Burnout fans will want to check this one out: Sony and Codemasters are letting PlayStation 4 owners in Europe play Onrush for free this weekend. The flashy racing game will be playable for free July 6-9.
Onrush isn't your typical racing game. It's an arcade racer with an emphasis on bashing your opponents off the road, like in Burnout. But if you fall too far behind, you'll get teleported straight back into the action, keeping things frantic. There's also a class-based element to the races, kind of like in Overwatch, with each class having unique abilities.
The result is a game quite unlike anything you've played before. It has a sizable campaign to get players up to speed on the gameplay basics, plus a number of online multiplayer modes where you can duke it out to see which team reigns supreme. The online modes are randomized, so you never know what you're going to play next. In Overdrive, for instance, two teams of six try to be the first to fill up a meter using boost. In Countdown, each team tries to drive through as many checkpoints as possible.
From GameSpot's 9/10 Onrush review: "When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks."
If you're not a European PS4 owner, don't despair. According to a tweet from the official Onrush account, Codemasters will have some "juicy stuff" coming soon.
Fairy Tail may have concluded in 2017, but the manga already has a sequel scheduled. A scan that allegedly comes from the next issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine, posted in the Fairy Tail subreddit courtesy of Reddit user AstonishingSpiderMan, discusses the upcoming sequel's story and states the new series will release on July 25.
Fairy Tail has had a long run, originally debuting in Weekly Shonen Magazine in 2006 and continuing until the series' conclusion over a decade later. The manga is adapted into a popular anime. Fairy Tail's story follows the adventures of an aspiring wizard named Lucy Heartfilia, whose chance meeting with the dragon slayer wizard Natsu Dragneel and flying talking cat Happy lead her to joining the rambunctious Fairy Tail guild. The trio eventually team up with Gray Fullbuster, an ice wizard; Erza Scarlet, an armor and weapons wizard; Wendy Marvell, another dragon slayer; and Carla, another flying cat. The team travel the fictional setting of Earth-land, completing quests and missions that bring them ever closer to confronting an immortal dark wizard named Zeref and an evil dragon named Acnologia.
AstonishingSpiderMan provided a translation of the new manga's plot, and it sounds like Fairy Tail's sequel will pick up right where the original manga left off. Although the efforts of the Fairy Tail guild and the other dragon slayers ultimately brought an end to both Zaref and Acnologia, Lucy's team is as restless as ever and ready for adventure. The five wizards and two felines embark on the century-old guild mission that was previously mentioned in the final panels of the original Fairy Tail manga. Pictures of Zaref, Lucy, and Natsu accompany the plot description.
Fairy Tail's sequel will be overseen by Hiro Mashima, the creator behind the original Fairy Tail. Mashima is also working on his new series Edens Zero, and remains attached to Fairy Tail's two spin-off series, Happy's Grand Adventure and City Hero. There has been no mention of whether Fairy Tail's sequel will be getting an anime adaptation as well, nor whether a character from Fairy Tail will be joining the shonen-themed brawler Jump Force.
July isn't just for fireworks and barbecues. It's also the month when Amazon Prime Day 2018 is going to happen. This Black Friday-like event happens every summer, and this year is no different. You can expect the Amazon to offer temporary discounts on games, tech, movies, toys, and anything else you might want to buy from the world's largest online retailer. Other retailers may also offer discounts that day to cash in on the commerce craze. Here's everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2018.
What is Prime Day?
Prime Day is a massive sale Amazon puts on each year in July for Prime members. It all began in 2015, when Amazon had a sale to celebrate its 20th birthday. In the years since, Prime Day has grown into a shopping extravaganza in its own right, with deep discounts on all kinds of items.
When is Prime Day?
Prime Day begins at 12 PM PT (3 PM ET / 12 PM BT) on July 16 and will last 36 hours, through July 17.
For Prime Members Only
The catch is that you have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deals. The company ruffled feathers earlier this year when it upped the annual price of a Prime membership from $99 to $119. (You can also get a one-month membership for $13). Having to buy a subscription is a bummer, but there are ways around dropping cash just to take part in Prime Day. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can get a free 30-day trial just by signing up. Students get an even better deal: their Prime membership begins with a free six-month trial.
Even if you're a lapsed Prime member and you can't get the free trial, signing up for a one-month membership may be worthwhile, depending on what Prime Day deals you want to take advantage of. There's also a good chance Amazon will offer a discount on Prime subscriptions in the run-up to Prime Day, so your best bet is to wait and see.
What kind of deals can we expect?
Amazon always drops prices on tons of items, with big discounts in particular on its own hardware: Echos, Kindles, Fire sticks, and tablets. Additionally, you can expect big savings on video games, consoles, gaming accessories, 4K TVs, other electronics, apparel, outdoor gear, baby products, and nearly anything else you can buy at the online retailer.
Already Amazon has dropped the price on the Echo Show from $230 to $130 for Prime members and begun offering discounts on select items like furniture and luggage. Many more deals are to come. We'll have lots of Prime Day deals coverage on all things gaming and media here at GameSpot when the event rolls around. Make sure to check back closer to the the big day.
When you set foot in a Disney theme park, the goal is to escape normal life and spend the day in a strange and fun world. Whether it's Tomorrowland at Disneyland or Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney World's Animal Kingdom, the creative teams behind these parks go out of their way to create something unique and cohesive.
Toy Story Land, the latest addition to Disney World located inside Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, is no different. GameSpot had the opportunity to attend the new Pixar-inspired land's grand opening to see just what the Disney imagineering team had cooked up, and it seems no stone was left unturned when it comes to bringing the world of Toy Story to life.
Is it worth visiting, though? Let's take a look at what, exactly, Toy Story Land offers to see if it's worth factoring into your next vacation.
An Immersive Experience
The entire idea behind Toy Story Land is that every visitor is shrunken down to toy size as they explore Andy's backyard. The land isn't about recreating the Toy Story film, but rather bringing guests into a new story altogether. "You walk into Andy's backyard, where just moments ago, he has left [after] an enormous moment of play and what you get to do, your only mission here, [is to] go play, have fun," Walt Disney Imagineering creative director Ryan Wineinger tells GameSpot.
Whether it's Andy's massive footprints on the ground or the picket fence that surrounds the land as a barrier, the goal is to put you in the role of your favorite toy as you set out to explore. In fact, Toy Story Land even makes ample use of real-world brands, just as the movie did, to bridge Pixar's world with our own. "The reason in the original Toy Story film that Buzz and Woody and Bo Peep feel so real is because they're friends with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head and other toys that are toys you played with as a child," Wineinger explains.
From merchandise carts that are giant Fisher-Price vehicles to arches over doorways that are made of Uno cards stacked up against each other, everything is made out of toys--including Tinker Toy barriers seen throughout the area. While there are plenty of hidden things to see, there are a number of incredibly obvious touches that make Toy Story Land feel so real.
The Rides
With 11 acres to fill, Toy Story Land includes one existing ride and two new ones. The first is the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster, which is clearly inspired by Hot Wheels car tracks but with Woody's trusted ally Slinky Dog as the ride vehicle. The track spans most of the land, and while it's a thrilling trip--complete with two separate launch areas--it's a simple enough coaster that should appeal to riders of all ages (don't worry, you won't be going upside down at any point).
If you're a frequent visitor to Disney's California Adventure, the second new ride might look familiar. Alien Swirling Saucers is a rethemed take on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree from Cars Land. Instead of sliding around in tractors with Mater, Swirling Saucers drops you into the claw machine featured in Toy Story as the little green aliens plot their escape. It's a simple ride but an effective one that should keep visitors busy and a little dizzy.
Lastly, there's the existing ride. Toy Story Mania is a 4D attraction themed like a series of carnival midway games that first opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. However, its entrance has been relocated to Toy Story Land with a brand-new queue design--all of the rides have themed queues--that is air-conditioned. If you're visiting a very hot and humid Florida in the summer, this queue might be the most exciting place to be.
What's For Lunch
Theme parks can cause you to work up an appetite. When you get hungry, Toy Story Land has Woody's Lunch Box. This is the primary eatery in the area and, like the rest of Toy Story Land, it has a cohesive theme. It looks as if Andy's lunchbox has been tipped over to let the food fall out.
Woody's Lunch Box has its own signature menu, all designed to remind you of the food your parents made for you as a child. From s'mores french toast sandwiches for breakfast to "totchos"--which are essentially tater tot nachos--there are plenty of choices. The true star of the entire thing, though, is the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Naturally, there's also an assortment of drinks and desserts to try. Make sure you try the cold brew coffee ice cream float when you sit down for lunch.
When The Sun Goes Down
Chances are Toy Story Land is going to be very busy for a while, so you might be trying to time your visit carefully. If that's the case, you should know there are two distinctly different experiences to be found: day and night. While you can get the full experience during daytime hours, the entire land comes alive in a different way once the sun goes down and the lights come on.
Practically all of Toy Story Land is lit by giant Christmas lights, which send colors everywhere. Beyond that, both Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers are covered in copious amounts of lights, giving a very different ride experience. Swirling Saucers, for instance, also takes on a nightclub vibe as lights flash and swirl while music plays.
The Easter Egg Hunt
It's a land based on a Pixar movie. Of course there are Easter eggs. Have you seen a Pixar movie? There are nods hidden throughout to a variety of things, including other Disney properties. "As shepherds of the culture and folklore of the Pixar Animation franchises, we are doing what they do in their own films here as well," Wineinger teases. "When you take these toys and you make them larger than life around you, there is an impossible amount of detail to study and we encourage the guests [to] take your time and get to know all of these toys through the entirety of Andy's backyard, because you may not know what surprises are around the corner, or perhaps some fun little surprises that we've brought into this place."
While it's impossible to know how many surprises have been packed into the land, make sure to always keep your eyes open. In the Toy Story Mania queue, for instance, there's a giant Viewfinder disc. If you look closely, though, all of the images on the disc are from Disney's 1953 animated classic Peter Pan.
There really is so much to see and experience in the new Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. With Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge on the way, as well as a new ride themed around Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disney World isn't playing around when it comes to immersing guests into new places.
By Anonymous on Jul 05, 2018 11:24 pm French regulator ARJEL isn't ready to classify lootboxes on PS4, Xbox One, PC, or Nintendo Switch as gambling, while Fallout 76's song cover goes on sale for charity.
At EA's press conference at E3 2018, Anthem took centerstage as the publisher highlighted the action RPG in a short gameplay video. Now, we're getting a full look at the game's Scar and Villainy mission, as BioWare has released a 20 minute video of its E3 gameplay demo, complete with commentary from Anthem's lead producer Ben Irving. Check it out above.
In Anthem, you play as a Freelancer with access to Javelins, mech exosuits that come with different abilities and loadouts. In the gameplay demo, you can see a team of Freelancers; the leader plays a Colossus, a tank-like character that packs a punch, another player chooses a fast-moving Ranger, and the final player picks a Colossus with a different loadout, focused on close combat.
As the demo starts, you get to see the game's reactive world on display; flying through a waterfall, for example, will cool the jets on your jetpack. As the players traverse the world, flying, running, and swimming, they battle waves of enemy Scars, eventually entering a Stronghold, a dungeon of sorts with big enemies and bigger rewards. Meanwhile, the game's co-op gameplay is shown off; another player joins in mid-mission, and Irving emphasises Anthem's design as a cooperative game that provides big payoffs for playing together.
Finally, the demo ends with the team fighting a fierce Swarm Tyrant. We'll no doubt see more of the game over the next few months, before its release on February 22, 2019. Check out GameSpot's full E3 2018 impressions of Anthem to see everything we know about the game so far, and check out our Anthem pre-order guide for all the details.
If you're an Amazon/Twitch Prime subscriber, you probably know you get a handful of PC games for free each month. But July isn't just an ordinary month for Amazon. Prime Day is kicking off on July 16, bringing deals of all kinds for Amazon Prime members. But the celebration isn't limited to Prime Day itself. In addition to three games that will be free all month for Twitch Prime members, the company is giving away one free PC game every day during the lead-up to the shopping holiday. All told, 21 free games are going out this month for free to Prime members. [Update: More of these freebies are now available.]
Among them are games like Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition, Brutal Legend, and Tacoma. You can see the full list of games below. To claim your free games each day, you can either click here or visit Twitch.tv and click the crown-shaped button next to the search bar at the top. All you need is the Twitch desktop app to download them. The games are yours to keep and play forever, even if you cancel your Prime membership.
To call attention to the freebies and showcase the games, Twitch Prime has partnered with some of the top Twitch streamers, who will be streaming the each day's free game. You can find the streaming schedule here.
From Amazon's announcement, here's the full lineup of free PC games coming in July for Twitch Prime members. Below, you'll find the list of games, the windows of time when they'll be available for free, and descriptions from Twitch.
Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition: July 2-4
A role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Become enthralled in a world where the paths you take and the choices you make along the way will help forge your destiny.
Metal Slug 3: July 3 - August 2
Metal Slug 3 is an amazing single player run and gun experience where you blast your way through Giant crabs, Zombies and armored tanks. Get ready to frag!
The Last Blade: July 3 - August 2
Originally released on the Neo Geo, The Last Blade is a globally connected fighting game. Set in an era of sword duels and world traveling warrior adventurers, it blends sword play and supernatural powers to create a highly dynamic and addictive fighting game.
Twinkle Star Sprites: July 3 - August 2
A beautiful 2D game with a familiar top down view. Dodge, and shoot your way to victory in a game that blends both the SHMUP and puzzle genres with absolute brilliance!
Q.U.B.E. 2: July 3-4
Play as Amelia Cross in this brilliantly crafted sequel to first-person puzzle game Q.U.B.E. You are stranded in an unfamiliar alien landscape, and only with the help of another distant survivor will you be able to find your way back home.
Battle Chef Brigade: July 4-11
An engaging mix of of combo-based hunting coupled with puzzle-focused cooking in an amazingly illustrated fantasy adventure. Play in a single player campaign with Mina and Thrash, or take to the daily leaderboards and challenge your friends!
Manual Samuel: July 5-12
Our hero Samuel --after making a deal with death --must survive for 24 hours while controlling his whole body manually. Whether it's blinking and breathing or driving and working, it's all on you to control!
Gonner: July 6-13
Gonner is a ridiculously difficult procedurally-generated 2D roguelike platformer. Jump and shoot your way through to the end, or die trying.
Next Up Hero: July 7-14
An incredibly difficult dungeon crawler where you must fight against horrific monsters. Every time you die a spirit is left in your place, which can be resurrected and used to fight beside you.
Uurnog Uurnlimited: July 8-14
Wander into a puzzle-filled land of bombs, cubes, adorable animals and weird people!
Hue: July 9-15
A beautifully colored puzzle game where you change the world itself by changing the color of it's background. You will adventure across a treacherous land void of color, uncovering colored fragments on a quest to find your missing mother.
Deponia Doomsday: July 10-16
Do you have what it takes to change the fate of Deponia? Can you change Rufus' life without also destroying the whole planet. You will fight against time itself in this hilarious action packed story.
Observer: July 11-17
What would you do if your worst fears could be hacked? A cyber punk style horror game from the creators of Layers of Fear. Make your way through a world destroyed by plagues, war and squalor.
Tacoma: July 12-18
Tacoma is a sci-fi themed narrative driven adventure game from the company that made the amazing Gone Home.Tacoma is set in 2088 aboard an ultra high-tech space station.
The Bridge: July 13-26
Solve puzzles in this beautifully animated 2D game, inspired by M. C. Escher. Challenge your preconceived notions of perspective and physics to solve challenging puzzles.
Brutal Legend: July 14-27
Jump into this heavy metal action adventure RPS mashup featuring voices from rock legends like Ozzy Ozbourne and Rob Halford. You'll take control of "The Chosen One" to battle through hordes of demons as you fight to save humanity.
The Red Strings Club: July 15-21
A beautifully crafted cyberpunk adventure game. Supercontinent Ltd. is a company that is on the brink of removing depression, fear and anger from society. It's your quest, along with a hacker, and a rogue android to keep Supercontinent Ltd from brainwashing the world.
Tyranny: July 16-18
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Tyranny is a narrative focused RPG that will change based on the decisions you make while playing. You will make allies, choose sides and fight for your own brand of justice in an incredibly immersive world.
Broken Age: July 17-31
A brilliant point-and-click adventure game from the brilliant minds at Double Fine Productions. Broken Age tells the story of two teenagers, each hoping to break the cycle in their lives and go against the traditions they were born into.
The Framed Collection: July 18-31
Venture into an animated comic book and rearrange the panels to change the outcome of your story. Created as a series of visual puzzles, they will require imagination and logic to move each panel to change the narrative in your favor.
Serial Cleaner: July 18-31
Play as a cleaner for the mob in the 1970s stealth/action game. As the cleaner, it's up to you to make sure there's nothing left for the cops to find that can be used as evidence. If you love gory action games, now you get to play as the guy that cleans that up!
A new season of Fortnite: Battle Royale is quickly approaching, but before it arrives, Epic has rolled out one final set of challenges for Season 4. Week 10's challenges are now available across all platforms--PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile--and, as usual, they consist of seven different objectives that run the gamut from straightforward tasks to more involved treasure hunts. Here's how to clear all of this week's challenges and unlock the remaining Battle Pass rewards before Season 5 begins.
The trickiest of the bunch is a Hard challenge that simply asks players to search between movie titles, which may give you some trouble if you don't know where to look. The area in question is just northeast of Junk Junction, where a cluster of buildings, including a movie studio, is located. Follow the dirt path that's south of Junk Junction to the east until you come upon the three-way fork north of the aforementioned buildings. The Battle Star can be found in a small patch of dirt to your right (south).
While you're in the area, you can work toward clearing another challenge that asks you to search seven chests in Junk Junction. This task doesn't need to be completed in a single match, so you can repeatedly drop there at the start of a round and open chests until you reach the requisite number. Another challenge has you search a chest, Ammo Box, and Supply Drop, although this one does need to be completed in a single match.
The other potentially tricky challenge this week is to skydive through 20 floating rings. This one will certainly require multiple attempts; the rings appear at three different elevations (which are denoted by different colors), so you'll potentially only be able to rack up three of them in a single go. Fortunately, you can have your glider out to ensure you easily dive through the center of the rings, so all you'll need to do is play enough rounds and you'll be able to complete the challenge.
The remaining challenges are fairly self-explanatory. One tasks you with eliminating three opponents in Fatal Fields, while another challenges you to eliminate 10 opponents total. Both are labeled as Hard and are worth 10 Battle Stars each. The final challenge has you deal damage to opponents' structures, which can most easily be accomplished using explosives or the Minigun. You can find the full list of Week 10 challenges below.
Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale begins on July 12. You'll have until then to complete any remaining challenges from Season 4 and unlock new skins, gliders, emotes, and other Battle Pass rewards. If you still need help clearing any of this seasons tasks, be sure to check out our complete Season 4 challenge guide.
Fortnite Season 4, Week 10 Challenges
Search Chests in Junk Junction (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents' structures (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search a Chest, Ammo Box, & Supply Box in a single match -- 5 Battle Stars
Skydive through floating Rings (20) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between movie titles -- 10 Battle Stars
By Anonymous on Jul 05, 2018 10:49 pm With the announcement of Fallout 76, Mike Mahardy returns to 2015's Fallout 4 to spend more time in post-apocalyptic Massachusetts.
The French regulatory body ARJEL has determined that loot boxes in video games do not constitute a form of gambling. However, the government authority did note in a 2017-18 activity report (via Kitgaru) that the issue needs a closer look, and recommended that Europe should come to a consensus on how to treat loot boxes.
ARJEL is specifically an online gambling authority in France, making this issue fall within its purview. It found that loot boxes are not gambling, since the items do not have real-world value. The Netherlands recently reached a different conclusion due to the existence of third-party sellers. ARJEL disagreed, stating that as long as the developer does not participate in the sale and does its diligence in prohibiting resale, it cannot be held legally responsible for it as a gambling platform.
The French regulator stopped short of taking a specific stance on the practice. It rejected loot boxes as a form of online gambling but recognized the problems with introducing chance elements and the risks it could pose to younger players. In particular, it noted that the justification that loot boxes always contain an item does not dispel the risk, since gambling commonly relies on giving players a feeling that they barely missed a jackpot as well.
The call for a unified solution across Europe may be harder than it seems. The Netherlands and Belgium have declared loot boxes to be gambling, while the United Kingdom and New Zealand have disagreed. A report is forthcoming from the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF).
Loot boxes have been a hot topic among United States lawmakers as well recently, partly thanks to the backlash over Star Wars Battlefront 2. Senators have pushed for an investigation, and one Hawaii state rep called the practice "ridiculously exploitative." EA shuttered the microtransactions in Battlefront 2 for a time, then brought back a revised version refocused on cosmetic items. The company appears burned by the experience and careful about touching that hot stove again, as it announced Battlefield 5 will not have loot boxes at all.
If you enjoy some good old-fashioned environmental destruction in your games, you're going to want to check out Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered. It's out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. What you might not know is that you may already own it. If you have the original 2009 version of Red Faction: Guerrilla in your Steam library, the new Re-Mars-tered version should have already been added to your library as a separate game.
In Red Faction: Guerrilla, you play as a freedom fighter in a mining colony on Mars who's trying to fight back against the Earth Defense Force, a group looking to boost Earth's dwindling resources. It's a third-person shooter, but with a unique gameplay hook: every structure in the environment--from tiny huts to multi-story buildings--is destructible. You can turn buildings into rubble using a sledgehammer, vehicles, or an array of explosive weaponry. This adds a tactical element to the game, giving you more options for completing missions and taking down enemies than you have in many other shooters.
The Re-Mars-tered version includes souped-up visuals, including higher-res textures, improved lighting and shadow rendering, and post-processing. It also adds 4K support, assuming you have a system powerful enough to push the pixels.
In GameSpot's 8/10 Red Faction: Guerrilla review, our critic wrote, "You'll end up hearing that 'thunk' a lot in Red Faction: Guerrilla, but you'll never get tired of it because its deep, crunchy sound is tied so intrinsically to the satisfying visual destruction you see. Guerrilla's gameplay is similar--many of the missions may feel like they're at the same, loud, all-out pace, but when devastation is this well presented, it's difficult not to get swept along by its primal energy."
So take that into consideration if you're thinking about buying Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered. But first make sure to check your Steam library to see if you already own it.
Microsoft has begun rolling out its July Xbox One update, which includes a few key features that the company has promised lately. The headliners are FastStart, which was announced at Xbox's E3 media showcase, and Groups, which was tested for Alpha users last month.
FastStart uses machine learning to identify which files are needed first and prioritize those downloads so you can jump into a game faster while the rest of the file finishes. Microsoft boasts this means you can start up a game twice as fast. For the time being, this is limited to a select number of titles. But while it was presented in the context of Xbox Game Pass, today's update appears to make the feature available for everyone.
Groups are a new feature for sorting the games and apps on your system, which essentially let you create multiple customized groups like your Pins. You can group together whatever you'd like, assign custom names, reorganize your groups, and assign them to Home. Pins are a Group by default, and you can create others.
The update also includes the option to press Y anywhere in the dashboard to bring up the search, and some improvements to Mixer. The update lets you use mouse and keyboard support on PC, multi-touch support for touch-enabled devices, a viewer leaderboard to show the most active users on a stream, and full-screen broadcasting. Those come alongside some under-the-hood improvements to broadcasting quality and stability.
Watch out, Tom Cruise. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is coming for your crazy movie stunt crown. The final trailer for The Rock's next movie, Skyscraper, has arrived, and it's pulling no punches in putting the wrestler-turned-actor into some very dangerous situations.
In the new look at the film, even Johnson's character admits "This is stupid," before crawling along the side of the titular skyscraper with only a rope keeping him attached to the massive building. Oh yeah, did we mention everything is also on fire?
Skyscraper, which Johnson has been very fond of deeming an "original concept" movie, sees the action star playing a former US Marine whose family is trapped in the burning building. He takes it upon himself to not only scale the structure to get to his family but stop the villains who set it on fire in the first place.
Joining The Rock for the film are Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black), Neve Campbell (Scream), Noah Taylor (Preacher), and Byron Mann (Altered Carbon). The project also teams him once again with Central Intelligence director Rawson Marshall Thurber.
Skyscraper is just one of a seemingly endless number of projects Johnson has in the works. Other upcoming titles include Hobbs and Shaw, Jungle Cruise, Jumanji 3, Fighting with my Family, and maybe one day Black Adam--the film based on the DC Comics character that was first announced in 2007.
The 4th of July is the anniversary of America's birth. But in 2018, it also served as the release day for The First Purge, because the filmmakers have the subtlety of a lead pipe. Perhaps if this continues, this will be the new Independence Day tradition, the way the Saw movies always debuted on Halloween.
In celebration of America's independence, we're ranking the disturbing, unsettling masks from the Purge franchise. It's the central irony of the films; Purging is supposed to be an annual release of everyone's true selves, but lots of people hide their faces while doing it.
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Stay safe out there. And if you're interested in the franchise's latest movie, you may want to consider checking out our First Purge review, which raises a number of concerns about this entry.
"2016's The Purge: Election Year ended on a hopeful note. That movie tried to mirror the real world too, but the real life politics it mimicked turned out much differently than the film's," writes Mike Rougeau. "In 2018, we could have used a movie where, for once, the good guys won. The fact that series creator James DeMonaco, who's written all four entries and directed the three before this, chose to give us a prequel instead is empirical evidence that he may be out of good ideas.
35. The Weird Cone Mask Guy: The Purge: Election Year
He's a member of Uncle Sam's crew from the third movie. I don't even know what this is. It's definitely the worst costume amongst a bunch of fantastic ones.
34. The Demon Mouth: The Purge: Anarchy
Apparently, this guy is a WWE fan and loves Finn Balor. It's nice to know that wrasslin' survives America's collapse.
33. The Raver Skull Girl: The First Purge
From what we can see from the trailer, the first annual Purge started out with a massive rave and not nearly as much killing as one might expect. But take a look at Raver Skull Girl. She definitely knows what's up.
32. Benjamin Franklin: The Purge: Election Year
No doubt, the booziest of our founding fathers would have embraced the annual Purge. Inventing the Franklin stove has nothing on state-sanctioned murder.
31. The Blackface Purger: The Purge: Election Year
This was the first mask in the third movie, and it let us know that Election Year would be a much more obvious satire of America. It's based off a well-known racial caricature, right down to its wide eyes and pitch-black face.
30. The Statue of Liberty (Version 2.0): The First Purge
This was the promotional poster for the fourth movie. But it's more cool-looking than creepy, and it's definitely a step down from the Lady Liberty in the third movie.
29. The Clownface Girl: The Purge: Election Year
She's one of the Candy Bar Girl lackeys from the third movie. She's a typical "scary clown." Other Purgers spent a little more time on their costumes the night beforehand, though. C+.
28. The Mace Wielder: The Purge: Election Year
This is a confusing tangle of metal and wire, like he just walked out of a second-rate Thunderdome.
27. George Washington: The Purge: Election Year
The founding father of our country went from chopping down cherry trees to chopping off heads.
26. Anime Lamb Girl: The Purge: Election Year
A minor member of Candy Bar Girl's crew, Anime Lamb Girl is there in one scene and gone in the next. Maybe she got smart and went home.
25. Patrick Henry: The Purge: Election Year
"Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
24. The Lingerie Model: The Purge: Election Year
One of Candy Bar Girl's lackeys, she was the sexiest Venom symbiote on Purge night.
23. The Salesman: The Purge: Election Year
This guy deserves an elbow to the mouth for jumping in front of and startling his potential customers. It's hard enough to deal with the annual Purge without this guy messing with you before sunset.
22. The Window Man: The First Purge
That's just unwholesome. What the hell is that? We don't know. And we don't want to know.
21. The Deformed School Boy: The Purge
Preppy jock meets Eyes Wide Shut. This was the best screencap of him from the entire film; he took a bullet to the head almost immediately after entering the Sandin household. Unfortunately for him, creepiness doesn't equate to peripheral vision.
19. & 20. The Two Skipping Girls: The Purge
The Purge was the last film cameo for Joan Rivers, seen here with daughter Melissa. (Not really, but can you see the resemblance?)
18. The Blue-Faced Ape Man: The Purge: Anarchy
This primate with an overbite had a blink-and-you'll-miss-him appearance, but was definitely scary. The filmmakers paid careful attention to lighting him; the half-in-light, half-in-shadow effect is an oldie but a goodie.
17. The Bird Flipper: The Purge
He's upset, because not only is he deformed, he also has a receding hairline.
16. The Massive Raver Devil: The First Purge
The filmmakers finally got tired of beating around the bush. They put a big ol' Satan head right in the trailer for the new movie.
15. Chainsaw Girl: The Purge: Election Year
Wearing a surgical mask whilst brandishing a chainsaw was a particularly witty, dark-humored joke in the third movie.
14. The Interrupter: The Purge
The design of this guy's mask is actually pretty scary. But The Interrupter lasts too fleetingly to make an impact. He rants for exactly three seconds before Polite Leader gets tired of listening to his crap and shuts him up, permanently.
13. The Hipster Lumberjack: The Purge
Of course the Seattle hipsters are part of our dystopian future.
12. The Flukeman: The First Purge
Apparently, the massive Flukeman from The X-Files took a break from popping out of toilets to star in this new film.
11. The Polite Leader: The Purge
He only wears his mask for a few seconds before taking it off for the remainder of the movie. But the gang's leader probably has the most iconic look, because he was used in all the promotional shots. The actor, Rhys Wakefield, has such an expressive face, that he looks more exaggerated with his mask off than on.
10. The Half-Skull Biker: The Purge: Anarchy
Aside from the God Leader's, this is the scariest mask from the second film. The missing jaw makes him look a bit like Shao Kahn, if Shao Kahn decided to join a biker gang.
9. The Guy in the Hoodie: The Purge
Here's the worst jump scare of the first film--the payoff after stumbling aimlessly in the dark for 40 minutes.
8. The Motorcyclist: The Purge: Anarchy
Vroooooom!! The weird fencing-helmet-meets-motorcycle-helmet looks terrifying.
7. Abraham Lincoln: The Purge: Election Year
Born in a log cabin from humble means, Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, is widely considered our greatest president, thanks to his firm leadership, preservation of our Union, and good humor.
6. Uncle Sam: The Purge: Election Year
Uncle Sam didn't need help looking more freaky than he already is. "I WANT YOU! To participate in the annual Purge!"
5. The Big Pig: The Purge: Election Year
A massive, stuffed, bloody pig costume is disturbing enough. But the oversized pacifier crammed into its mouth seals the deal.
4. Betsy Ross: The Purge: Election Year
After sewing the first American flag, Betsy Ross loved it so much that she painted it on her face.
3. The Candy Bar Girl: The Purge Election Year
This is why you don't piss anybody off the day before the annual Purge. If I had a store, and I saw someone stealing a candy bar? She can take the whole box, as far as I'm concerned. Just don't show up with your fabulous, murderous crew the following day.
2. The Waving God: The Purge: Anarchy
The leader of the main gang from the second movie, he makes the most of his screen-time with a weak, cloying wave that sent chills down our spines.
1. The Statue of Liberty: The Purge: Election Year
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Lady Liberty (Version 1.0) has a DIY, punk rock look to her, with light-up, X-ed out eyes and a burnt looking face. She's a perfect send-up and subversion of America under the New Founding Fathers, and that's what makes her No. 1.
John Krasinski is having a good year--not only has the former Office star directed and starred in the acclaimed horror movie A Quiet Place, he's also set to headline Amazon's upcoming Jack Ryan. The series is based on Tom Clancy's classic stories about the iconic CIA analyst, and it hits the service in August. A new trailer has now been released.
The trailer was released on Independence Day and uses the voices of previous US Presidents to suggest the dangerous world that this latest version of Ryan will find himself in. The promo is also a lot of heavier on action than previous trailers, which put more emphasis on the show's thriller aspects. Check it out below:
Jack Ryan also stars Abbie Cornish (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Wendell Pierce (The Wire), and Ali Suliman (Lone Survivor). The first season consists of eight episodes and it hits Amazon on August 31.
Last year, Krasinski spoke about what would set this show apart from previous screen incarnations. "The line between film and TV has blurred so much over the years," he said. "I think Jack Ryan is a product of that blurring so much that I think that they're not even really considering it a TV show, they're calling it a movie that's being told in [eight] parts.
"[Showrunner] Carlton Cuse's whole plan is we're gonna shoot it on a movie budget, [and] we're gonna have the same stunts as movies. It's gonna feel like a movie but you're gonna watch it every week. He just felt that two hours wasn't enough time to tell a Jack Ryan story, because Tom Clancy's books are so detailed and rich. If [Ryan] has a superpower it's his intelligence, so there's a lot of problem solving and things that take time. That's the beauty of the spy genre."
Krasinski will be the fifth actor to play Ryan. The character first appeared in the 1990 thriller The Hunt for the Red October, portrayed by Alec Baldwin. Harrison Ford starred in two Clancy adaptations in the early 1990s, with Ben Affleck and Chris Pine both playing the character since then.
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