If you have a Nintendo Switch, you've probably noticed your Joy-Cons don't have traditional D-pads. Instead of the cross-shaped D-pad button found on other consoles, Joy-Cons made by Nintendo have four separate buttons. That's not always ideal, especially when you play games that require precise directional input, like 2D platformers and fighting games. The video game accessory maker Hori is here to help.
Hori is gearing up to release left Switch controllers that feature regular cross-shaped D-pads. Better yet, you can already pre-order these controllers now with officially licensed Zelda and Mario themes. The Zelda-themed one is black with gold etchings and the Mario one is maroon with red etchings. Each one costs $25 and will be released on September 18.
Before you click to pre-order, you'll want to know about some significant downsides for these accessories. They only replace the left-side Joy-Con, so you'll still need to have a right-side one to play games. They're also missing lots of the internal tech that comes in a standard Joy-Con made by Nintendo, including Bluetooth, HD rumble, a gyro-sensor, battery, and SL/SR buttons. As a result, these controllers can only be used when the Switch is in handheld mode--in other words, no TV play.
Lastly, at the time of this writing, these items on Amazon have the wrong images attached to them. That seems to be a simple mistake, seeing as all the other information on their pages refers to them being controllers. But just to be safe if you put in a pre-order, make a note to double-check that they're the correct product before they ship.
On the plus side, these controllers should make playing 2D games a more precise experience. And with all the incredible 2D games on the Switch, including the Mega Man X Legacy Collection, Celeste, Hollow Knight, and the upcoming NES classics that will be included with Nintendo Switch Online, a real D-pad could certainly come in handy.
Digimon Survive is an upcoming survival RPG developed in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the popular Digimon anime. The game presents an original adventure separate from the show, with characters designed by Uiti Ukumo and music composed by Tomoki Miyoshi--who's composed for video games like SoulCalibur V and I Am Setsuna.
Digimon Survive tells the story of four teenagers getting lost while on a camping trip and stumbling into a new world inhabited by Digital Monsters. Players control the leader of the group--Takuma Momozuka--who's partnered with Agumon. Each of Takuma's friends find Digimon partners of their own, and together the group works together to find a way for the teens to get back home again. Their adventure won't be easy though, as Digimon Survive's new trailer promises the game features darker themes of death and destruction--elements that haven't really been seen in Digimon since Digimon Tamers.
The new trailer showcases the two different styles of gameplay present in Digimon Survive. Parts of the game will play out as a visual novel, where the player determines what choices Takuma makes. How the characters' Digimon partners digivolve and the final ending of the game is dependent on what dialogue options and actions players choose. The rest of Digimon Survive is a turn-based strategy game. Players move their characters' team of Digimon across a battlefield to fight against enemy monsters, the ability to digivolve or warp digivolve and fight more powerful foes dependent on the characters' bonds with one another.
The last Digimon game, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory, is a role-playing game for PS4 and PS Vita. Hacker's Memory is a more traditional RPG, where players collect Digimon for turn-based battles. Although the mechanics are solid, the gameplay feels more in-line with the Pokemon anime--collection over connection--which goes against Digimon's themes of bonding with a chosen partner. Digimon Survive seems to be more in-line with what the Digimon anime is about.
Digimon Survive is launching for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch in 2019.
We've seen some big sales this season, ranging from the Steam Summer Sale to the PlayStation Mid-Year Sale. Now Xbox owners can get in on the fun, because the Ultimate Game Sale is live on the Microsoft Store. Between now and July 30, over 700 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games and add-ons are on sale for up to 65% off. And if you're an Xbox Live Gold member, you get an extra 10% off select titles. Let's dive in and what kind of deals are on offer--or head over to our roundup of the best deals under $10. [Update: It's July 30, meaning you've got just hours left to pick up any of these games you're interested in.]
Whether you're currently a member or not, you can save $20 off a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, bringing the online service down to $40 / £26.50. In addition to letting you play online, the subscription also gets you free games each month, making it one of the best deals around for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners.
Microsoft's other gaming-related subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, is also on sale right now. For $10 / £8, you can get a three-month membership that lets you download and play a selection of over a hundred games on your Xbox One, including first-party games the same day they're released.
As expected, many Xbox One-exclusive games are discounted during the Ultimate Game Sale. You can get Gears of War 4 for $20 / £17 and the console exclusive PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds for $22.50 / £19. The cartoonish platformer Cuphead is on sale for $16 / £13.39, while Quantum Break is $20 / £14.40 and ReCore is down to $15 / £11.
Far Cry 5, which just got some Mars DLC, is on sale for $40 / £36 (DLC not included). You can get yourself ready for this fall's Destiny 2: Forsaken release by grabbing Destiny 2 and the Expansion Pass for $20 / £16.50.
All of those and literally hundreds of other games are on sale right now. We have more highlights below, or you can hop over to the Microsoft Store for the complete list. Additionally, there are some more deals as part of Microsoft's weekly Xbox Store sale.
Netflix has purchased the rights to Mowgli, the live-action Jungle Book adaptation from director Andy Serkis. The darker take on the Rudyard Kipling classic was in a race with Disney's own live-action adaptation, which Disney won by releasing in 2016.
This version was originally slated for 2016 as well, but has since suffered multiple delays. It recently released its first trailer with a theatrical release planned for October 19, 2018. EW reports that this acquisition delays it once again, as now Netflix will premiere it on its streaming platform sometime in 2019.
Serkis is best known for his variety of motion-capture work in films like The Planet of the Apes and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. He dons the motion-capture suit in Mowgli as well to play Baloo the bear, while also taking duties behind the camera as director.
The director told Deadline that he needed extra time for his performance capture work, and decided to "let the other film have its moment." He also suggested that Netflix will help them avoid direct comparisons between the two films, and give it more creative freedom to have darker themes and to explore the violence between the animals.
Mowgli stars Rohan Chand in the title role, alongside Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, and of course, Andy Serkis as Baloo.
Avengers 4 may be dropping a little earlier than expected. An updated theater schedule suggests that Marvel might move the anticipated sequel up to sync up a simultaneous worldwide release. Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.
The IMAX schedule (viaScreenRant) reports that the IMAX schedule claims Avengers 4 will release in April 2019. The film is currently slated for April in France, Germany, and the UK, but is set for May 3, 2019 in the United States and other territories. It's possible that IMAX is listing these European regions for the date, but it lists domestic U.S. release dates for all of the other films.
That would imply that Marvel is planning to move Avengers 4 up to match the European dates, so that it releases worldwide on the same date. This would be a repeat of the stunt Marvel pulled for Avengers: Infinity War, using a social media campaign to announce the change. The move helped avoid spoilers, which were a real threat given the monumental events of Infinity War. In that film, Thanos fulfilled his personal mission to wipe out half of the living things in the universe, including several of our heroes--Spider-Man, Groot, and Black Panther among them.
Avengers 4 will continue and likely conclude that cliffhanger story, so the risk of spoilers is once again very high. There have been plenty of theories about how Marvel will resolve the situation, especially given that some ostensibly deceased characters already have sequels in the works. Marvel is still playing some of its cards close to the vest, though, holding off Phase 4 details until after Avengers 4's release.
This move would also somewhat shorten the gap between the Captain Marvel film, scheduled for March 8, 2019, and Avengers 4. A post-credits scene in Infinity War showed Nick Fury calling for emergency assistance from the powerful superhero, so we expect to see the one film lead neatly into the other.
In recent weeks, there has been all kinds of controversy around the firing of director James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 because of some old but explicit tweets. Many actors and industry people in general have since spoken out in favor of the director, but now, the entire central cast of Guardians of the Galaxy has signed a statement supporting James Gunn.
The statement does not explicitly call for the reinstatement of Gunn, nor does the letter express any kind of support for the jokes that were made, but rather speaks to Gunn's character and how liked and admired he is by the cast in general. The letter also talks about the court of public opinion, saying, "James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial." Chris Pratt and others have posted the letter to Twitter and Instagram, where Pratt said he would personally like to see Gunn reinstated.
Although I don't support James Gunn's inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a good man. I'd personally love to see him reinstated as director of Volume 3. If you please, read the… https://t.co/FWBXkZilB7
Essentially, the letter communicates that even though Gunn made some poor choices in the past, that doesn't make him a bad person. They aren't necessarily asking for anything, but instead, they discuss the dangers of mob mentality, and express their hope that people will learn from this and be more careful what they post online.
Instead of signing the letter as the franchise's cast, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, and Michael Rooker, all signed their names to the statement as, "The Guardians of the Galaxy". Bautista and Rooker had already made their feelings known about the decision, but now it seems that the cast is showing solidarity on this issue.
Gunn directed the previous two Guardians films, both of which were very successful, and his firing has sparked a conversation questioning how fair the consequences can be when it comes to posting on social media.
The complete letter reads,
To our fans and friends:
We fully support James Gunn. We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss. In that time, we've been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of Volume 3 as well as discouraged by those so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding him.
Being in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies has been a great honor in each of our lives. We cannot let this moment pass without expressing our love, support, and gratitude for James. We are not here to defend his jokes of many years ago but rather to share out experience having spent many years together on set making Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2. The character he has shown in the wake of his firing is consistent with the man he was every day on set, and his apology, now and from years ago when first addressing these remarks, we believe is from the heart, a heart we all know, trust, and love. In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever. We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now.
Each of us looks forward to working with our friend James again in the future. His story isn't over--not by a long shot.
There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide in this country, it's safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.
It is our hope that what has transpired can serve as an example for all of us to realize the enormous responsibility we have to ourselves and to each other regarding the use of our written words when we etch them in the digital stone; that we as a society may learn from this experience and in the future will think twice before we decide what we want to express; and in so learning perhaps can harness this capability to help and heal instead of hurting each other. Thank you for taking this time to read our words.
Turns out the real highlight of Avengers: Infinity War could have been Star-Lord and Drax bickering like an old married couple over music playing in their spaceship. Marvel just released a deleted scene from the film via EW, and it's basically about the Guardians taking out their frustrations on each other.
The scene happens after the Guardians face Thanos in Knowhere and lose, so tensions are understandably high. Star-Lord wants to play Kiss' "New York Groove" in order to get into a groove of his own, but Drax would prefer not to have the same song playing over and over again, which seems fair.
Mantis is also in the scene and she's just as irritated as Drax, but not about the music. A yellow light has been going off in her face, but she doesn't realize that it means an important coded message was sent to Star-Lord. By the end of the scene, everyone is annoyed and everyone is fighting.
This scene is one of several deleted or extended scenes that will be a bonus feature on the physical DVD and Blu-ray, coming out August 14. Guardians 3 is currently in the works, but it might end up looking different without James Gunn at the helm. If you'd like to know about all the bonus features on the Infinity War DVD, check out the list below.
Infinity War Bonus Features
Strange Alchemy (5:08)--Share the thrill of characters from across the MCU meeting for the first time--and discover why some were teamed up together.
The Mad Titan (6:34)--Explore the MCU's biggest, baddest villain, his trail of influence through the stories, and the existential threat he represents.
Beyond the Battle: Titan (9:36)--Dive into the climactic struggle on Thanos' ruined world, including the epic stunts and VFX, to uncover the source of its power.
Beyond the Battle: Wakanda (10:58)--Go behind the scenes to find out how the filmmakers pulled off the most massive and challenging battle Marvel had ever attempted.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:07)
Happy Knows Best (1:23)--Tony and Pepper spar over the details of their upcoming wedding--until a hassled Happy Hogan pulls up with an urgent request.
Hunt for the Mind Stone (1:24)--On a darkened street, Wanda Maximoff and the wounded Vision attempt to hide from Thanos' brutal allies.
The Guardians Get Their Groove Back (3:20)--As Peter Quill and Drax quarrel over their failed mission to Knowhere, Mantis interrupts with news.
A Father's Choice (4:00)--Thanos confronts Gamora with a vision from her past—and with lying to him about the Soul Stone.
Gag Reel (2:05)--Watch your favorite superheroes make super gaffes in this lighthearted collection of on-set antics.
Audio Commentary (approx. 149 min.) by Anthony and Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Funko has succeeded as a company because it delves into every single fandom, creating cute little figures at a low price point. At times, the company can get into some pretty deep dives within comic books, television shows, and movies. And then sometimes, Funko makes a flashing gremlin into a Pop figure.
As seen in Gremlins 2, Kate (Phoebe Cates) is trapped in a skyscraper, which is filled with gremlins. While inside a bar crowded with the monsters, she turns around and a gremlin flashes her. That three-second moment from a movie made in 1990 is now a Funko Pop figure. And guess what? It's available now at your local Pop retailer. Additionally, there will also be a Greta Pop figure, the female gremlin who's featured predominantly during the Broadway-style finale. Have we mentioned that Gremlins 2 is a really weird movie?
On a more serious side, Funko is also releasing a two-pack from its Vynl line featuring Gizmo and Stripe from the first Gremlins movie. This set will be available in August. Prices for both sets are not listed but Vynl two-packs on average cost $15 while Pops run between $10-15.
If you're looking for more Funko Pops, check out the ridiculous amount of ones exclusive to Comic-Con this year, the Spider-Man PS4 game set, and the ones from Toy Fair earlier this year, which are all available now. And we'll let you know when Hulk Hogan tearing his shirt off in a movie theater Pop figure from Gremlins 2 comes out. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
The cast list for Star Wars: Episode IX was just announced on the Star Wars site, and it comes with a few surprises.
JJ Abrams is back to direct, and of course, John Williams will return to score the film, as he has done since 1977. Many cast members are returning as well, including, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.
New cast members will also be joining the franchise, including Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth) and Richard E. Grant (Logan). Some OGs will also be in the movie, including Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams.
Despite earlier announcements, the film will indeed feature Carrie Fisher. In a statement regarding the choice, Abrams said, "We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."
Star Wars: Episode IX will start filming August 1 at Pinewood Studios in London, and is set to be released December 2019.
The online retailer Newegg doesn't usually do traditional sales. Instead, it releases promo codes that can get you big discounts on some of the most popular video games around. Right now you can save 50% off select games by entering promo code EMCPWSP33 at checkout. The only drawbacks are that not all games are available for all platforms, and the deal ends July 31. Let's take a look at what games you can get for cheap.
Lots of relatively new games are available with this deal, including Sea of Thieves, Call of Duty: WWII, and Far Cry 5 for $30 apiece. That's as low as we've seen on any of them, so you're not likely to find them cheaper anytime soon.
Would it be nice if every game was on sale across all platforms? Most definitely. But when it comes to half-off games, we'll take what we can get. Just make sure you remember to enter that promo code at checkout.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is still a few months away, but Rockstar is already giving players a chance to earn certain items for it through another one of its games: Grand Theft Auto V. Last year, the developer announced a crossover mission in GTA Online that would unlock a weapon in the upcoming title, and it appears another similar tie-in has now been discovered in GTA 5's code.
The Guru Team, which was responsible for uncovering the first tie-in mission in GTA Online before it was formally announced by Rockstar, have found a second Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon in the game through datamining: a stone hatchet (via PC Gamer). According to the group, the hatchet can be acquired through a treasure hunt, which involves traveling to five different locations on the map and either capturing or killing a target.
Once all five areas have been visited, players will travel to a sixth location, where they'll find a treasure chest containing the hatchet. They can then use the weapon to take on a series of special challenges, which will in turn unlock the stone hatchet in Red Dead Redemption 2 on either PS4 or Xbox One when completed.
Despite being in the game's code, the stone hatchet isn't currently live in GTA Online. Rockstar still hasn't formally announced the crossover mission, so it remains to be seen when players will be able to get their hands on the weapon. With Red Dead Redemption 2 slated to launch on October 26, however, it seems likely Rockstar will share details about the new tie-in quest soon.
The first RDR2-related mission in GTA Online was revealed last December. It tasks players with traveling to specific locations around Los Santos, with the reward being the golden Double-Action Revolver. Once the gun has been obtained, players can use it to participate in a Headshot challenge and unlock the Double-Action Revolver for use in Red Dead Redemption 2.
While it was first reported that Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln is leaving AMC's long-running zombie show back in May, his departure was only officially confirmed during last week's San Diego Comic-Con. Lincoln has now spoken further about his decision and revealed the reason why he is leaving the role of Rick Grimes after eight years.
In an interview for Entertainment Weekly Radio, Lincoln again confirmed he was leaving, although he was careful to specifically state it was from the main show, not necessarily the entire franchise, which also includes the video game and spin-off show Fear the Walking Dead. He then explained that his departure was simply down to the fact that his home is in the UK and he wants to spend more time with his family.
"I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older," he said. "It was that simple. It was time for me to come home."
Lincoln went on to talk about what it was like to film his final episodes in the upcoming Season 9. "Completing the show was like releasing air finally," he said. "And it was very satisfying the last two episodes in particular. But doing a [Comic-Con] panel and having to talk to [thousands of] people in Hall H and then have all my friends hug me at the end? The s*** got real, is the truth of the matter."
During the Walking Dead SDCC panel, Lincoln expressed his love for the show. "I love this show, it means everything to me," he said. "I love the people who make this show--I promise not to cry, I've done enough crying on screen--I am also deeply fond of the people who watch this show, you people. This has been the most extraordinary, amazing, and beautiful experience of my career made largely because of you guys."
The Walking Dead Season 9 premieres on October 31. Lincoln is only expected to star in a handful of episodes, as is co-star Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie. In March, it was reported that Cohan was holding out on signing the contract for Season 9 in order to improve her deal. Although she did ultimately sign on for the next season, Cohan will only appear in six episodes, as she is also filming the ABC drama Whiskey Cavalier.
Fortnite has crossed an estimated 100 million downloads on mobile, according to third-party tracking firm Apptopia. If the figure is accurate, it would have passed the number after only five months on the market, and without an Android version to boost its numbers. By comparison, the firm predicts that PUBG will reach the figure after almost a year on the market.
The report also claims that Fortnite has cleared $160 million in purchase revenue, and players in May and June alone played for 2.7 billion hours. Keep in mind all of those figures are for the mobile version only. Fortnite has continued to rack up success on PC and consoles as well, so this is all gravy.
That's a strong showing, but the firm estimates that some other games have reached the 100 million milestone a little faster. Super Mario Run is said to have hit it after only 68 days, and Pokemon Go after 71. Fortnite took roughly twice as long, which the report chalks up to good marketing. Super Mario Run had a recognizable brand name on its side, and it teamed up with Apple for real estate on the App Store. But it also tapered off and didn't make what Nintendo expected.
Part of the appeal of Fortnite on mobile is its parity with the PC and console versions. With the notable exception of PS4, all of the versions play alongside each other, so mobile players don't have to settle for a second-tier experience. Fortnite is now well into its fifth season, with a new set of rewards to chase. You can check out where to find the birthday cakes to earn yourself some loot as long as you finish the challenges before August 7.
Like many long-running blockbuster action series, Mission Impossible arguably jumped the shark a long time ago. But the latest entry takes that act to new heights. In Mission Impossible: Fallout, the shark is in possession of armed plutonium bombs, and Tom Cruise soars over it on a speeding motorcycle, then flips around in mid-air, skydives into the water with lightning crackling around him, and disembowels the shark with a butterfly knife. As the indestructible Ethan Hunt, that's no more than people expect of him at this point.
At Fallout's start, Hunt is living overseas, estranged from his wife--who he's clearly still in love with--for reasons that you'd better remember from one of the previous movies, because this one sure isn't concerned with catching anyone up. His latest mission, should he choose to accept it, is to stop a mysterious villain called John Lark, who heads a clandestine terrorist network known as the Apostles. They have something to do with the bad guys from the last MI movie. There are three active plutonium cores, an anarchist nuclear physicist, and about nine other MacGuffins in play at any given time.
There's no point recounting further details of the plot, because Mission Impossible: Fallout doesn't want you to follow it anyway. It wants you to sink deep into your seat and marvel at its incredibly impressive stunts, fights, chases, and special effects, then be awed at its cleverness when the 20th double-cross leaves half the characters floored, as if they'd even be surprised anymore at that point. These shenanigans usually involve Hunt walking into the room making "gotcha" eyes like the To Catch A Predator guy, and someone tearing off a cartoonishly realistic 3D-printed rubber mask.
The endless twists and turns are tiresome at this point, especially when the story is so convoluted. Half the characters are double, triple, or quadruple agents. You can't trust what you're seeing from one scene to the next, because everyone is secretly working against everyone else, and several scenes are just setups where the curtain falls at the end to reveal they're actually on a soundstage, or someone once again is wearing a rubber mask posing as someone else. The entire movie is like the climax to an Ocean's 11 sequel. You don't know what's going on because you don't have enough information, so all you can do is go along for the ride. Yet at the same time, the one actual big "twist" is somehow telegraphed so early and obviously, you need to fall asleep in the first 20 minutes if you're going to miss it and actually be surprised.
Mission Impossible has come to treat its characters like the core members of the Avengers, but they're not actually anywhere near that memorable. Ving Rhames' Luther and Simon Pegg's Benji have no reason to be there, besides loyalty to Ethan, and they don't serve much purpose in this one. Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa, introduced in MI: Rogue Nation, is also back, although she too mostly takes the backseat to Ethan. As CIA operative August Walker, Henry Cavill is implacable and boring. His facial hair does look great, although it's mostly just funny to gaze at his mustache and consider that every single one of those well-groomed hairs was another nail in Justice League's ebony casket.
Cruise himself continues to defy the laws of the universe by never appearing any older, and although he's not actually as charming as these movies want him to be, the actor's well documented dedication to doing his own stunts pays off. Whether he's leaping gaps between skyscrapers, skydiving through a thunderstorm, weaving through traffic on a speeding motorcycle, or crawling around an airborne chopper's landing gear, Cruise's face is almost always front and center. The result is a rare feeling of actual danger from Fallout's many death-defying stunts; unlike most movies, the more you know about Fallout's filming, the more tense and exhilarating you'll find its action.
That's really the movie's saving grace: The action is so unbelievably cool that the rest is mostly forgivable. Convoluted exposition dumps, weepy melodrama, cheesy dialogue, and Henry Cavill's absolutely terrible American accent are really just filler designed to get us to the next major action climax, of which Fallout has at least four or five (at 147 minutes long, it feels interminable). The bathroom fight glimpsed in the trailers is brutally awesome; who cares how implausible it is that the men's restroom at a packed rave would go unoccupied for long enough to allow it to happen in the first place? There's a question like that at the heart of most of these scenes, along with a readily available way to dismiss it and just enjoy yourself.
That does bring us to Mission Impossible: Fallout's most severe flaw, though: the indestructible Ethan Hunt. It's not just him, either; characters in this movie survive getting hit by cars, being struck by lightning, getting thrown from moving vehicles, flying headfirst over a motorcycle's handlebars--with no helmet--after a full speed head-on collision, being hurled through mirrors and walls, getting punched repeatedly in the throat, being hanged by the neck, falling absurd distances, and not one, but two spectacular helicopter crashes. And they do it all without a scratch. One and all, they walk it off, like the superheroes that they most definitely are not. It stretches plausibility to breaking; that's where Fallout jumps that shark so completely. Ethan Hunt and co. are supposed to be extremely capable super-spies, not super-humans.
That all and more is beside the point, though, if you just want to watch Tom Cruise do crazy stunts and save the world from nuclear annihilation for the umpteenth time. On that front, Mission Impossible: Fallout delivers, and damn the shark to its watery grave.
EA's Origin Access Premier is rolling out starting today, adding a higher tier to its subscription service. The upgraded version of Origin Access will give you unlimited access to new releases on PC, as well as early access five days before launch.
The basic tier gives access to the Vault of 100+ older EA and third-party games along with a 10% discount on purchases. Premier includes all that, along with new games once they launch like FIFA 19, Madden NFL 19, and Battlefield V. When EA teased the announcement, it also promised its big-budget shooter Anthem will be included when it launches next year. Notably, the upcoming games included with the subscription are the special editions: NHL 19 Hall of Fame, FIFA 19 Ultimate, Battlefield 5 Deluxe, and Anthem: Legion of Dawn Edition.
It costs $15 / £15 per month or $100 / £90 per year, as compared to the basic tier's $5 / £4 and $30 / £20 charges, respectively. Subscribing now gets you in before Madden drops on August 10, and altogether subscribing through the end of the year would get you EA's entire slate for just over the cost of one game. Of course, if you let the subscription lapse, the games go too.
This makes EA's own subscription service similar to the Xbox Game Pass, which offers a large backlog of older games along with all new first-party games from Microsoft as they release. That service similarly costs $10 per month.
Fortnite might currently be celebrating its first birthday with exuberantly large in-game cakes and additional challenges, but the jubilation was somewhat dampened by the issue of ghost peeking, which has been a troublesome exploit affecting the game's loot-loving, trigger-happy player base. The folks at Epic Games have been trying to fix it for months now, and had mixed results.
If you're unaware, ghost peeking essentially lets players fire over cover without being seen and exposing themselves to the enemy. This is particularly problematic in a game where you can build your own cover at almost any time. It comes into practice when a player crouches uphill. As Fortnite's animation system makes adjustments to ensure your character's feet are correctly positioned on slopes, it also alters their mesh--even when your relative position hasn't changed--allowing you to remain completely behind cover while also being able to shoot over it.
If you've ever been shot by that sniper in the opposite tower without seeing his head peek out, the handy diagram below (posted on Reddit by Epic's Nick Donaldson) shows you why. "The yellow line is a trace from the center of your camera. The green line is supposed to be the bullet trace," he explained. As you can see, ghost peeking effectively removes the risk inherent in sticking your neck out of cover to pop off a shot.
Ghost peeking has been a widespread issue; you only need to search for the term on YouTube to uncover myriad video tutorials teaching players how to successfully pull it off. In the latest v5.1 update, however, Epic claimed to have fixed it, and based on the current evidence that seems to be the case. Huzzah! But don't get too excited just yet: this solution comes with a caveat. Fixing ghost peeking has had an adverse side-effect that impacts your ability to aim down sights.
Reddit user Grass---Tastes_Bad first pointed this out, showing how the Cuddle Team Leader premium skin will cover half the screen and your aiming reticle when you're positioned sideways on a ramp. The effect isn't always as pronounced with other skins (though hunting rifles seem to be universally bad as they zoom into the back of your head), but it still blocks the entire left-hand side of the screen, forcing you to disengage from these kinds of situations unless you want your viewpoint to be severely hampered.
Ghost peeking was a problem that needed to be fixed, but the current solution has introduced a more serious issue. It's bad enough getting killed by the new already-nerfed-but-still-really-powerful P90 Compact SMG, without having to also struggle to keep the enemy player in view.
Epic has been quick to fix any issues with Fortnite so far, and they're aware of this one, so there's hope this will be rectified soon. Whether that means ghost peeking returns in some form remains to be seen, but we might not be out of the woods just yet.
Despite previous statements to the contrary, the late Carrie Fisher will reprise her role as Leia Organa in the upcoming Star Wars Episode IX. Lucasfilm confirmed the news as part of a broader announcement regarding casting and other details, which also revealed that Mark Hamill will be in the new movie. [Update: Hamill has now spoken about the prospect of making Episode IX without Fisher.]
In a post on the official Star Wars website, Lucasfilm said it will use "previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in order to include Fisher, who passed away in December 2016. Notably, Episode IX is being directed by JJ Abrams, who also helmed The Force Awakens before Rian Johnson took over for The Last Jedi, which was thought to be Fisher's final Star Wars role.
"We desperately loved Carrie Fisher," Abrams said in a statement. "Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."
This news comes as a surprise. Fisher's brother said last year that "recent footage" of the actress would be used to allow her to make an appearance in Episode IX. But Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy later denied this was the case, stating that Fisher would not be included in the movie. Prior to that, Lucasfilm said it would not recreate her using CGI.
It's unclear at this point exactly what caused Lucasfilm to reverse its decision, but fans of Fisher will no doubt be excited to see her in her most famous role one last time.
Alongside Fisher, Episode IX's cast will feature a variety of returning actors, including Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Episode IX also sees Billy Dee Williams reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. Notably, Mark Hamill is also said to be among the cast members.
Stranger Things Season 3 won't be out this year, Netflix has announced. Netflix programming boss Cindy Holland said at a Television Critics Association event that the hit sci-fi show won't return until 2019. The wait will be worth it, though, Holland said.
"It's a handcrafted show," Holland said, according to EW. "The Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy--they understand the stakes are high. They want to deliver something bigger and better than last year. I think it's going to be a fantastic season. It will be worth the wait."
Holland added that Season 3 will have more special effects than the previous two. This is part of the reason why Stranger Things won't be back until 2019. "It's a really exciting season, just takes a little more time," Holland explained.
Producer Shawn Levy recently revealed that Season 3 will be set in the summer of 1985, following the previous seasons which were set a year apart in '83 and '84 respectively. At least two new cast members are joining the show for Season 3, including Carey Elwes and Jake Busey. Busey will play Bruce, who is a "corrupt and sexist news reporter," while Elwes is Mayor Kline, a "slick and self-serving politician."
Season 3's story emphasis is expected to shift away from Will. "We're going to give Will a break," Levy said previously. "We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He'll be dealing with stuff, but he won't be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah [Schnapp] to play."
The Pokemon series returned to theaters last year with a limited theatrical run of Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You, a retelling of Ash's first encounter with Pikachu and their journey to find the Legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh. The latest Pokemon film, known in Japan as Pokemon the Movie: Everyone's Story, will follow suit and receive a limited theatrical release as well.
Following its premiere in Japan, The Pokemon Company has announced it is again partnering with Fathom Events to distribute the 21st film in the series, now known as Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us, in international markets this fall. The movie will air in select theaters around the world on November 24, 26, and 28, with one final showing following on December 1.
The Power of Us is set in a town that lives in harmony with the wind. Each year, the townspeople hold a festival to celebrate the Legendary Pokemon Lugia, which saved the town from destruction some years ago. The film also marks the debut of Zeraora, a brand-new Mythical Pokemon revealed earlier this year for the series' most recent 3DS games, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
You can read the synopsis of the film, taken from the official Pokemon website, below:
"Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us tells the story of Ash and Pikachu as they journey to a small seaside town filled with a diverse set of characters, including a young athlete, a compulsive liar, a shy researcher, a bitter old woman, and a little girl with a big secret.
"Every year, the townspeople gather to celebrate the Legendary Pokemon Lugia, who brings the wind that saved the town from destruction many years ago. The festival is a time for celebration, with a Pokemon Catching Race and a ceremonial flame burning brightly to summon Lugia. But when a series of incidents threatens not just the festival, but all the people and Pokemon who call the town home, it's going to take more than just Ash and Pikachu to save the day. Will these people be able to put aside their differences and work together to rescue their town? Or will it all end in destruction?"
Additional details on showtimes and participating details will be announced at a later date. Tickets for The Power of Us will go on sale on the Fathom Events website beginning September 27.
Electronic Arts has commented on the ever-popular topic of cross-play, and it sounds like the company is enthusiastic about doing more in the space going forward. During a recent earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson was asked directly if Battlefield V or other EA games will feature cross-play functionality between systems. Wilson said cross-play is an "important part of our future development profile," though he stopped short of confirming anything.
Cross-play between consoles exists for some Xbox One and Nintendo Switch games such as Rocket League and Minecraft. However, Sony has yet to connect its PlayStation 4 with any competing consoles. Whatever the case, Wilson said he expects that in 3-5 years, a "great portion" of gaming will exist in the cloud, and will thus be technically capable of being played on any device you may own, though politics between platform-holders may complicate issues.
"We have a vision on a 3- to 5-year time horizon where a great portion of game experiences will exist in the cloud and be pushed to every device you own," Wilson said. "And the game experience you have won't be measured by local CPU or GPU, but will be measured by screen size and session time you have and will drive tremendous liquidity in a market.
On the more immediate horizon, Wilson teased that EA is looking at some of its "key franchises" for cross-play support.
"We're looking at key franchises in terms of how we should deliver cross-platform play ... in a similar way that Fortnite has, especially ... some of our titles have a broad and diverse player base," he said. "Households typically have one console, so the ability to bring PC to console and console to mobile into that play experience can bring families together, can bring friends together. And we think it's an important part of our future development profile, both in terms of mobile games that we have today moving up per se to console and PC, and console and PC games being playable in mobile. And I expect more from us on that front in the future."
Amazon has hired a pair of writers for its upcoming and very expensive Lord of the Rings prequel TV show. The company is bringing on JD Payne and Patrick McKay to write the show. The pair have no previous TV writing credits, but as EW points out, neither did Game of Thrones TV show writers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. That seemed to work out pretty OK.
Payne and McKay said in a statement that they are "thrilled" to be working on the Lord of the Rings show for Amazon. "We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care--it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime."
They added: "The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew."
Payne and McKay have been writing partners since high school when they were on the debate team together. In addition to the Lord of the Rings show, they are writing the upcoming Star Trek 4 and the new Jungle Cruise movie for Disney.
The new Amazon Lord of the Rings show is based on Tolkien's acclaimed and much-loved novels. Amazon is committed to multiple seasons of the show, which will be produced in partnership with the Tolkien Estate, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.
Little is known about the story for Amazon's Lord of the Rings show, but it's been confirmed that it's set in Middle-earth and will "explore new storylines" in the time before The Fellowship of the Ring.
No casting announcements have been made yet, but those details could come soon. Given the timeline, you shouldn't expect Frodo or Sam to show up, but according to a report, one of the storylines in Season 1 could involve a young Aragorn. Given his age, it's also possible that Gandalf could show up.
Best Buy's weekly ad usually devotes three or four pages to video game deals. You'll normally find a selection of games on sale, plus deals on bundles and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. This week is different, because all the video game deals fit on just one page. Perhaps that's because of all the game deals that were in last week's Black Friday in July Sale. In any case, if you dig around, you can find some additional gaming deals that go unmentioned in the ad. Here are Best Buy's video game deals available through August 4.
In the market for a new console and a new TV? You can buy the Xbox One S and 43" 4K TV bundle for $500, for a savings of $150. Or, if you buy any Xbox One, you'll save $20 when you throw in an extra controller. Similarly, you'll save $20 if you buy a new PS4 and and an extra controller as well. And you don't even need to buy a Switch to save $9 on an extra pair of Joy-Cons.
Football fans who are amped for the upcoming season can trade in their copy of Madden NFL 18 for its regular trade-in value, plus a $10 coupon for Madden NFL 19, which hits shelves on August 10.
All of which proves that just because it's a slow week for video game deals at Best Buy, you can still find a few sale items worth considering. For the full list of games and accessories that are on sale this week, click here.
Six movie and 22 years in, the Mission Impossible series keeps getting bigger. Mission Impossible: Fallout opened this weekend to huge box office success, giving it the highest opening weekend of the franchise so far, as well as the second-biggest opening of Tom Cruise's career.
Fallout made an estimated $61.6 million in its first three days in the US, to take the No.1 slot on the box office chart. This beats Mission Impossible 2's $57.8 million opening in 2000, and is second only to War of the Worlds' 2005 take of $64.8 million in terms of Cruise's weekend debuts. The last Mission Impossible movie, 2015's Rogue Nation, took $55.5 million in its first three days.
Fallout's success had an inevitable impact on last week's No.1, the Denzel Washington-starring The Equalizer 2, which is also an action sequel with a popular veteran actor in the lead role. That movie made an estimated $14 million and slipped to third place, while the musical comedy Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again held on at No.2 with an estimated $15 million weekend take.
The week's only other new release was the animated Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, which debuted at No.5. Box Office Mojo notes that although its $10.5 million take was below expectations, the movie only had a production budget of $10 million.
Elsewhere, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation dropped one place to No.4 and Marvel's Ant-man and the Wasp fell to No.6. Two of the year's biggest movies--Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom andIncredibles 2--continue to do solid business in their sixth and seventh weeks on the chart, while the disappointing Dwayne Johnson vehicle Skyscraper fell to No.9 in only its third week on release.
You can see the full Top 10 list for the July 27-29 US box office below, as compiled by Box Office Mojo.
US/Canada Box Office For July 27-29:
Mission Impossible: Fallout – $61.6 million
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – $15.0 million
The Equalizer 2 – $14.0 million
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – $12.3 million
Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill has responded to the news that his on-screen sister, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, will be brought back to the series posthumously with unused footage. He called the plan "bittersweet" but gave thanks to the fans for their support. Spoilers for The Last Jedi follow.
"It's bittersweet facing my final chapter without her," he wrote on Twitter. "She is simply irreplaceable. I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news." The tweet included images of the two together from their time on-set during The Last Jedi and the classic trilogy.
The casting for the untitled Episode IX was recently announced, and included Fisher's name in the credits. Director JJ Abrams said they will utilize unused footage that was shot for Episode VII to bring the character back and honor her legacy.
The rest of the cast includes the expected returning players, like Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Kelly Marie Tran. Hamill will be returning as well, despite his character's apparent death in The Last Jedi. Billy Dee Williams will be coming back for the first time since 1983 to reprise his role as Lando. Newcomers include Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth) and Richard E. Grant (Logan).
Star Wars: Episode IX will release December 20, 2019.
No Man's Sky has finally come to Xbox One alongside its big Next update, helping the game re-enter the chart for the week ending July 28. The bump in sales is not enough for the game to get into the top 10 however, with sales monitor GfK Chart-Track placing the exploration game at No.12.
Top of the chart this week is, once again, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy. This is the fifth week in a row Activision's remaster trilogy has finished at No.1 after its multiplatform launch in June. Lego The Incredibles finishes at No.2 for the third successive week, while The Crew 2 grabs the final podium finish at No.3. Only three new releases make the top 40 this week: Train Sim World at No.20, Go Vacation at No.23, and WarioWare Gold at No.38.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
As July nears its end, so does your chance to pick up your free Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games with Gold for the month. But if the calendar page hasn't turned over, it's not too late for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to secure their free games for July. The titles available now include Assault Android Cactus, Death Squared, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. Once July is over, all but Death Squared are going away.
Assault Android Cactus is a fast-paced twin-stick shooter that has you pick one of nine androids to fend off an army of attacking robots. It's available to download between now and July 31. Death Squared is a colorful co-op puzzle game that can be played alone or with up to four players. This will be the one holdover from July once August begins. Death Squared will be available until August 15.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is an Xbox 360 game (playable on Xbox One) that finds Sam Fisher on the outs with his former spy agency. Now he's on his own as he tries to stop a major terrorist attack. It's available free for Xbox Live Gold members until July 31.
The good news is that Ultimate Game Sale is the biggest Xbox One game sale we've seen all year. The bad news is, it ends today. So hurry up and check it out, because this sale offers up to 65% off digital Xbox games, with an added 10% off select games for Xbox Live Gold members.
We've already gone over some of the sale's highlights overall, but here we thought we'd put some limits on it now. If you don't have a mountain of cash to spend, you're probably wondering what you can get without having to take out a high-interest bank loan. Below are some of the best games available in the sale for under $10. Note that these are the prices for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. If you're not a Gold member, the price you see could be a bit higher. Let's look at some deals.
You don't have to spend much to get a decent shooter during this sale. The underrated gravity-defying Titanfall 2 is on sale for $6 / £5.25. You can get the Metro: Redux Bundle, which contains both Metro: 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux, for $7.50 / £6. And even if it's not the best game in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda may be worth checking out for $10 / £6.
Two very different takes on the Dark Knight are available for under $10. If you're looking for some stealth action, you can grab Batman: Return to Arkham for $10 / £20. More story-minded DC fans might prefer Batman: The Telltale Series for $10 / £10.
If you don't have Xbox Live Gold but want these sweet sub-$10 prices, consider subscribing now. A one-year membership is currently on sale for $40 / £26.50. Or perhaps you'd rather not pay for games individually at all. In that case, try a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass, on sale for $10 / £8. It lets you download and play a selection of over a hundred games on your Xbox One, including first-party games the same day they're released.
While the first season of Netflix's Marvel show Iron Fist wasn't exactly warmly received by fans or critics, Season 2 is on its way later this year. At San Diego Comic-Con last week, Marvel confirmed the show's second season will hit Netflix in September, and a new teaser trailer has now been released.
The teaser shows superpowered Danny Rand (Finn Jones) walking down a New York street with Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick). Everything he sees reminds him of his brutal former life in K'un Lun, where he was trained as Iron Fist. Check it out above.
Iron Fist Season 2 also stars Simone Missick, reprising her Luke Cage role as Misty Knight, and Alice Eve (Star Trek: Into Darkness) as the villainous Typhoid Mary. The whole season will be released on Netflix on September 7.
During the SDCC panel, Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb recognized that the second season of Iron Fist needed improvement. He stated that the makers would "up the game" in terms of the show's fight choreography, with Creed and Black Panther choreographer Clayton Barber on board for this season. In addition, the series has a new showrunner, with former Sleepy Hollow executive producer Raven Metzner taking over from Scott Buck.
In related news, some information about the upcoming third season of Daredevil has emerged. While the show doesn't yet have a release date, Netflix VP of Original Content Cindy Holland told Deadline that Daredevil Season 3 would be a "return to form," without the logistical difficulties of Season 2. "The biggest issue was the timing of production and launching of The Defenders," she said. "We had to shut down all of the shows, so all the actors be available for The Defenders. There is no problem with this season, I think it's fantastic, it's a real return to form in my view."
Hello Games has launched the new update for No Man's Sky, called Next. The free update makes massive overhauls to the game by adding multiplayer, character customization, command freighters, and visual upgrades. Next is the fourth major update to No Man's Sky, following Foundation, Pathfinder, and Atlas Rises. However, it is perhaps the most substantial of them all, and we're continuing to find more and more as we spend more time with it.
No Man's Sky originally launched on PS4 and PC in August 2016, and was harshly criticized for a perceived lack of content. Although multiple updates have since expanded the number of activities that players can do, Sony management admits the PR strategy "wasn't great" and No Man Sky designer Sean Murray acknowledged that he made "mistakes."
Despite the initial backlash at launch, No Man's Sky's updates have slowly earned the game a growing playerbase. "One day I hope to reach a point where I feel No Man's Sky is 'finished,' but luckily there's still so much more we want to do," Murray said.
The major changes in No Man's Sky Next are outlined below, but you can read the full patch notes and bug fixes on No Man's Sky's blog. Though it's not in the patch notes, Murray tweeted out that Next also allows players to command their in-game avatar to sit down--a feature that players have been asking for. Perhaps a few more playful secrets are hidden within the game's newest update. We do now that a new patch is already on the way to fix problems that have emerged, as are weekly updates to keep things fresh. We'll keep you updated as we learn about more.
Multiplayer is the largest change to No Man's Sky. Though it was never confirmed whether multiplayer would be included prior to launch, many players wished to explore the galaxy with their friends however they wanted. Next adds a lot of the mechanics those players wanted, as well as a few more.
You can now join up with random strangers, or team up with a small contingent of friends to construct colonies of small shelters, race exocraft, or engage in space battles against other players. You'll be able to team up with friends right from the start, as the multiplayer extends to No Man's Sky's story and tutorial missions.
To help differentiate between avatars, Next adds character customization so that everyone can personalize their in-game appearance. You'll be able to switch up your race and change your outfits too. Depending on the species of your character, you'll even be able to change your hairstyle. Next allows players to be a Gek, Vy'keen, Korvax, Traveller, or Anomaly.
Not every player you meet is a friendly face, so when you run into another player in the midst of exploring the stars, it's best to be cautious. Although a stranger could be a harmless passerby or a future ally, Next allows players to prey on others to survive. A collection of ships approaching on the horizon might be a crew of players acting as space pirates who rely on the stolen loot of others.
Building And Crafting
You'll be able to invite your friends onto your very own command freighter to tackle challenging multiplayer missions. If you're still having trouble, you'll be able to build and upgrade a whole fleet of frigates, which you can then customize to specialize in combat, exploration, trade, industry, or support.
You can use what you've found to build bases, which can now be built anywhere on any planet. You'll even be able to build on top of mountains and beneath the sea. And if you don't like how the terrain is affecting the shape of your base, the improved terrain manipulator allows players to sculpt the planet's surface to their needs. The manipulator can be used to excavate ancient treasures too, which can be sold in the new Space Station Marketplace.
There are hundreds of new base parts that allow you to build bases that are larger and more complex so you can construct your perfect hideout. Next also lets players own multiple bases and place teleporters anywhere so travel goes much faster.
The resources used to customize your fleet and bases, as well as craft your gear and equipment, have all been reworked and rebalanced. Many of the resources you remember from the original No Man's Sky have received new names and been given completely different uses. Planetary resources have been expanded, and a planet's biome, weather, and classification have a much larger effect on what type of materials you'll find there.
To help you excavate the larger amounts of materials you'll discover, the deployable tech used in resource collection can now be easily picked up and carried in your inventory. The improved analysis visor makes it easier to locate terrain resources as well. You can also quickly find your bearings while exploring, thanks to visible latitude and longitude coordinates and the ability to tag points of interest with a marker.
Missions
The opening section of No Man's Sky has been updated with new story elements, as well as a tutorial that teaches you advanced gameplay features. Mission chains help get players started with exploring planets and starting bases.
Once past the tutorial, new types of missions are available to complete. Exploring is still at the core of No Man's Sky, but new photography, feeding, freighter attack and defense, archaeology, and hunting missions expand the amount of activities that players can do. Players won't be getting all of their objectives from the same NPC either, as a diverse assortment of random NPCs on different stations offer missions.
It Basically Has The Xenomorph From Alien
The update introduces a variety of new enemies to deal with, but perhaps the most terrifying and interesting of the bunch are what it refers to as Biological Horrors. As recounted on Twitter by Xalavier Nelson Jr., this essentially amounts to the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise. It sounds terrifying--and awesome, provided you don't mind dying.
There Are Some Drab Planets Out There
While the diversity of the geography you've encountered has changed, and there are many colorful, beautiful planets to explore, the update also adds some that are a bit different--but nonetheless striking. In our time with the update, we came across a planet that was largely devoid of color, almost to the point of being monochrome. You can take a peek at it above.
Patch Notes
Hello Games has released detailed patch notes for Next that outline everything that's changed, including the extreme minutia. Beyond all of the major features above you can see adjustments to controls (like the ability to manually holster the Multi-Tool), the overhaul to space station interiors, bug fixes, and much more.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
While something like multiplayer is obviously the big draw of this update, there are smaller but still very appreciated changes and additions that players have been coming across. Case in point: one of the best is a tweak to pulse jumps, which previously would send your ship moving in a straight line. Now, you can use it to follow the curve of the planet you're in the atmosphere of, more or less allowing you to orbit the planet and more easily relocate to a different spot.
Galactic Atlas
Just prior to the Next update going live, Hello Games launched a new website called the Galactic Atlas. This is essentially a guide to a specific area of the game--the Euclid Galaxy--that Hello seeded but will leave in the hands of players to explore and grow. From the site, you can track the progress of the galaxy, highlight points of interest, and join hubs or factions.
New Visuals
The visuals to No Man's Sky have also gotten an overhaul. Terrain generates faster and ground, water, and cloud textures have been upgraded. Ships, NPCs, and buildings have more detail too. No Man's Sky is also now fully playable in both first- and third-person, whether you're walking on the surface of a planet or soaring amongst the stars.
Draw distance has been improved so planets appear more dense and a new colour palette paints the forests, oceans, and plains of each world with added vibrancy. The hazardous storms that can spell the doom of smaller aircraft use new biome-specific particle effects to look more dangerous than ever before.
Fauna And Flora
The creatures you'll discover on your travels will now act more enthusiastically towards you if you feed them, letting you herd them together. The creatures' AI has also been revamped so they act more intelligently, responding to players they recognize as friendly and fleeing as a group from a perceived danger. Not all of the new animals and plantlife are friendly, however. Keep on the lookout for new hazardous species, as they will kill you if you're not careful.
Release Date/Time
No Man's Sky is available on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. Next is live on all platforms.
The big new update for No Man's Sky, dubbed Next, makes a large number of changes and additions. At least on paper, it's a dramatic overhaul for numerous areas. While these new mechanics and gameplay elements--along with multiplayer--are the most exciting components of the free update, developer Hello Games has also given the game a pretty nice visual makeover.
As detailed in a blog post outlining all of the changes and patch notes, Hello shows how it has improved the graphics of No Man's Sky. This includes "massively improved draw distance," allowing you to see further into the horizon, and "new dynamic tessellation [that] enable detailed terrain height maps without sacrificing performance." The latter won't necessarily be available to everyone, as Hello notes that "tessellation will be rolling out in parity to all platforms that can support it very soon."
Although Hello lumps them in with the visual improvements, some of these changes are more than just visual enhancements. For instance, while it says the surfaces of planets "look more interesting and representative from orbit," the actual geography can now be different, too. Hello says that it's improved "planetary terrain generation [to] create more varied alien environments, featuring higher mountains and more navigable cave systems."
You can see some comparison images above and below (use the slider tool to see how things looked before and after the update). The changes also extend to out space, where you'll find asteroid rings around planets, among other improvements.
The need for a visual overhaul is not what held No Man's Sky back, and we'll be diving in to see how the gameplay additions stack up. But this is all a welcome addition to what's looking like a very nice set of changes for a free update.
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