By Anonymous on May 26, 2018 12:30 am Battlefield V is bringing a lot of changes to the BF series. From big changes like setting, customization and new game modes, to smaller things like spotting and grenades. We're giving you the top changes that we are excited about in Battlefield V.
Movie sequels are rarely better than the original films, and this is especially true of the horror genre. Horror thrives on sequels, prequels, reboots, and remakes--it's not unusual for a popular franchise to reach double figures, with the basic formula endlessly recycled for maximum profit--but with increasingly unimpressive results.
However, there are a handful of horror movies that actually improve on the first films. Some of these were made by the same filmmakers, who used increased budgets to perfect their vision. Others were handed to new directors, who brought fresh, inventive visions to popular formulas. And then there were the accidents--cash-in, knock-off sequels that by some movie magic actually emerged as superior films.
So here are the 13 of the best horror sequels, movies that managed to improve on (for the most part) already impressive films to emerge as all-time classics.
13. Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
The first Maniac Cop was an engagingly grimy mix of slasher movie and cop thriller about psychotic undead police officer Matt Cordell causing all sorts of murderous mayhem on the streets on New York. The second movie saw director William Lustig return with a bigger budget, which he made the most of in this slam-bang sequel that far surpasses the original. It's as much an action movie as a horror flick, showcasing a series of increasingly wild stunts as Cordell continues his reign of terror. There's a particularly hair-raising car chase through the streets of NYC, in which an unfortunate woman is handcuffed to the outside of an out-of-control vehicle, plus an amazing final sequence where Cordell fights his way through a prison while on fire. It's also got a great cast of genre faces, including Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell, and a typically sharp script from horror veteran Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent).
12. Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
Based on the best-selling novel, The Amityville Horror was one of the most successful horror movies of the late 1970s. But unlike many classics of the era, it really hasn't held up very well--it's dated, slow, and distinctly low on scares. The follow-up is another matter however. Like pretty much every Amityville sequel that has followed (and there have been a lot), it has very little to do with the first movie, instead just using the title and haunted house concept. It's written by John Carpenter collaborator Tommy Lee Wallace and directed by Italian filmmaker Damiano Damiani, with Rocky's Burt Young starring as an abusive father whose family becomes the target of evil possession. Amityville II is a genuinely weird and disturbing film, with a variety of intense, gory, and taboo-breaking scenes that had to be cut for its original release and still pack a punch today.
11. V/H/S 2 (2013)
The V/H/S films are a series of found-footage anthology movies that use the concept of VHS tapes to tell a series of dark, scary tales from some of the genre's hottest young filmmakers. The first one was a mixed bag, and while V/H/S 2 still has its weaker sections, the quality is generally higher. The absolute standout is Safe Haven, directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans, who also helmed the acclaimed action movie The Raid and its sequel. This 20-minute masterclass in terror is about a documentary team who infiltrate an Indonesian cult; it starts sinister and goes absolutely insane, with some jaw-dropping, shocking imagery that lingers in the mind long after the end. The other segments are pretty good, but that part alone makes V/H/S 2 a must-see.
10. The Devil's Rejects (1985)
Rob Zombie was already a popular musician when he made his debut movie, 2003's House of a 1000 Corpses. The film was a big hit and there was no looking back for Zombie, who has gone on to make some of the darkest, most brutal films over the last 15 years. The Devil's Rejects was the sequel to 1000 Corpses, and it remains his best film. While that first movie was a ultra-stylised gorefest heavily influenced by Zombie's music videos, The Devil's Rejects has a '70s grindhouse aesthetic, taking influence from such classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. This tale of a trio of depraved killers causing mayhem on the backroads of Texas expertly blends dark humour and intense horror, and expectations are high for the third part of the series--titled 3 From Hell--which is due later this year.
9. REC 2 (2009)
The endless wave of found footage horror movies that followed in the decade after The Blair Witch Project produced many cheap, terrible films. But there were some highlights, and 2007's Spanish zombie thriller REC was one of the best. Two years later, directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza returned with an even better follow-up. It starts immediately after the end of the first movie and mostly focuses on a heavily armed special forces team who attempt to take control of a zombie-infected tenement building. It's a blisteringly exciting experience heavily influenced by video games, as we are thrown straight into the mayhem via the cameras worn by the soldiers. Two more movies followed, but neither matched the sheer verve and intensity of this one.
8. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Mike Flanagan has emerged as one of the most talented young horror filmmakers of recent years, with movies such as Oculus and the recent Stephen King adaptation Gerald's Game to his name. In 2016, he was given the task of writing and directing a follow-up to the extremely average, but commercially successful, supernatural possession chiller Ouija. Not only was Ouija: Origin of Evil a better film, it's a genuinely great horror movie. It's a prequel set in the late '60s that works as both a family drama and a scary movie; the influences are obvious--The Changeling, The Exorcist--but Flanagan delivers the scary goods.
7. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)
While the original Friday the 13th set the formula for the slasher franchise, it was the fourth movie that perfected it. It was originally intended to be the last movie in the series (hence the subtitle), and director Jospeh Zito brings a level of craft not really seen elsewhere in the series. The plot is standard stuff--Jason vs teens by a lake--but the suspense, characterisation, acting, and gory effects are of a surprisingly high level. Zito wisely keeps Jason off-screen for much of the film, and the movie is notable for early roles from Back to the Future's Crispin Glover and The Lost Boys' Corey Feldman.
6. Bride of Chucky (1998)
The 1988 killer doll hit Child's Play spawned two very average sequels, before seemingly grinding to a halt in the early '90s. When the series returned in 1998, it followed the huge success of self-referential horrors such as Scream, and this was the approach that Bride of Chucky took. The result was a hilarious, over-the-top horror comedy, in which foul-mouthed possessed killer doll Chucky and his bride Tiffany (wonderfully voiced by Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly) leave a trail of murder and mayhem as they travel in the possession of a pair of unsuspecting newlyweds. Hong Kong director Ronnie Yu and writer/creator Don Mancini completely revitalised the franchise with this delicious slice of horror lunacy.
5. Blade II (2002)
Guillermo Del Toro wasn't even the first choice to direct the sequel to 1998 superhero vampire hit Blade, but when original director Stephen Norrington turned Blade II down, producers sought out the rising Mexican filmmaker. Del Toro proved to be a perfect choice, his love of the genre and skill at creating a dark, fantastical imagery resulting in a film that exceeded the original, and took the this dark superhero tale into undeniable horror territory. Wesley Snipes proves again that the half-vampire Blade was the role he was born to play, and Del Toro directs a consistently inventive movie, filled with amazing action and a dazzling visual style.
4. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The original 1931 film Frankenstein is one of the most important horror films ever made, and its influence on the genre can't be overstated. However, the sequel, made four years later, is even better. By introducing the concept of the monster's mate, director James Whale added an extra level of drama and emotion to this classic story, with Elsa Lanchester and Boris Karloff making one of the screen's strangest, most iconic couples. Bride of Frankenstein proved that the genre was more than just monsters and scares and is rightfully remembered as one of the all-time great sequels.
3. The Purge: Election Year (2016)
The Purge movies have a great concept--on one night a year, all crime is legal, enabling the citizens of the United States to get all their destructive, murderous urges out in one crazed, bloody evening. But while the first two films in the hugely successful series were fun, they didn't fully exploit the potential of the the concept. The Purge: Election Year really does though, mixing horror, action, and social satire in a hugely satisfying way. The fourth movie--The First Purge--is out in July, so let's hope they continue to get even better.
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
How you do follow one of the greatest and most influential horror movies of all time? Easy: you make another one. George Romero created the modern zombie movie with his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, and a decade later directed this masterpiece of modern horror. Dawn of the Dead is both a biting satire of modern consumerism and a gloriously entertaining mix of action and horror, with buckets of inventive gore courtesy of make-up effects genius Tom Savini. It's thrilling, scary, hilarious, and super-smart, and it remains one of the most-loved horror movies of all time.
1. Evil Dead II (1987)
The 1982 classic The Evil Dead was such a wild, intense, scary, funny ride that it was hard to see how director Sam Raimi could possibly top it with the sequel. Raimi wisely took a complete left-turn with Evil Dead II, essentially remaking the first movie as an insane comedy, keeping the basic plot, but lowering the scare level and ramping up the energy, laughs, and gore. Bruce Campbell's brilliant performance as the hapless Ash made him the beloved genre star he remains today, and Raimi's wild, inventive directing style paved the way for his huge Hollywood success a decade later with the Spider-Man movies. Evil Dead II is pretty much the most fun you could ever have watching a horror movie.
Telltale Games' anticipated follow-up to The Wolf Among Us has been delayed. Season 2 of the series was originally scheduled to launch for "all major gaming consoles and mobile gaming devices" in the second half of this year, but it will now be arriving sometime in 2019.
On its official website, Telltale says the delay "comes as the result of a few fundamental changes here at Telltale since we first announced the game last summer." This is presumably in reference to the major layoffs that hit the studio late last year, which saw 25% of Telltale's employees laid off part of a "comprehensive company restructuring."
Telltale also says it will use the extra development time to further improve the game. "Taking this extra time will allow us not only to focus on quality but also to experiment and iterate in order to craft something truly special," the developer said.
"Ultimately our goal is to deliver an experience deserving of the passion you've consistently shown for The Wolf Among Us, and these extra months will give us the time we need to do our best work. We're extremely enthusiastic about how the game is progressing so far, and we can't wait to dig even deeper."
The Wolf Among Us Season 2 was first announced in July 2017, just prior to that year's San Diego Comic-Con. Like the first season, it is based upon the Fables comic book series by Bill Willingham. Telltale revealed very few details about the upcoming season, only that it features "a fresh story arc for its returning cast of characters."
Now that Marvel's Black Panther has been in theaters for several months, director Ryan Coogler is clearing the air on one piece of the movie that was particularly difficult for him. While there's a lot to love about the MCU film, there's a character death that upset him during production.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, Coogler admits the decision to kill Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) was not something he was a fan of. "I like [Klaue]," he tells the newspaper. "I was bugged by having to do that. It's tough when you have to kill characters off and I really did love that character."
Still, the director understands that it's a decision made for the movie's benefit. "I love Andy, he's a lovely person," Coogler says. "But again, it's one of those things where when you've got so many people in a movie, some of them have to go."
While Klaue may not have ended up being the last man standing in the MCU, Coogler believes the character--and Serkis--did get the chance to shine in Black Panther. "[Klaue] in this movie, he's just having a good time," he says. "Every scene he's in, he's walking in like it's the best day of his life. He's got a swagger to him that's interesting and for me it was cool to see Andy act like that. It was a real pleasure."
The character first appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron and made the franchise's first mention of Wakanda. In the comics, he's known as Klaw. Given how playful he was in Black Panther, it's hard to imagine the movies making better use of him in the future. While seeing him go was unfortunate, at least he went out at his peak.
E3 promises to bring news on lots of big games, and CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely one we're excited to learn more about. While it is not confirmed to be at the event, signs are pointing to some kind of reveal in June. In this feature we're rounding up important details about the game like what we know about it so far, what's confirmed for E3, and what we hope to see from the game at the show. Here we go!
What We Know So Far
Cyberpunk 2077 is the next game from CD Projekt Red, the creators of the Witcher franchise. Announced six years ago this month, Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG that is at least loosely based on Mike Pondsmith's tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020. The game is set in a "dark future" of 2077 where advanced technologies have become both "the salvation and the curse of humanity." The game promises a nonlinear story designed for "mature" players and is set in the metropolis of Night City. According to CD Projekt Red, it will have some sandbox elements and a form of multiplayer. At the same time, CD Projekt Red has taken steps to stress that Cyberpunk 2077 is a "true RPG" and definitely not a multiplayer shooter. Platforms for the ambitious-sounding RPG have not been announced, but the game is expected to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
What's Confirmed For E3
We know that CD Projekt Red is attending E3 2018, but we don't know yet in what capacity. A listing on the official E3 website suggests that CD Projekt Red is bringing a PS4, Xbox One, and PC RPG to the show, but this doesn't confirm anything specifically about Cyberpunk 2077. Oftentimes developers will attend E3 for business meetings or to show their games behind closed doors. We're surely hoping to see and learn more about Cyberpunk 2077 at E3, but unfortunately nothing is locked down at this point.
What We Hope To See At E3
The signs are pointing to some kind of Cyberpunk 2077 reveal at E3, so we hope to at the very least see a proper trailer for the RPG. The only video released so far was more of a mood piece that raised more questions than it answered. So it would be great to see a more in-depth trailer, while a gameplay reveal would surely go far to drive up hype even more around the game. As of yet, we don't even know what kind of world and experience Cyberpunk 2077 will offer, and a new trailer could go a long way towards helping players understand what to expect and get excited about.
It would also be good for CD Projekt Red to clarify the game's online mode during E3. Studio management has said the game's online elements will help ensure the game's "long-term success," which some took as a signal that there might be microtransactions. Whatever the case, CD Projekt Red could quell these concerns--and further excite fans--by revealing details on how they plan to approach multiplayer for Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red spent more than a decade working on games with swords and magic, so it is refreshing and exciting to see the studio enter the sci-fi space with Cyberpunk 2077; we're excited to see and learn more at E3.
By Anonymous on May 25, 2018 11:28 pm The fan-favorite comedy returns to Netflix on May 29 for a fifth season, but we'll help you get all caught up before the big day.
Regardless of how you feel about the ubiquity of the battle royale genre, Fortnite seems to be the battle royale shooter, as it pulled in $296 million digitally worldwide in the month of April, according to SuperData, a research firm that tracks the digital sales of games across console, mobile, and PC. That's a 33 percent increase from the $223 million Epic's shooter reportedly made in March.
This makes Fortnite the first and fifth highest grossing digital game on console and PC worldwide, respectively. The other big battle royale shooter, PUBG Corporation's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, claimed the ninth spot on PC but didn't rank anywhere in the top 10 on console. Though both games have mobile ports, neither placed in the top 10 in that market either.
Fortnite even managed to eclipse the digital performance of Sony Santa Monica's God of War, which we awarded a 9/10 in our review, calling it, "A spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress." As reported by SuperData, God of War became the fastest selling PS4 console-exclusive to date, moving a total of 2.1 million digital units worldwide.
In our Fortnite review, which we awarded the game an 8/10, we said, "It seamlessly merges a number of simple mechanics to create a distinguishable battle royale game."
Fortnite: Battle Royale is available for Android, iOS, macOS, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and it's completely free.
After a breezy tutorial framed as a series of interactive wizard museum exhibits, you finds yourself whisked away into a new dimension--one with an ever-changing, multi-floor dungeon inhabited by three all-powerful wizards. The challenges you face in this dungeon are called the Chaos Trials, and only wizards of truly exceptional skill have ever conquered them…meaning, of course, that you need to become a wizard of exceptional skill.
Your wizard character has animpressive moveset, with a basic melee spell, a dash/dodge spell, and two powerful techniques with cooldowns mapped to each of the controller's face buttons. While a lot of roguelike games focus on smart usage of the random resources you find on any given run, Wizard of Legend's emphasis is more on skill-based action gameplay. By using your spells and movement skillfully, you can create powerful combos, stunlocking enemies with a flurry of melee attacks, ranged magic, and dashes. The fast, fluid movement of your character and timing-based combos make Wizard of Legend feel like classic action-RPGs of yore--a welcome change from the generally slower rhythm of similar procedurally-generated games.
Finding and learning new arcana magic inside and outside of the dungeons can also affect your gameplay; you might have acquired a really cool and powerful spell, but it's practically worthless if you don't learn to use it well in tandem with your other skills. The process of experimenting with the magical combinations you acquire--and augmenting their effectiveness with various artifacts--allows you to personalize your wizard's playstyle to suit your strengths. Just don't get too attached to the spells and items you find inside the dungeons--most of those won't be coming home with you after death.
As you make your way through the Chaos Trials, you'll encounter a variety of obstacles, enemies, places of interest, and treasures scattered throughout the catacombs. Defeating enemies and collecting treasure chests yields gold and gems; gold can be used to buy goods and services within the dungeon, while gems stay with you even if you're defeated and allow you to buy new spells, clothes, and artifacts in the shopping area before a new run. Only the goods purchased outside of the dungeon are permanent--with a few rare and valuable exceptions--making hunting for and collecting gems an important part of exploration. That doesn't make gold worthless, however, as you can use it to purchase temporary upgrades, health restoration, and additional, powerful spells. Yes, you'll lose all the stuff you bought with gold if you perish, but these skills and items can help make a run last a lot longer, which means more potential permanent loot in the long term. It never feels like a serious setback when a run goes bad; you just buy a few goodies, practice your new arcana, and jump back into the game.
It's plenty of fun, but there are a few annoyances. The environments are dull and lack visual variety, and in some cases it's hard to discern what things are due to the colors used and a lack of detail. The dialogue, sparse as it is, also feels like it's trying just a bit too hard, particularly when it goes for lousy puns. It's also an unforgiving game for newcomers, as enemies are relentless straight from the get-go, making the learning curve steep. But no matter how good you are, sometimes you'll just get a really terrible, unescapable battle in a room filled with hazards and projectile-slingers that feels like it's there simply to ruin your run. While the randomness in Wizard of Legend feels like less of a run-killing factor than in other games of this sort, when its RNG decides it doesn't like you, you'll know it.
With a buddy, however, things get easier. You can play local co-op with a friend, with the both of you sharing a common pool of permanent items and arcana picked up from all your runs up to that point. Having two players makes the more difficult enemy encounters and combo challenges feel less overwhelming, and a generous revival system that involves picking up energy from defeated enemies lets a fallen player hop back into the action fairly easily. However, one major fault is that both players must occupy the same quadrant of the screen, which makes for restricted movement in certain situations--like when one player is working to get in for melee strikes while the other is trying to zip around to set up ranged skills. Giving the camera the ability to zoom out during these situations would have been nice. (Also, as of this writing, you can only play local co-op on the Switch using the Joy-Cons, so forget about using that Pro Controller when your friend's over.)
Overall, though, there's a lot to love about Wizard of Legend. While it does have some issues, the cycle of exploration, discovery, failing, learning, and exploring again will keep your determination to conquer the Chaos Trials high. Wizard of Legend might not look like much on the surface, but there's some good magic underneath.
The popular first-person shooter Overwatch turns two years old this week. To celebrate the occasion, not only is Blizzard running a big anniversary event, but it's also doing a free play weekend on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. If you haven't played this strategic, colorful shooter, you can download the free version to see what you've been missing these past two years. Just make sure you get in some play time between now and May 28.
This isn't one of those severely limited free trials, either. All 27 heroes and 18 maps are available to play, as are most of the modes. You can level up, collect Loot Boxes, and unlock things like outfits, emotes, and sprays for the characters. And if you decide to buy the game, you'll get to keep anything you earned during the free weekend--just make sure you're using the same Blizzard, Sony, or Xbox Live account.
While Xbox One owners need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to take part in the free weekend, PS4 owners don't need a PS Plus account to participate. Windows PC owners will need a Battle.net account to download and play the free trial.
The free-play window runs between May 25 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and May 28 at 11:59 PM PT / May 29 at 2:59 PM ET. For the start time in other regions around the world, check out Blizzard's post to find a useful chart. Read on for instructions on how to access Overwatch for free on the various platforms.
For Windows PC:
Step 1: Download and install the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app, if you haven't already, and launch it.
Step 2: Create a FREE Blizzard account, or log in with an existing account.
Step 3: Click the "Overwatch" icon, located on the left-hand side of the Blizzard desktop app.
Step 4: Select your region from the drop-down menu, then click "Install" to begin the installation process.
Step 5: Once installed, click "Play" to begin!
For PlayStation 4:
Step 1: Turn on your PlayStation 4 and log in to your preferred local user.
Step 2: Go to PlayStation Store and select "Search" from the top menu.
Step 3: In the search field, type in "Overwatch."
Step 4: Select "Overwatch Free Weekend" from the search results and then click "Download."
Step 5: Once the download and installation process is complete, click "Start" to begin!
For Xbox One:
Step 1: Turn on your Xbox One and log in to your Xbox Live account.
Step 2: Go to the Xbox One Store, then select "Search."
Step 3: In the search field, type in "Overwatch."
Step 4: Select "Overwatch: Origins Edition" from the search results and then click "Free Trial."
Step 5: Once the download and installation process is complete, click "Launch" to begin!
By Anonymous on May 25, 2018 10:47 pm Far Cry 5's Hours of Darkness release date on PS4, Xbox One, and PC is next month, when we'll also see more of Ubisoft's E3 lineup.
Nintendo Switch owners looking for something to play on the hybrid console have a few new options to choose from. On top of this week's new releases, Nintendo has added a couple of free first-party demos to the Eshop, giving you a chance to try out two of its upcoming Switch titles ahead of their launch.
First, Switch owners can download a demo of the upcoming action-puzzle game Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, which launches for both Switch and 3DS on June 8. Sushi Striker is developed by indieszero, the studio behind Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and was one of our favorite games from PAX East 2018. The free demo allows you to play through the first four stages of the single-player campaign.
In addition to that, Switch owners can now download the beta client for the upcoming Mario sports game, Mario Tennis Aces. However, like the Global Testpunch and Testfire betas that Nintendo hosted for Arms and Splatoon 2, respectively, the Mario Tennis Aces beta will only be playable during a specific window of time. This means you won't actually be able to try it just yet, but it is good to prepare for it ahead of time.
The Mario Tennis Aces "Pre-Launch Online Tournament" takes place next week, from June 1-3. At the beginning, it will feature four playable characters--Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser--but you'll be able to unlock five additional ones if you play well enough. You'll also be able to unlock a free bonus costume in the full game by participating in the beta.
Here's good news for anyone looking to save money: two PC games have gone free this weekend on Steam. This isn't one of those "free play weekend" deals where you lose access after the weekend is over, either. If you download Guns of Icarus Alliance and Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition while they're free, you can keep and play them forever without spending any money at all.
Developer Muse Games says it's doing the Guns of Icarus Alliance giveaway over Memorial Day weekend "in honor of those who served." The game will be free between now and Tuesday, May 29, after which it will go back up to its regular price of $15.
Guns of Icarus Alliance is a game of team-based airship battles set in a steampunk world. Somewhat like Sea of Thieves, it has you and your teammates work together, taking on roles of pilot, gunner, and engineer to control the ship and defeat your enemies. Alliance is an expanded version of 2012's Guns of Icarus Online that adds a number of PvE experiences to a previously PvP-only game. So now players can team up to fight other real-life opponents or run base assaults, convoy raids, and escort missions against AI-controlled enemies.
The other weekend freebie is Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Edition, a PC strategy game from 2006 that's set in a future when humans have ventured out and colonized other planets. Unfortunately, several races of aliens were already out there, sparking an intergalactic war of civilizations. Your job is to lead humanity on its quest to conquer the stars. To that effect, you must manage resources and deploy forces in order to defeat (or befriend) the enemies through military conquest, cultural domination, alliance, or technological supremacy.
Galactic Civilizations II was well-received when it launched, earning an 86/100 on our sister site Metacritic and getting praise in particular for its crafty enemy AI.
Both games are free for a limited time, so add them to your Steam library before they go back up to full price.
By Anonymous on May 25, 2018 10:27 pm Jean Luc and Ben check out the first hour of Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon on the Nintendo Switch in anticipation for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
By Anonymous on May 25, 2018 10:07 pm Battlefield V has been officially announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and we got a chance to see more gameplay behind closed doors.
The cool new Steam Link app Valve announced recently, which allows you to stream Steam games to your mobile device, will apparently be an Android exclusive, at least for the time being. Following its recent announcement and subsequent beta release on Android, Valve has revealed that Apple has reversed its decision and will not allow the app to be released on the iOS App Store.
Valve announced the Steam Link app earlier this month, with plans to release on Android and iOS shortly after that. According to a statement from Valve, Apple approved the app's release just prior to the May 9 announcement. However, a day after news of it was made public, "Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team."
This prompted Valve to appeal the decision, according to the company, arguing the app "simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store." Despite this, Valve says Apple denied the appeal, effectively blocking its release.
Valve doesn't provide any sense of whether it has a path for retooling the app to satisfy Apple; instead, it makes it sounds as if it's entirely up to Apple to change its mind. "The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we're clearly disappointed," Valve said. "But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future."
We've reached out to Apple for comment and will report back with anything it has to share. It seems possible its decision is related to concerns that the app circumvents the App Store, letting Valve sell games to iOS users without allowing Apple to get a cut, but that's purely speculation at this point.
It's unclear if this decision also means the other app Valve announced--one that would let mobile users stream the movies and videos they own through Steam--will also be blocked. For the time being, Android users can pick up the Steam Link beta on the Google Play Store.
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Battlefield V is bringing a lot of changes to the BF series. From big changes like setting, customization and new game modes, to smaller things like spotting and grenades. We're giving you the top changes that we are excited about in Battlefield V.
The fan-favorite comedy returns to Netflix on May 29 for a fifth season, but we'll help you get all caught up before the big day.
Far Cry 5's Hours of Darkness release date on PS4, Xbox One, and PC is next month, when we'll also see more of Ubisoft's E3 lineup.
Jean Luc and Ben check out the first hour of Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon on the Nintendo Switch in anticipation for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Battlefield V has been officially announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and we got a chance to see more gameplay behind closed doors.
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