
Every Valkyrie Location
With four fights to discover, Midgard contains more Valkyries than any other realm in the game, but you can also find them in Alfheim, Helheim, Muspelheim, and Niflheim. The eight images below display their exact locations in each realm.
While you shouldn't have too much of an issue coming across these locations throughout the course of following the story, Muspelheim in particular is a bit deceiving at first. To get to the Valkyrie, you actually need to complete every trial and work your way to the top of the mountain, which wraps around--hence why it looks like it's near the entrance, even though it isn't.
General Tips
God of War doesn't present a clear order in which to fight the Valkyries, and not all Valkyries are created equal. That said there are a few key strategies you can take into battle that should help you regardless of the Valkyrie in question.
Whether or not you ultimately need it, be sure to take a resurrection stone into battle. Valkyries are punishing and in some cases are able to wipe you out with little warning. Having a stone in hand ensures that you get a second chance, and you'll be glad you thought ahead if you ever get knocked just before finishing off their last bit of health.
You should also prepare yourself for a bit of trial and error. Valkyries are highly mobile and capable of attacking in many different ways from near or far. It can take a few fights before you begin to recognize their attack patterns and learn how to avoid taking damage. Always go in knowing that you're better off being patient and waiting for an obvious moment of opportunity, versus risking progress on a moment of over-confidence.
The best tip you should always keep in mind: Whenever you see a Valkyrie leap into the air and telegraph an unblockable attack with a red ring of light, have Atreus fire an arrow to knock them to the ground. In most cases the attack they would otherwise activate is an arena-wide flash of energy that's impossible to dodge.
It's also smart to closely manage your runic attack cooldowns, and consider using the Talisman of Unbound Potential, which you can use to refill your meters in an instant. Simple combos will do damage to Valkyries but there's nothing quite like a powerful, magic-infused axe blow when you get the chance. Avoid spamming attacks and make the most of the opportunities that arise.
What's My Prize?
Some say victory is a reward unto itself, but this is a video game we're talking about. For every Valkyrie you defeat, you are guaranteed to get Epic-grade items in return, including plenty of enchantments and armor. Armor in particular is very desirable as each piece usually comes with powerful perks that may prove especially useful while trekking through Niflheim or Muspelheim.
What's Next?
After you defeat all eight Valkyries, well, you get to fight one more. Each Valkyrie you kill leaves a head behind that you can return to the council of Valkyries. The location of the council is pinpointed on your map--just to the left of the oarsmen--after you kill your first Valkyrie.
Returning the eight heads creates a tear that can be used to initiate a fight with the Queen of the Valkyries. She has far more health than any of the others, and even has a few new attacks to catch you off guard. The best advice for beating her is to just be patient. Don't rush, and do your best to survive. It's a long fight. Good luck.
What would you do to bring balance to the universe? It's a question that, in one form or another, countless characters have faced throughout the history of fiction. Heroes and villains--Jedi and Sith, hobbits and Dark Lords alike--have endlessly tried to tip the scales of good and evil one way or the other. Few have had so succinct a solution as Thanos.
This is it--the movie, and the villain, that a decade of laboriously mapped out and meticulously crafted Marvel Cinematic Universe fiction has led to. Marvel made fans a promise when Samuel L. Jackson donned Nick Fury's eyepatch and told Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative at the end of Iron Man: It would all culminate here. They doubled down on that promise over and over across the subsequent decade of MCU movies, raising the stakes every time a new Infinity Stone entered the fray or Thanos made another of his rare on-screen appearances.
Now the gloves are off, and the Infinity Gauntlet is on Thanos's hand. And Avengers: Infinity War is a payoff of galactic proportions.
Thanos has been lurking in the MCU's wings for years now, pulling strings and orchestrating plots like Loki's invasion of Earth in the first Avengers movie and Ronan's assault on Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy. Having lost his patience for subterfuge and with five of the six Infinity Stones located, the Mad Titan decides to finally get his hands dirty in Infinity War. He sends his minions, the Children of Thanos, to Earth to retrieve two of the Stones, while he goes after the others himself.
Infinity War doesn't introduce a lot of new characters, understandable considering the ridiculously enormous cast it already has to work with. The Children of Thanos make up four of those new faces, and they toe the line between campy fun and cannon fodder--they're cool, but they won't make much of an impression in the grand scheme of the movie.
And how grand a scheme it is. To mention only what we know, and not spoil any of the surprising cameos--of which there are a few--Infinity War is juggling protagonists and sidekicks from the worlds of Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Spider-Man, and the Avengers universe at large.
Incredibly, Infinity War actually manages to do every single one of these characters justice. Some of them only get a few lines in the movie, or just a couple of awesome shots during a huge battle, but that's understandable. The fact that Infinity War actually feels like a well-balanced movie, with time for small, emotional moments between characters in addition to the multiple budget-breaking battles, is undeniably impressive.
There are two factors that help it there. For one thing, with a few exceptions, these are all characters we're already intimately familiar with. (That said, if you haven't been keeping up with the MCU for the last decade, good luck.) For another, this is really only half a movie, despite being long as heck. That shouldn't come as a surprise, and it certainly doesn't detract from the film. If anything, it probably would have turned out a lot messier if they'd tried to cram the whole story into one film. And Infinity War does end on a note of finality--there's no massive cliffhanger, but instead a coda that may come to feel like a bridge only when Avengers 4 arrives in 2019.
As has been the trend in the MCU lately, Infinity War is also extremely funny, though it occasionally feels like it shoehorns gags into otherwise serious scenes just to break the tension. The action, on the other hand, is as imaginative as you'd hope with all these different heroes with wildly varied powers coming together--and every bit as excellent as we've come to expect from directors Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War before this.
As promised, Infinity War is Thanos's movie. This is by far the most we've seen of the iconic villain since his proper debut in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and the movie does a decent job fleshing out his backstory and motivations. There are some aspects from the source material that you might find yourself missing if you're well versed on the books, but from the movie's shocking opening moments, Thanos is established as an absurdly powerful and nearly unstoppable force. And Josh Brolin plays the Titan with the exact right amounts of menace, humor, and emotion that the surprisingly complex character demands. In a word, Thanos is phenomenal.
But this is still an Avengers movie, and the payoff really comes from the unions and reunions we've come to expect from that name. When the first Avengers movie brought Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye together in 2012, the goosebumps that came from seeing heroes from disparate franchises fighting on-screen together proved that the Marvel blueprint works on a large scale. And that was after just a few movies and four years; Avengers: Infinity War extrapolates that same sensation over a decade and 18 films, and the results are exponentially more fun, exciting, and awe-inducing.
Avengers: Infinity War does justice both to the promise Marvel has been riding on for the last decade, and the source material that inspired it. Somehow, for all its fire and fury--the raw spectacle of it all--Infinity War is a surprisingly human story, both for the heroes who have to put all their doubts aside and unite, and for Thanos, a genocidal alien who succeeds as a character because he's infused with real emotion. Infinity War reminds us why these characters, one and all, matter, and why they mean so much to fans.
Marvel has accomplished something truly incredible here, although at this point it's no more than the absurdly high quality bar Marvel fans have come to expect. It's been a long road getting here, but it was worth it.
The Good
The Bad
Payoff of all these characters coming together
Some humor feels shoehorned in
Thanos is a phenomenal and complex villain
Not much time given to the few new characters
Impressive balance among all characters
Creative battles that use all the heroes' powers
Plenty of humor interspersed throughout
Has time for emotional moments as well
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
We chat with the creative director of God of War, Cory Barlog, about the game's ending, Norse mythology references, and more.
Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel Studios' most ambitious film yet, 10 years in the making. Chastity and Ryan tell you why it's truly one for the fans, list the best moments and team-ups, and give their predictions for Avengers 4! (Caution: SPOILERS!)
No comments:
Post a Comment