This week is PS4 news is a wild one, loaded with plenty of updates on your favorite forthcoming titles, deals, and more. There are also plenty of E3 updates and deals for you.
Deus Ex isn't dead, but it's not coming back any time soon. We saw new reveals from of Kingdom Hearts 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Rage 2, and more. On the other end, Shenmue 3, Skull and Bones, and Metro Exodus have been delayed. A new PS4 system update is available now and GTA 5 Online's update added a battle royale mode. E3 news is finally filtering in this week too. Don't forget to pick up this month's free PlayStation Plus titles, or snag a few deals from GameStop, the PSN, or Best Buy. Keep reading for all of this week's biggest PS4 headlines.
Xbox One's news this week is all about forthcoming titles, though not many of those are exclusives. This week is also seeing plenty of events, deals, and more.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is foregoing a traditional single-player campaign, Kingdom Hearts 3 actually does exist, and Halo is coming to arcades. We also saw the gameplay reveal of Rage 2, and a brand new controller for Xbox One and PC that will be more accessible for players with limited mobility. Dragon Ball FighterZ has its first limited-time event happening this weekend too, and save $100 on an Xbox One X. For even more Xbox news, keep on reading.
From cult-favorite RPGs to chill exploration narratives, this week's Switch news is definitely more about what games are coming than what's already released. There are also a few deals you won't want to miss, and some E3 sneak peeks.
Headlining this week's biggest news on Switch is Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, which will be available worldwide this fall. Mineko's Night Market has also received a fall release date, and might be the closest thing we'll get to Animal Crossing on the system for a while. Later this year, get ready to earn Xbox One achievements while playing Minecraft on Switch. If you want to play the new Super Smash Bros. at E3, you'll have to sign up; bring your Switch to the show, and Nintendo might just give you a special collectible pin; you also won't want to miss this week's Eshop sale. Keep on reading for the rest of this week's Switch headlines.
Is there anything more difficult to make sense of in movies than the X-Men film franchise? Whether it's the initial trilogy, the three prequels that followed and completely changed the established timeline, or the three Wolverine spin-offs that are set all over the place, the X-Men movies are... a lot to deal with.
And that's before you throw Deadpool into the mix. While the Merc with a Mouth makes a mockery of just about everything--and plenty of meta jokes at the expense of his own movie universe--Deadpool and Deadpool 2 do exist in the X-Men franchise. More specifically, they are set in the altered timeline that follows the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Where in that timeline, though? Based on simply watching the films, chances are you'd expect they were set in modern day--2016 for the first movie, 2018 for the second. However, Deadpool 2 throws a massive wrench in that assumption. If you have yet to see Deadpool 2, consider this your spoiler warning as we're going to dig into the movie's events.
First and foremost, Deadpool 2 begins with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) playing with a music box designed to look like Logan's final moments from the 2017 film Logan, with the Hugh Jackman character dying. That particular movie is set in the year 2029, so either Deadpool can see the future or it's actually set in a post-post-apocalyptic world. However, neither of these are the case. Like most things Deadpool-related, this moment can simply be chalked up to another in a long line of jokes, even if that can be frustrating to those trying to keep the timeline straight.
However, the movie's tinkering with the timeline doesn't end there. During a scene at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Deadpool jokes--because that's what he does--that none of the A-grade X-Men ever show up in his movies. Instead, he's saddled with Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and, in this sequel, new addition Yukio. As he registers his complaint with the universe, the camera finds Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Professor X (James McAvoy), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) in a room, as Beast quickly closes the door to avoid the Merc.
It's a great joke and an excellent set of cameos. However, it simply makes no sense. These versions of the characters are from 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, which was set in 1983. Are we to believe the X-Men haven't aged in 35 years? Xavier should certainly look a bit more like Patrick Stewart at this point.
Yes, this is taking Deadpool 2 and its jokes way too seriously. In many ways, though, that's half of the fun. Taking a moment to examine the timeline this franchise has built, destroyed, and built again is interesting--especially when you take into consideration the gripes people have about the comparatively tiny discrepancies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Honestly, do you really care how long after Marvel's Avengers that Spider-Man: Homecoming is set? Not really, but it can be fun to talk about with fellow fans.
Besides, in many ways, making viewers obsess about timeline inaccuracies is exactly what Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are striving for. These movies are a complete romp that are about making jokes that appeal to the kinds of fans who spend a lot of time thinking about things like the X-Men movie timeline and whether the DC Universe is too dark and gritty for its own good. The titular character is simultaneously making jokes with fans and trolling them. And those very same fans eat it up.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what changes he makes to the timeline, because thanks to Cable's watch, he spends the movie's post-credits scene traveling back in time to change a number of things--including the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. At long last, that first, horrible version of Deadpool is gone once and for all.
Through the antics of that sequence, the character is making tons of massive changes to an already wildly confusing timeline. By the time he's done, who knows what state it's in? Perhaps it's even more unrecognizable before, or maybe nothing has changed. After all, once Deadpool 3 eventually hits theaters, chances are everything will be status quo because that's exactly what it should be. Deadpool's actions aren't going to have major implications on X-Men: Dark Phoenix or New Mutants, and they probably won't help Gambit get made any sooner.
Still, it's fun to think about. At least, until trying to make sense of it gives you a headache, then just go watch the movie again and laugh at the dick jokes. Really, though, would him going back in time to kill baby Hitler really have been so bad?
May's Pokemon Go Community Day is here. This month's event takes place around the world today, May 19, and those who participate will have a chance to get a special Charizard that knows a rare Fire-type attack.
As usual, the Community Day isn't centralized at a particular location, but rather during a specific window of time, meaning players can head anywhere to take part in the event. The Community Day runs for only three hours and begins at different times depending on which region you live in. You can find the scheduled hours for each region below:
North America
11 AM - 2 PM PT
2 PM - 5 PM ET
Europe and Africa
10 AM - 1 PM BST
Asia-Pacific
12 PM - 3 PM JST
During this month's Community Day, players will earn triple the usual amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon. Any Lure Modules that are activated during the event will also last for three hours, up from their usual 30-minute duration.
The featured Pokemon during this month's Community Day is Charmander. During the event hours, the popular Red and Blue starter will spawn much more frequently than usual. If previous Community Days are any indication, players may also have a chance to encounter a rare Shiny variant.
Any Charmeleon that evolves into Charizard during the event hours will learn the powerful Fire attack Blast Burn, even if the Pokemon was captured prior to the Community Day. However, Charmeleon will need to evolve before the event ends in order to learn the attack, giving you only a brief window of time to get the exclusive move.
In addition to its monthly Community Days, developer Niantic will host another series of real-world events for Pokemon Go throughout the summer. The Summer Tour 2018 kicks off next month with a Safari Zone event in Dortmund, Germany, and continues in July with the second annual Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago. The tour will be capped off by a special Safari Zone event in Yokosuka later this summer.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go players can still capture the latest Legendary Pokemon, Latios and Latias. The two Eon Pokemon recently traded locations, meaning Latias is now available across North America, South America, and Africa, while Latios can be found in Europe and Asia. The Legendaries will remain in their current locations until they're scheduled to leave the game on June 5.
We initially saw Hyrule Warriors back in 2014 on the Wii U, but now the Zelda-themed spin-off Musou title is back again, this time in shining Switch form. Right beside the updated graphics comes a new split-screen mode and all the DLC from the original Wii U and 3DS versions.
But is that enough content for fans to return to the title? If you've already played through Hyrule Warriors Legends on 3DS, this version may not be enough for you. But if you're a newcomer to the title, Daniel Starkey says in our Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition review that the title is "a great second chance for the strongest Zelda spin-off ever." Keep on reading for more thoughts on the title from other critics in the industry, or head on over to GameSpot's sister website Metacritic.
Game: Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Developer / Publisher: Omega Force and Team Ninja / Nintendo and Koei Techmo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release date: Out Now
Price: US $60 / £60 / AU $69
GameSpot -- 8/10
"Hyrule Warriors is a beautiful, chaotic mess of a game. It's got all the glossy rupees, imaginative monsters, and fashionable characters you'd expect from the Zelda series (and plenty you wouldn't), topped off with some nods to the medieval hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors series. In place of puzzles and elaborate levels or side-quests, you're here to do one thing--mess up some monsters." -- Daniel Starkey [Full review]
IGN -- 7.5 /10
"Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a good-quality port of the Wii U game, but outside of much more stable performance and better local co-op it doesn't add enough new content to make replaying the story mode interesting again if you've already tried it. Luckily, the Adventure Mode maps and 16 of the 31 unlockable characters are available from the start." -- Casey Defreitas [Full review]
Nintendo Life -- 8/10
"All told, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a great time-sink game, featuring mindless but fun action gameplay that offers up the potential for dozens - if not hundreds - of hours of content. Though it certainly feels like a game that's too bloated in places, it manages to balance the Zelda and Dynasty Warriors elements well. Group all of that with stellar presentation and impressive portable gameplay, and you've got a game that does a great job of doing something new (and weird) with a classic Nintendo property. We'd give this one a recommendation, especially to fans of the Zelda series who have always wanted there to be some sort of 'anniversary' game. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition may not have a ton of depth, but it's way more fun than it has any right to be, and you'd be missing out by not picking up this complete edition." -- Mitch Vogel [Full review]
VG24/7 -- No Score
"Zelda games are typically action-packed but also fairly contemplative. Sure, Link might be saving the world, but he does so with a little lateral thinking, with swordplay usually second to puzzles. Hyrule Warriors is the opposite, transposing the setting, trappings and characters of the Zelda series into the over-the-top, crowd-stomping hack-and-slash action popularized by the Dynasty Warriors series. Surprisingly, it's brilliant. That's the joy of Hyrule Warriors: On paper it all feels a little like it shouldn't work at all, but in practice it becomes something really rather special." - Alex Donaldson [Full review]
VentureBeat -- 84/100
"I went into Hyrule Warriors with zero expectations and came out satisfied — this is a cool game with treats for Zelda fans, strategy fans, and hack-and-slash fans alike. It's fun to play in two-level sessions, allocating around half an hour to an hour per level, and between the main objectives, optional missions, and side story quests, there's an incredible amount to see and do here. That said, the only reason I'd call Hyrule Warriors "good" rather than "OK" is its sheer scope. Around halfway through the Legend campaign, I got tired of mowing down crowds of soldiers, and annoyed by the game's sub-optimal map and control UIs. But then I discovered the Adventure and Ganon modes, and felt reinvigorated by the title's potential for variations on the lengthy Legend battles. And the more I continued to play, the more amazed I was by all of the fan service Koei Tecmo and Nintendo included." -- Jeremy Horwitz [Full review]
Destructoid -- No Score
"Nearly four years. That's how long Hyrule Warriors has been out, and very few people have probably 100%-ed it. I don't blame them! While the core loop is fun and the roster is on point, upgrading every single hero and villain and obtaining every key item for them would take hundreds of hours. I spent a few hundred of my own just working on a few of my favorites, and I'll probably spend at least half of that on Switch with the Definitive Edition all over again. Hyrule Warriors hasn't magically mended any of its shortcomings just because it hit Switch. There's more content to work through (mostly maps) and more characters, but this is basically the same Warriors formula hack and slash it was before." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Bandai Namco has kicked off a special limited-time event in Dragon Ball FighterZ. The game's first Party Battle is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, giving players the opportunity to team up against powerful enemies and earn some in-game cash.
Party Battle is one of the two new modes that were introduced in Dragon Ball FighterZ's latest patch. These special online events are only available for a limited-time and allow three players to team together and fight a "fearsome boss."
The first Party Battle is called "The Emperor Strikes Back," and it pits players against one of the series' most iconic foes, Frieza. Each win counts toward a shared total, so players around the globe will be cooperating to topple Frieza as many times as possible.
As game producer Tomoko Hiroki explained, "The number of enemies defeated during this event is linked across the world, so the number of players participating and the cooperation between those players will become an important point for this event."
The Party Battle is going on now on all platforms and runs until 11 PM PT on May 21 (2 AM ET on May 22). Those who participate in it will receive Zeni and Premium Z Coins.
In addition to Party Battles, Bandai Namco recently introduced a new type of competition to Dragon Ball FighterZ called the FighterZ Cup. These contests will be held monthly and have players battling to earn points for their respective Z-Union.
E3 2018 is fast approaching, so we're expecting tons of big announcements during the marquee briefings from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and others. But before that, we're taking a look back at last year to go over what was announced and determining if each company lived up to its promises. We already broke down Microsoft's and Nintendo's E3 2017 briefings, and now we're onto Sony.
Before The Show
Sony used its pre-show stream as a platform to announce details and release dates for its upcoming games, like Knack 2, Gran Turismo Sport, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, and a port of Undertale for both PS4 and Vita. Each managed to launch in 2017 to generally positive critical reception.
In addition, Sony also gave an in-depth look at its roster of PlayLink games, the company's foray into multiplayer mobile app party games--similar to the incredibly popular Jackbox Games. New games continue to release under the PlayLink umbrella, including Hidden Agenda, Knowledge is Power, and Frantics.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Got A New Gameplay Trailer
Sony opened its press conference with a trailer for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. While audio issues in the livestream dulled the impact of its set-piece action, the game turned out great when it launched later in August. GameSpot said while aspects of it feel like a greatest hits collection of past adventures, it manages to "grow into a more nuanced, clever experience, ranking among the best in the series while also making its own mark as a standalone Uncharted that isn't anchored to Nathan Drake's harrowing exploits."
Horizon Zero Dawn DLC: The Frozen Wilds
After the successful launch of Horizon Zero Dawn February of that year, Sony unveiled a new DLC expansion for the game, entitled The Frozen Wilds. While it felt more like a missing chapter than a revelatory extension, in our review Peter Brown adored the expansion's riveting battles and ultimately felt that "it's hard to get too upset at such a captivating experience when it's all said and done."
Days Gone Gameplay Showcase
After its surprising debut during E3 2016, Sony finally gave us another glimpse at the upcoming Days Gone, an open-world zombie apocalypse game by Bend Studio. There was more motorcycle driving, stealth action, and a gnarly zombie bear by the trailer's end. No release date was announced at the time, but Sony Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida revealed a few months later that the game would release sometime in 2018. Unfortunately, Days Gone ended up getting delayed to 2019.
Nobody saw Monster Hunter World coming. After all, the fan favorite Capcom franchise had been predominantly released on Nintendo handhelds in recent years. Its reveal on Sony's E3 2017 press conference stage was a pleasant surprise that captivated audiences with its exciting display of monster fights across a large open environment.
Released in January 2018, Monster Hunter World received positive critical reception, with GameSpot calling it "the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been." After its successful launch, the game has since garnered a massive following and impressive sales numbers. Along with PS4 Pro enhancements and some exclusive content, Sony ensured that the PS4 is the best console to experience the game.
Shadow of the Colossus Remake
In an unexpected move, Sony revealed that developer Bluepoint Games was working on a remake of the cult favorite Shadow of the Colossus. The footage showcased an awe-inspiring level of detail that far exceeded the previous HD version released on PS3. What we ended up getting when the game launched in February was nothing short of magnificence. In our review Edmond Tran called it "a beautiful reconstruction of an already exceptional title [that] continues to be a modern classic and is an extraordinary game that everyone must experience."
Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite Gets a Story Mode Demo
When Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was first announced during PSX 2016, fighting game fans were eager to try it out. The Sony E3 2017 press conference finally gave us a glimpse of the game's story mode, and better yet, a demo was released not long after the reveal. However, reception for the demo was mixed. Fans criticized the character models and animations--with Chun-Li being the main offender. To make matters worse, the demo featured bad AI-controlled combatants and no training mode, which made it difficult to get a feel for how the game played. The demo was simply a bad representation for what MvC:I was shaping up be.
Released in September, MvC:I's critical reception was favorable, but it ultimately failed to gain a solid standing within the fighting game community. Aside from a handful of post-launch DLC characters, support for the game was limited, and it didn't help that the game's sales numbers were ultimately below expectations. While a variety of factors contributed to MvC:I's middling reception, it probably didn't help that people's' earliest impressions of it were colored by the lukewarm demo made available briefly after Sony's E3 2017 press conference.
Platform Exclusive Content For Destiny 2
In the lead up to E3, Destiny 2 was shaping up to be one of the biggest upcoming shooters. Given Sony's relationship with Activision, it was no surprise that the PS4 version of the game would receive timed-exclusive content. A new trailer shown at the press conference confirmed that PS4 owners would be getting access to an exclusive gear set, weapon, PvP map, and strike mission. Destiny 2 ultimately performed well both critically and financially, but it has since suffered a dip in its player base. But the timed-exclusive content ensured that the PS4 was the best platform to play the game--at least until it released on PC the following October.
The Latest in PlayStation VR's Software Lineup
There was a brief section showcasing the upcoming roster of PlayStation VR games, which included, Skyrim VR, Starchild, The Inpatient, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, Bravo Team, and Moss. Not all of these games managed to release in the intermittent months between then and now; the ones that did have varied in quality. Moss and The Inpatient are definite standouts among the roster as some of the best on the platform, but the rest suffered mixed reception. The only game to not release was Starchild, which is expected to launch sometime this summer.
PSVR still does well compared to its competitors mostly due its accessibility as a VR headset. Earlier this year it was reported that Sony has managed to sell over 2 million headset units and 12.2 million PSVR games worldwide. With numbers like these, it looks like Sony will continue to support the platform for years to come.
More God of War
The God of War trailer at the E3 2017 press conference arguably showed less than the previous year's reveal, but that didn't diminish the excitement of Kratos' return. The new look at the game's combat and story only furthered curiosity towards the game's inner workings. Sony rarely revealed much about God of War in-between trade shows, so information regarding the game was relatively scarce outside the initial reveal. However, the trailer finally confirmed that God of War was launching in early 2018.
God of War eventually released on April 20 and went on to be a massive critical and financial success. In our review Peter Brown called 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." Five years in the making, Sony Santa Monica successfully delivered on its reinvention of the God of War franchise.
More Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human got another trailer during the show, which showcased a different aspect of its universe: android freedom fighters striving to start an android revolution. Once again the trailer emphasized the various ways a given scenario can play out based on the decisions you make. At the time, Detroit: Become Human had no release date, but it has since been confirmed to release on May 25--a mere two weeks before this year's E3.
First Spider-Man Gameplay Demo
Out of all the big games in Sony's lineup of exclusives, it seemed an odd choice to close out the press conference with Spider-Man. While no release date was confirmed during the trailer, it did show off a significant chunk of gameplay featuring stealth, combat, acrobatics, and web-swinging. In addition, the final moments of gameplay confirmed that fan-favorite Marvel character Miles Morales would be appearing in the game.
For a while after Sony's E3 2017 showcase, Spider-Man didn't have a release window, but now we know it's coming on September 7. New details have emerged about the game's mechanics, but Sony is planning to reveal even more at E3 2018 with it being one of the four games it plans to discuss at this year's show.
To Recap:
Sony's E3 217 presentation was packed with tons of trailers for many of its latest first- and third party games. There was little to no time spent talking about hardware, and understandably so. With Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro already out, the company was in a position to focus primarily on software. Despite a strong showing, the absence of games like Death Stranding and Final Fantasy VIII Remake left something to be desired. And compared to past press conferences, Sony's E3 2017 showing was relatively tame. While an exclusive like Spider-Man is a solid game to showcase, its use as the closer lacked the punch of previous years' big-name trailer reveals.
Currently, Sony still stands on top thanks to its extensive roster of quality big-name exclusives, but if it intends to stay there, it's going to need to start talking more in-depth about its next wave of games. With Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II being the focus of this year's show, it seems like Sony already knows that. This more focused format is a refreshing change of pace for Sony, but hopefully the presentation will still yield its own share of surprises.
In addition to the ongoing 50v50 event, Epic has kicked off a new limited-time mode in Fortnite: Battle Royale. For the next few days, players across PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile will be able to take part in the Solo Showdown, a limited-time competition to determine the best Battle Royale player.
Unlike previous limited-time modes, Solo Showdown doesn't feature any gimmicks or changes to the underlying gameplay. Rather, it's an ongoing contest against other self-selected players in what Epic calls "the ultimate test of survival." Players compete to earn a spot on the standings, and those with a high enough score by the end of the competition will be rewarded with a huge prize of V-Bucks.
According to the Solo Showdown rules, the first 50 Battle Royale matches you play will be counted toward your score, and you must play at least 50 matches to be eligible for one of the prizes. Your placements in each match will be tracked and determine your ranking.
The player who comes in first by the end of the competition will take home a whopping 50,000 V-Bucks. Those who come in second through fourth will receive 25,000 V-Bucks, while the players who place fifth through fiftieth will get 13,500 V-Bucks. The remaining players in the top 100 will get 7,500 V-Bucks.
"We'll be using the Solo Showdown as a one-off stepping stone to learn how to build great events for all types of players," Epic said. As an added incentive to participate in the contest, everyone who plays at least 50 matches will receive a unique spray, regardless of if they place in the top 100.
Solo Showdown is now underway and runs until 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET on May 21. Epic says it will frequently update its official blog with the standings. The developer also teases that it has a "major announcement about competitive play" sometime next week, although it hasn't hinted at what that could be.
Week 3 of Season 4 is well underway in Fortnite: Battle Royale, which means a new set of challenges are now available for Battle Pass holders. As usual, the challenges present a mixture of objectives to complete that allow you to level up your Battle Pass and unlock new rewards, but there's another bonus waiting for players who manage to clear them all.
As has been the case the past two weeks, players who clear all of the challenges in a given week will complete one of the game's new Blockbuster challenges. The reward for doing so is a special loading screen; while primarily cosmetic, the real value in the loading screen is that it hides a secret that leads to a free Battle Pass tier.
If you manage to complete all of Week 3's challenges, you'll get a loading screen that features a group of heroes huddled around a holographic map. If you look very closely at the map, you'll notice it displays a faint silhouette of a Battle Pass on the island, just left of the center of the screen.
Zooming in to the map reveals that the free tier is just southwest of Fatal Fields. Go to the marked location and you'll find a Battle Pass icon, which will reward you one free rank-up when collected. You can see the icon's exact location on our map below.
As before, you will need to complete all of Week 3's challenges and the corresponding Blockbuster challenge to be able to get the free Battle Pass tier; the item won't appear on the map unless you meet all of the prerequisites, so you won't be able to skip over any of this week's challenges to get the free rank-up, even if you already know its location.
Fortnite's Week 3 challenges consist of the usual mixture of straightforward objectives and some trickier tasks. Among the latter is a one that challenges players to find 10 rubber duckies. There are more than 10 scattered around the island, and you'll hear a distinctive sound when near one. If you need help, we've put together a guide on how to complete the Week 3 challenges.
The '80s cartoon series Thundercats holds a special place in many people's hearts. The original show followed a group of catpeople who left their home for a new planet, which was filled with mutants, robotic bears, and a mummyman. Now, the show is getting a reboot on Cartoon Network, with a comedic spin.
Set to debut in 2019, Thundercats Roar is a sci-fi action comedy series from Warner Bros. animation. Producer Victor Courtright discusses the new show, and his new take on the classic team, which you can see in the video below.
Yes, this show is a huge departure from the original series; however, it is in the same vein as Teen Titans Go! That makes sense as Sam Register--executive producer of the DC superhero comedy--will be serving as E.P. on Thundercats Roar. It is unknown at this time how many episodes have been ordered or what the format is for the show. The biggest element the video above offers is the opening credits.
There are a few familiar names in the cast: Max Mittelman (Spider-Man) voices Lion-O and Wilykat, Erica Lindbeck (Avengers Assemble) voices Cheetara and Wilykit, Patrick Seitz (Transformers: Power of the Primes) voices Tygra and Mumm-Ra, and Chris Jai Alex (Star Wars: Battlefront II) as Panthro. All of these actors have had careers in voice acting, many of whom have worked on both Marvel and DC properties in the past.
This isn't the first time Thundercats got a reboot. In 2011, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network delivered a Thundercats series that combined Japanese anime and Western animation style. Although the show received much critical acclaim, it didn't even get its full first season. Cartoon Network only aired 26 of the planned 52 episodes. Thundercats Roar seems to be such a departure from the original that it may not win over hardcore fans, but it will easily find a new audience with younger viewers and those who love the comedic styling of Teen Titans Go!
E3 may not be the biggest video game trade show in terms of size and attendance, but it is far and away the year's most anticipated. The annual gaming showcase takes place in Los Angeles every June and has been home to some of the biggest and most exciting gaming news, from console reveals to tons of surprise game announcements (not to mention plenty of often-unintentional hilarity).
The Electronic Entertainment Expo has been around for more than two decades now, and in that time it has solidified itself as the preeminent video game trade show. Every major developer and publisher typically reserves its biggest reveals for E3; Sony announced the price and release date of the original PlayStation during the first-ever E3, and Microsoft unveiled its debut home console, the original Xbox, a few years later at the event. E3 is also where Nintendo dropped the very first trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, causing an entire theater to erupt in cheers.
Despite how deeply ingrained E3 has become in the gaming industry, the expo has undergone some dramatic changes in its 22-year history. While it was always intended as a venue for press and industry insiders to get their first look at the biggest upcoming titles and hardware, the ESA attempted to downsize the event in 2007, and the next couple of years featured much smaller--and decidedly less exciting--showings. E3 would revert back to its original scale in 2009 and continue to expand since, even opening its doors to the public for the first time last year.
With E3 2018 quickly approaching, we wanted to take a look back at the long history of the expo and how it has changed over the years. In the video above, you can watch us recount the history of E3, from its debut as the first dedicated video game trade show in 1995 through to last year's event. You can also relive some of the many unintentional memes the show has spawned over the past two decades, from giant enemy crabs to overcaffeinated spokespeople.
E3 2018 officially begins on June 12, but it will be preceded by several press conferences from the likes of Sony, Microsoft, EA, and Bethesda. You can find the full E3 2018 press conference schedule here. There will undoubtedly be a lot to see throughout the week-long event, so stay tuned to GameSpot for our complete coverage.
Square Enix plans to announce a release date for Kingdom Hearts 3 very soon. During a preview event, game director Tetsuya Nomura said, "We are very close to really finalizing the date right now, so we do plan to reveal it early next month."
E3 2018 starts early next month, so Square will likely announce the date during its press conference. According to a Twitter post, the company has a "special video presentation" planned, revealing the "exciting future of Square Enix." Square's E3 presentation will take place on June 11 at 10 AM PDT/1 PM EDT/6 PM BST.
Kingdom Hearts 3 was first announced five years ago at E3 2013, with a short teaser trailer that concluded with a statement saying the game was "now in development." Though it made an appearance at a convention every year since its first reveal, no substantial details about a release window were given until D23 2017, where we were given the vague "coming 2018" announcement. In June 2015, Nomura said the game's development was on track.
In our new hands-on time with Kingdom Hearts 3, Alessandro Fillari played through two worlds--Olympus (Hercules' world) and The Toy Box (Toy Story's world)--writing, "Perhaps it was nostalgia playing into it, but there was an extra twinge of excitement in seeing these characters come back in a big, if somewhat bizarre way."
Kingdom Hearts 3 is scheduled to release sometime this year for PlayStation 4 and, for the first time in the franchise's history, Xbox One.
Every year, The CW presents an Arrow-verse crossover, it gets tougher to keep track of, and 2018 will be no different. When Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow return in the fall and start building toward their annual four-show event, a new face and city will enter the fold.
For the first time ever, Batwoman will participate in the crossover and, with her, comes a new setting. "We are adding the city of Gotham into the Arrow-verse," CW president Mark Pedowitz announced at the network's upfront presentation to advertisers, according to TVLine. It's about time.
Arrow star Stephen Amell was on-hand to help announce the big news and said Batwoman will be fighting alongside The CW's stable of superheroes against the crossover's currently-unknown villain. This development marks a major shift in the Arrow-verse, which has always been careful to tread lightly around Batman and Gotham City.
While there have been throwaway lines alluding to Batman's public identity of Bruce Wayne and certain villains from the Dark Knight's rogues gallery have been featured on the shows--Ra's al Ghul, for instance--including the city and one of its heroes in such a major role is very different. It's also incredibly exciting, though. Even Superman has appeared in this universe, so keeping the world of Batman behind a lock and key always felt like something massive was missing.
The move comes at a very interesting time, though. Fox has announced a fifth and final season of Gotham, which essentially tells the origin story of Batman and his most-feared villains, while Epix has ordered a 10-episode series about the early life of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, set in London.
No casting has been announced for Batwoman or anyone else in the annual crossover yet. Additionally, it looks like Black Lightning--another DC Comics TV show on The CW--remains outside of the Arrow-verse and, thus, not included in the event. That could always change, though. After all, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow are no strangers to the multiverse. Still, even without Black Lightning, it's hard not to get excited about Gotham City entering this particular TV universe and what that could mean for other characters down the road.
Every year, network executives descend upon New York City to meet with advertisers and show off their upcoming shows. While typically a mixed bag of programming, given how many shows don't make it beyond their first season, each year a few potential jewels rise to the top, and 2018 is no different.
With networks working hard to keep up with the quality of programming on cable, there are a number of new shows that have us here at GameSpot intrigued, if nothing else. Whether they will deliver on premises that range from having God as a Facebook friend to protecting a young girl that is the world's last hope against a deadly virus remains to be seen, but these are the trailers for the 2018-2019 TV season that are very exciting.
Manifest (NBC)
After Lost first premiered in 2004, it was open-season for networks to try to find its own event series to match that magnitude. Whether it was The Event, The Nine, Flash Forward, or even Heroes, none of them had the staying power of Lost. NBC may have found a winner, though.
Manifest stars Once Upon a Time alum Josh Dallas, who finishes a relatively normal flight to find out the world outside of his plane has aged five years, with the world assuming all of the jet's passengers were dead in some sort of crash. As the show continues, they begin finding links to each other while unlocking the mystery of what actually happened to them.
God Friended Me (CBS)
Everyone gets Facebook friend requests they don't want. Now imagine that request coming from God. It sounds like a lot of pressure. Brandon Michael Hall (The Mayor) and Violett Beane (The Flash) star in this series, which follows Hall's atheist Miles as he gets a friend request from God that sends him down a strange path that helps him save lives.
The six-minute trailer gives away so much, it's practically a pilot episode for the show. Where the series goes after this particular story thread is a mystery, but it's an interesting idea that will hopefully pay off.
Magnum PI (CBS)
Yes, there is a big problem with this Magnum PI reboot. While Jay Hernandez may end up being a great Thomas Magnum, he's missing something very important: that sweet, sweet mustache Tom Selleck made famous. The gang's all here, Magnum still drives a Ferrari, and this looks like the kind of over-the-top action fare that will be incredibly satisfying. Still, he needs to let that mustache grow.
Murphy Brown (CBS)
It's been 20 years since new episodes of Murphy Brown were on the air. In the age of revivals, though, it's back and that's a very exciting thing. Now that cable news has practically become its own genre of television, Murphy Brown is reuniting most of its original cast to take all of it--and the president--on.
The trailer helps viewers, fans and otherwise, get up to date on the characters lives since the show ended in 1998 and how the world has changed while they've been gone. Not mentioned in the trailer is Murphy's son, Avery.
Born during the original series, Avery is now an adult and a journalist in his own right. Played by Jake McDorman (Limitless), he works at a competing network that, based on what was said at the CBS upfront presentation, sounds a bit like Fox News. Putting the mother and the son on different sides of the political spectrum should bring a new angle to the show.
TKO: Total Knock Out (CBS)
It's American Ninja Warrior meets American Gladiators meets Kevin Hart. What's not to love? The competition series puts contestants on an obstacle course that is very reminiscent of the Ninja Warrior stages, but with one major difference: competitors can shoot projectiles at each other to knock them down.
At the center of it all is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star Kevin Hart, who hosts the show and, we can only assume, cackles when people get knocked down. Honestly, this show just looks like a lot of fun and, thankfully, you won't have to wait for the fall to watch it. TKO premieres this summer.
The Passage (Fox)
Mark-Paul Gosselaar is back on TV... again. The former Saved By the Bell star has had a couple of shows the last couple of years--Pitch and Truth Be Told--that didn't make it beyond their first season. Now, though, he's dipping his toe in the genre pool with The Passage.
In the new series, Gosselaar plays a federal agent tasked with tracking down a young girl and bringing her in for a government drug test that could save the world from all diseases. However, the drug is actually a virus and the results for most subjects aren't great. The virus being tested has a habit of turning people into vampire-like creatures. Instead of bringing the girl in and potentially dooming her, Gosselaar's character decides to save her life as the two go on the run.
If Maggie disappears from The Walking Dead, now you'll know why. Lauren Cohan, who plays the zombie apocalypse hero, has a new show on network TV, and it looks pretty good. In Whiskey Cavalier, she and Scott Foley (Scandal) play agents at rival government agencies that are forced to leave an interagency team of spies that is as flawed and ridiculous as their own lives.
Whiskey Cavalier is mixing drama and comedy in with the action, keeping it from being just another procedural in a TV landscape full of them. Instead, it looks like a fun romp full of explosions and jokes.
The Rookie (ABC)
Welcome back to TV, Nathan Fillion. The former star ofFirefly, Castle, and way too much fanfiction about both shows, plays a guy from a small town who decides to join the LAPD after living through a bank robbery. He's now the oldest rookie on the squad dealing with a midlife crisis that could actually kill him.
Naturally, he gets by on his sense of humor because that's what Fillion does best.
After conquering home consoles and PC, Epic's phenomenally popular Fortnite: Battle Royale made its mobile debut earlier this year, but up until now, the game has only been available for iOS devices. However, it appears that won't be the case for much longer.
In a "State of Mobile" update on its official website, Epic says it is targeting a summer release for the Android version of Fortnite: Battle Royale. The developer didn't provide any further details, only saying, "We know many of you are excited for this release, and we promise that when we have more information to share, you'll hear it from us first."
Fornite first launched for iOS back in March; however, the game was initially only available to select users who participated in the closed iOS test. By registering on Epic's website, iOS players would receive an email that contained a handful of invites, giving them and their friends access to the game. Fortnite would officially launch on iOS in April, but up until now, Epic hasn't shared any concrete plans for when the Android version would arrive.
In addition to the Android release, Epic discussed some of the features and improvements it is currently working on for the mobile version of Fortnite. Among them, the developer is planning to implement voice chat for the game, which will allow players to chat with their teammates regardless of which platform they're playing on. Epic is also further improving the autorun feature and "adding better ways to fire."
Along with those quality-of-life improvements, Epic is working to further optimize the game's performance on mobile. The studio is planning to add a Battery-Saver mode that offers increased performance if players choose to lower the graphics quality. Epic says it is also continually working to resolve crashes and other technical issues.
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