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.
Each year in July, Amazon runs a massive sale it calls Prime Day. This Black Friday-like event sees the online retailer dropping prices on a huge array of products, ranging from Echoes and Kindles to games, electronics, furniture, apparel, and just about every other category of items Amazon sells. The only catch is that you have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the sale prices. Now that July has begun, the company has finally confirmed the date for Prime Day 2018. It's a 36-hour event that will kick off on July 16 at 12 PM PT (3PM ET / 12PM BT) and run through July 17.
If you're not a Prime member already, you can sign up here. In addition to Prime Day discounts, Prime members get free two-day shipping on many products, access to Amazon Prime Video, Prime Music, free books, and a free Twitch Prime membership, which includes free PC games each month. This month, to build anticipation for Prime Day, Amazon/Twitch Prime members are getting 21 free PC games.
An Amazon Prime subscription costs $119 for a one-year membership or $13 for a single month. New members get a month-long free trial. Students get an even better deal: a free six-month trial, with a monthly price of only $6.49 after that.
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.
Avengers: Infinity Warhas arrived and is still in theaters as it continues to increase its box office totals. The arrival of "destiny" as promised by Thanos, after ten long years of waiting and 18 movies, the moment we've been waiting for has come. It brought with it a whole bunch of questions, most importantly: what do we do now? With the movie's post-credits scene, that becomes just a tiny bit more clear.
The end of Infinity War is very literally an end--the actual, genuine annihilation of half the universe at the hands of Thanos, armed with a fully powered Infinity Gauntlet. Not exactly the feel good, heroic, triumphant superhero vibe of Avengers past. Thanos has won, and from where we're sitting, it looks like his victory is absolute.
But all hope isn't lost. Though Infinity War deviates from Marvel's post-credits formula slightly by including only one stinger, rather than what's become the customary two, the movie's final moments give us the briefest glimpse of what's on the horizon.
Here's the scene: Nick Fury and Maria Hill speed through a New York City that is slowly descending into chaos. As Fury notes that something big is happening in Wakanda, he tells Hill to get in touch with someone named Klein, likely this guy from Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron--which may point to more progress in Fury's somewhat forgotten efforts to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D in the wake of its official Hydra-fueled destruction.
But the effects of Thanos's finger-snap are reverberating across the galaxy and, one by one, people are disappearing at random. This means literally anyone--pilots, drivers, pedestrians--vanishing into thin air, no matter what they may have been in the middle of. So naturally, as more and more people crumble, helicopters are crashing, cars are veering off the road--you get the idea. The world is not in a great place, and Fury and Hill are left trying to puzzle through what's happening.
Unfortunately, even their time is limited. As they scramble out of their car, Hill begins to crumble and abruptly vanishes, leaving Fury on his own. He pulls out a device--something that looks almost like a beeper--and dials out just as he himself begins to disintegrate.
This guy might turn out important?
As Fury blows away in the wind, the device he was holding clatters to the ground and we're left staring at what we can only assume is the transmission of a distress signal. Though there is no text on the screen to give an official destination, a symbol or logo soon appears--the blue, red and gold emblem associated with none other than Captain Marvel.
We've known for some time that a Captain Marvel movie is coming--set photos of Brie Larson in costume have been filtering in since filming kicked off--but her role in the still unnamed Avengers 4 remains shrouded in mystery, just like the rest of the film. We do know, however, that her solo movie will be released in March of next year (two months prior to the next Avengers, due in May) and be set in the '90s, which leaves her in an interesting position considering Infinity War's very present day ending.
Just how long has Fury known about Captain Marvel? Where has she been all this time? Is the distress signal actually going to Carol Danvers or is it going to someone like, say, her mentor Captain Mar-Vell instead?
Perhaps more importantly: what exactly can Captain Marvel do in the face of a fully powered Infinity Gauntlet?
Carol Danvers traditionally gets her powers from her Kree heritage, making her similar to what we might expect from an Asgardian in the MCU, with a few twists. In the books she has enhanced durability, strength and speed, as well as the ability to fly and shoot energy projectiles from her hands. She also has an abundance of military and tactical training both on Earth and with the Kree army, making her a formidable force both in the heat of battle and in any war room--so it's not that she's incapable, by any means.
But all the training and superpowers in the universe seem dwarfed by the force of the Infinity Stones, even with the Infinity Gauntlet in the damaged state that the movie leaves it in, so it's unlikely that she'll be able to show up on Earth without some sort of back up and expect to make a difference. Luckily, there are a few other cosmic Marvel heroes who have been alluded to in the past who just might be able to lend a hand. We saw the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, which paves the way for Nova to get involved, especially if Thanos destroyed the entire Corps when he nabbed the Power Stone from them, which would fit with Nova's origin in the comics. And don't forget Adam Warlock, who was referenced in the Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 post-credits scene.
If you're looking to escape the heat, or you prefer streaming to barbecues, looks like July is your month. Netflix is making moves this July, releasing originals, bringing back some oldies, and giving the boot to more than a few long-timers.
All kinds of titles are coming this July, and a lot of them are classics or just kind of old like Jurassic Park (one and three), Her, Get Smart, Bo Burnham's What, Happy Gilmore, Kevin Hart's Let Me Explain, and Interview With A Vampire.
Orange Is The New Black, Blue Bloods, Madam Secretary, and Shameless are among the TV shows getting new seasons added to Netflix as well as several original series like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Sadly, a lot of favorites are leaving Netflix this July so get to your devices ASAP because you might not be able to see these ones for a while. Some notables include all five Bring It On movies, all four Lethal Weapon movies, V for Vendetta, Tropic Thunder, and Breakfast At Tiffany's.
If you'd like to know about everything arriving and leaving Netflix in July, check out the list below.
Arriving on Netflix July 2018
July 1
Blue Bloods: Season 8
Bo Burnham: what.
Chocolat
Deceived
Finding Neverland
Get Smart
Happy Gilmore
Hawaii Five-O: Season 8
Interview with the Vampire
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Madam Secretary: Season 4
Menace II Society
NCIS: Season 15
Pandorum
Penelope
Queens of Comedy: Season 2
Rica, Famosa, Latina: Seasons 1-4
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Spanglish
Stealth
Swordfish
The Boondock Saints
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Princess Diaries
The Voices
Traitor
Troy
Van Helsing
We Own the Night
We the Marines
What We Started
July 2
Dance Academy: The Comeback
Good Witch: Season 4
Romina
The Sinner: Season 1
July 3
The Comedy Lineup - Netflix Original
July 5
Blue Valentine
July 6
Anne with an E: Season 2- Netflix Original
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: New 2018: Freshly Brewed- Netflix Original
First Team: Juventus: Part B- Netflix Original
Free Rein: Season 2- Netflix Original
Inside the World's Toughest Prisons: Season 2- Netflix Original
Sacred Games- Netflix Original
Samantha!- Netflix Original
Somebody Feed Phil: The Second Course-Netflix Original
The Fosters: Season 5 New Episodes
The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter- Netflix Original Film
The Skin of The Wolf- Netflix Original Film
White Fang- Netflix Original Film
July 7
Scream 4
July 9
Lockup: Extended Stay: Collection 1
July 10
Drug Lords: Season 2 - Netflix Original
July 12
Gone Baby Gone
July 13
How It Ends- Netflix Original Film
Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now- Netflix Original
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
Sugar Rush- Netflix Original
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants- Netflix Original
July 15
Bonusfamiljen: Season 2- Netflix Original
Going for Gold
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale: Part 2- Netflix Original
July 20
Amazing Interiors- Netflix Original
Dark Tourist- Netflix Original
Deep Undercover: Collection 3
Duck Duck Goose- Netflix Original Film
Father of the Year- Netflix Original Film
Fix It and Finish It: Collection 3
Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh: Season 4- Netflix Original
Jimmy: The True Story of a True Idiot- Netflix Original
Last Chance U: EMCC & Life After- Netflix Original
Last Chance U: INDY: Part 1- NEtflix Original
Luna Petunia: Return to Amazia: Season 2- Netflix Original
July 22
An Education
Bolt
July 24
The Warning- Netflix Original Film
Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial- Netflix Original
July 27
Cupcake & Dino - General Services- Netflix Original
Extinction-Netflix Original
Orange Is the New Black: Season 6-Netflix Original
Roman Empire: Reign of Blood: Master of Rome- Netflix Original
The Bleeding Edge- Netflix Original
The Worst Witch: Season 2- Netflix Original
Welcome to the Family- Netflix Original
July 28
Shameless: Season 8
The Company Men
July 29
Her
Sofia the First: Season 4
July 30
A Very Secret Service: Season 2-Netflix Original
July 31
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 3- Netflix Original
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!
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is finally underway. In addition to taking part in matches like normal, there are a number of special challenges to complete. Beyond the regular Starter and weekly challenges, Season 4 also presents some extra ones: Blockbuster and Carbide. Here's everything you need to know and details on all of the challenges revealed so far.
All Fortnite players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile are eligible to complete the Starter challenges. These are relatively run-of-the-mill and offer different rewards, including Battle Stars and various minor cosmetics. The Battle Stars allow you to rank up the Battle Pass, which is where the vast majority of Season 4 skins and rewards are located, such as the coveted Omega skin pictured below. However, the free tier has a very limited number of goodies on offer. You'll need to purchase the full Season 4 Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks to be able to obtain all of the rewards as you level up.
Purchasing the Battle Pass also entitles you to all of the weekly challenges. Another set of these opens up each week during the season and can be completed anytime between now and when Season 4 ends on July 9.
Some of the rewards available in Season 4
That's how things have worked in past seasons, but Season 4 also has new types of challenges. Blockbusters involve completing all of the challenges from a given week. Doing so earns you an additional reward on top of what you'd get from finishing those challenges anyway. The first Blockbuster challenge you finish pays out a loading screen, which serves as a clue that directs you to an in-game location where you can get a free Battle Pass tier. To find that, though, you'll have to actually complete all of the challenges from a week.
Also new in Season 4 are Carbide challenges. One of the rewards you immediately get for buying the Battle Pass is the Carbide skin. As you reach certain level milestones during Season 4, you'll complete Carbide challenges, which unlock different "styles" that let you customize the look of the Carbide skin. Completing three Carbide challenges also nets you a matching pickaxe.
Below, you'll find a complete list of all Season 4 challenges to be revealed so far, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 Challenges
Starter
Outlive opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with friends (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Land at different Named Locations (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches (50) -- Ace of spades cosmetic item
Play matches with at least one elimination (10) -- concept art
Hard: Win a match -- #1 cosmetic item
Reward: 5k XP (after completing four challenges)
Blockbuster
Complete all challenges in a week -- #1 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 2 different weeks -- #2 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 3 different weeks -- #3 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 4 different weeks -- #4 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 5 different weeks -- #5 reward
Complete all challenges in 6 different weeks -- #6 reward
Complete all challenges in 7 different weeks -- #7 reward
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
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.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, many wondered how well 2018 would turn out. Fortunately for everyone, it has been great. The first half of the year has yielded a wealth of fantastic games, and there's more on the horizon. Upcoming games for the rest of this 2018 include slew of hotly anticipated new games, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out and what has already released, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Game release dates change all the time and new ones arrive every month. Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games next year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2019.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
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.
When MoviePass announced in August 2017 that it was changing its business model to a monthly subscription that cost $9.95 and allowed users to see a movie every day, the floodgates were officially open. Since then, the idea of a movie ticket subscription service has become the norm for those that like to see a lot of movies.
Now, though, there's competition. MoviePass isn't the only subscription service in the game anymore--and it might not even be the best, either. To find out which subscription service offers the best value, GameSpot put MoviePass, Sinemia, and AMC's Stubs A-List to the test.
MoviePass
The service that started it all. MoviePass was the first to offer a massive number of movie tickets for a low monthly price and has made quite a name for itself in the process. How can you not when charging $9.95 a month for a movie ticket every day?
What Works
If you go to the movies a lot, MoviePass is a great option. The ability to see up to 31 movies every month for a $10 flat rate is hard to beat--even if there aren't 31 movies released in any given month. In theory, you could stay up to date on every major release. Additionally, MoviePass offers in-app ticket purchases from select theaters, which is a nice perk.
What Doesn't Work
The theaters that offer in-app ticket purchases are rare. The only other option is to check into the theater when you arrive and buy your ticket on the spot. All tickets must be purchased the day of the screening, so you can't plan ahead too far. Another wrinkle is that premium formats (3D, IMAX, etc.) are not available with the service at this point.
Additionally, MoviePass has begun assessing upcharges for "in-demand" movies. However, the company hasn't revealed how they will determine what is in demand or how much the upcharge will be. According to the company, the new charge will start at $2.
The biggest knock against MoviePass, though, is the service itself. The terms of the subscription keep changing. Over the last year, this service has not only begun restricting you from seeing a movie a second time but is also requiring users to submit photos of their ticket stubs and is tinkering with temporarily locking specific movies in certain locations. When attempting to buy a ticket to a screening of Red Sparrow back in March, the title was simply blocked out on the app. When I tweeted MoviePass to ask why, it quickly responded, "As we continue to enhance our service for everyone, certain inventory may not be available at all times." Of course, there was no warning that this would be happening.
AMC Stubs A-List
The newest player on the block is AMC's response to MoviePass. The world's largest movie theater chain has integrated a subscription service to its loyalty points system. AMC Stubs A-List offers three tickets each week for the monthly price of $19.95.
What Works
The most exciting thing about A-List is it's all contained within the AMC Theaters app--it's where you find the movies, buy the tickets, and have them scanned at the theater. With that in mind, it's also linked to your Stubs account. As a member, you get access to Stubs Premium, which allows you to collect points from concession purchases that earn you rewards.
The nicest perk of A-List, though, is access to premium formats. Not only can you watch movies repeatedly, but you have access to IMAX, 3D, Dolby, and AMC Prime screenings. There are no restrictions.
What Doesn't Work
The big problem with A-List is it only works at AMC theaters. While it is the world's largest theater chain, that doesn't mean everybody lives near one. If there's not an AMC in your neighborhood, you're out of luck.
Of course, there's also the fact that you're paying twice as much as MoviePass for less than half of the movies. However, this should only concern you if you know you'll be seeing more than three movies each week.
Sinemia
Sinemia is seemingly a dark horse that came out of nowhere. However, it's been around since 2014 with offerings in the UK, Canada, Turkey, and Australia. It made its presence known in the US market in May with four different pricing options:
$4.99 per month for 1 standard movie ticket
$6.99 per month for 2 standard movie tickets
$9.99 per month for 2 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
$14.99 per month for 3 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
What Works
The best thing about Sinemia is it allows you to purchase tickets to just about any movie theater. Those locked out on MoviePass typically aren't in Sinemia and it also works for the AMC theaters found in A-List. There are also a variety of plans to meet your moviegoing needs, provided you don't head to the theater multiple times each week.
For fans of premium format films, the top two plan options give access to IMAX, 3D, 4DX, and practically any other upcharge option a theater might offer--and it's all included in your monthly price.
What Doesn't Work
The biggest issue with Sinemia is the app itself. In trying to simplify the design, it's become a bit confusing. Want to buy a ticket to an upcoming film? Head to the planning tab. From there, though, you'll have to switch over to the Fandango app to find a theater and showtime.
After manually entering the information into the Sinemia app, a temporary credit card number will be unlocked that you can then transfer back over to the Fandango app--or Atom Tickets or MovieTickets.com--to purchase there. It can make for a difficult process.
There also doesn't seem to be a simple way within the app to find out how many tickets you have left. These are all problems that could be addressed in a redesign. Still, given that you're paying up to $15 each month for three tickets, it could make the hassle more than it's worth.
The Bottom Line
Truthfully, each of these subscriptions has some merit. Sinemia offers the least tickets, but access to premium theaters and formats. MoviePass offers the most tickets, but more restrictions and a constant state of flux when it comes to service rules. Meanwhile, AMC Stubs A-List offers a middle-of-the-road number of tickets for the highest price, but with surprisingly few restrictions outside of only being available at AMC theaters.
In the end, though, there is a clear winner. While it may be the newest on the scene, AMC Stubs A-List is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to a movie ticket subscription. Everything is housed within the app, it's really easy to use, and IMAX, 3D, and other premium formats are offered--what's not to love?
That said, if you don't live near an AMC theater but still want to see tons of movies every month, MoviePass may be your best bet. However, if you're part of the 88% of MoviePass's audience that the company says sees two or fewer movies each month, check out Sinemia. It may not be the best-designed app, but it allows you to easily treat yourself to IMAX and 3D screenings.
Disclosure: Sinemia provided GameSpot with a trial subscription to evaluate the service for this story.
The Purge movies have always been about the 1% versus the 99, the privileged against the underprivileged--the rich trying to exterminate the poor by pitting them against one another while sitting safe in fortified ivory towers. In the previous three movies, that theme served as the core, beneath a veneer of fantastically stylized violence, with gangs of roving murderers draping their cars with Christmas lights and donning exaggerated masks over preppy school uniforms. In The First Purge, that thin surface of fantasy is gone, leaving only a crude, gratuitous, vaguely exploitative movie about the government openly and mercilessly exterminating poor people.
Like The Purge: Anarchy, the second in the series, The First Purge wants to suggest that, with scattered exceptions, normal people aren't inherently violent enough to Purge. They need a push, and that shove comes from the New Founding Fathers of America, the government that, in this movie, just recently emerged as the third option in America's two party system and seized power from Republicans and Democrats alike. The First Purge explains how the NFFA was able to pull it off: Much like the politicians in power today, they exploited people's fear. The movie spends an opening montage citing a grab bag of real world social unrest, from the Black Lives Matter movement to a housing crisis worse than 2008's.
Now, it's time for an "experiment" that Marisa Tomei's Dr. Updale, a scientist working with the NFFA, promises will give the American people the outlet they need for all their hate, anger, and aggression. There's an unintentionally silly scene late in the movie when Updale, seeing the actual results of her "experiment," utters dramatically, "What have I done?" It's unclear what results she was expecting from this whole thing.
The movie centers on a handful of characters on New York's Staten Island, the isolated site of this first, experimental Purge. (Through their public representative Arlo Sabian (Patch Darragh), the government issues some hazy explanation about the island's demographics being representative of the country as a whole, but behind closed doors the NFFA readily admit they just want to kill poor people.)
Dmitri (Y'lan Noel) is a drug kingpin who wants to keep his neighborhood safe while protecting his product and his business. Nya (Lex Scott Davis) is his ex-girlfriend, a conscientious protestor who opposes the experiment. Her little brother, Isaiah (Joivan Wade), was supposed to get off the island, but secretly stayed behind to get revenge on Skeletor (Rotimi Paul), a violent drug addict who attacked and humiliated him. These characters and those surrounding them--every single person the movie follows during the experiment--are non-white, while almost everyone actually causing violence during the Purge is white.
Early on, there are isolated scenes of NFFA officials interviewing Staten Islanders about their pent up rage, then offering them monetary compensation for remaining on the island and actively participating. The government implants them with tracking devices and issues them high tech contact lenses that will record the night's events so the results can be broadcast to the world. Glowing red, green, or blue in the darkness, these contacts are one of the movie's only creative aesthetic liberties, although they often verge on looking silly.
But when the would-be Purgers throw block parties instead of tearing one another apart, the NFFA sends in militaristic bands of mercenaries dressed in the regalia of the KKK, white supremacist biker gangs, and masked, Nazi-like soldiers. At times, The First Purge is hard to watch, and not in the fun way that horror movies are supposed to make you hide behind splayed fingers. Whatever thin veil of subtlety this series ever possessed is gone from this movie, murdered by flocks of heavily armed drones the New Founding Fathers of America sent to make sure the citizens of Staten Island "participated" in the experiment.
The First Purge doesn't hesitate to mirror real world events, and never to its benefit. At one point, off screen (thankfully), a group of white mercenaries disguised as a biker gang guns down dozens of black, hispanic, and Asian people huddling for safety in a church--something that more or less happened in real life just three years ago. Later, white soldiers rampage through a towering housing project, systematically, inhumanly slaughtering the hundreds of non-white people inside, room by room and floor by floor. There were points in The First Purge I could have been watching last year's Detroit, a movie about the real life terror inflicted on black people by white cops during Detroit's 1967 12th Street Riot. That's not imagery you want to evoke lightly, yet The First Purge uses it readily, in between scenes of cackling homeless ladies setting traps in alleyways and Dmitri's gang members eagerly arming themselves to the teeth.
When Nya gets her foot caught in a trap and attackers burst from a grate nearby, hands scrabble furiously at her crotch. Running away, she yells behind her, "P***y grabbing motherf***er!" Somehow, despite being completely out of character, that line is predictable, too. It's the exact kind of low-hanging fruit this movie hungrily plucks, scene after scene.
There's nothing fun or thrilling about watching white people dressed up as real world hate groups efficiently murdering innocent victims. The Purge series' veneer of fantasy is gone. It's too on the nose, and it knows it. That The First Purge is a prequel means the people we see suffering in it are doomed to at least another 25 years of annual violence and oppression, a fact you'll be acutely aware of as the dawn breaks on the first experiment, the few survivors limp down the street, and the tastelessly summoned Kendrick Lamar song "Alright" ("Alls my life I had to fight…") thumps into life over your theater's speakers.
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. 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.
There's a recurring source of tension in Ant-Man and the Wasp thanks to Scott Lang's sentence of two years under house arrest for his actions in Captain America: Civil War. No matter how many zany adventures Paul Rudd's character has in this sequel, he has to periodically race back to his San Francisco apartment and re-don his ankle bracelet whenever hapless FBI agent Jimmy Woo (the funny Randall Park) decides to check in on him. It's a fun bit, and it harks back to an earlier age in the MCU, when a Marvel hero's biggest concern could be staying out of trouble with the law.
We've yet to see what a post-Infinity War world looks like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless of how it eventually gets undone, what effect will Thanos's finger snap have in the short term? How will the tone shift in Avengers 4? Those questions are irrelevant in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which quickly places itself before the events of Infinity War. That may be a knock against it for those hoping for some answers, but this movie's tone is much lighter as a result, perfectly in line with the original Ant-Man's.
The first Ant-Man introduced Scott Lang (Rudd) along with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). Ant-Man and the Wasp directly picks up their story following Scott's involvement in Civil War: Scott's two years of house arrest are almost up, but Hope drags him back into a life of illegal heroism in a plot to save her mother, Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, from the "quantum realm" in which she's been stranded for 30 years.
How can Janet be alive down there after all this time? How could Hank and Hope possibly find her? This movie is brimming with pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo about things like "entanglement" and "quantum tunnels." It gets a little exhausting, but the movie is self aware about its own ridiculousness; at one point, Scott asks Hank and his colleague Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) whether they just stick the word "quantum" in front of everything to make it sound more scientific. Good question, Scott!
Ant-Man and the Wasp introduces a couple of new villains in the forms of Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, who stalks the heroes in hopes of stealing their secret lab, and Walton Goggins' Sonny Burch, a black market merchant who decides he wants the quantum tech for himself. Goggins is his typical hilariously sleazy self, while John-Kamen's more overtly dramatic performance fits her character.
But most important is the Wasp herself, Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne, who completely owns this movie. Hope proves--unsurprisingly--to be a much more capable Ant-Man than Ant-Man himself, with confidence and skill that are thrilling to watch. It makes the entire plot of the first movie--that Hank had to enlist the deadbeat Scott in the first place instead of just trusting his daughter to do the job--seem even more ludicrous in retrospect. Hopefully Lilly decides to stick around the MCU for a while, as her presence would be much appreciated in future installments.
Like the first Ant-Man, this movie has great fight choreography that sees both heroes frequently changing from normal to small to massive and back again in creative ways. Some of the most fun sequences are car chases where one or more vehicles are constantly shrinking down to Hot Wheels size and back to normal, throwing off pursuers and causing general zany chaos.
There's an added dash of humor from the fact that Scott's suit for much of the movie is malfunctioning, leaving him unable to control when he changes size. That leads to an especially funny sequence where Scott is running around his daughter's middle school at about 3 feet tall, trying to remain undetected. Cassie herself is still played by the ridiculously charismatic Abby Ryder Fortson, who gives Paul Rudd tit-for-tat in every scene they're in together.
Michael Peña's Luis returns with a vengeance too, with his voice-overed montage gag from the first--in which he tells a story while the characters he's describing act it out--is funnier than ever. This time around he gets injected with a sort of truth serum, causing his rapid fire rambling to span topics ranging from Scott's psychiatric health to his family's love of Morrissey. He's more actively involved in the story, as well, which is pure wish fulfillment for viewers who loved his character in the first movie.
Like the original Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp is primarily a palette cleanser in the MCU as a whole (the first movie was sandwiched in between the dense Age of Ultron and the dour Civil War). Ant-Man and the Wasp is hilarious, fun, silly, self aware, and creative. Filled with pseudo-science gobbledigook, crazy action, and multiple villains all vying for screen time, it's one of the most comic-booky MCU movies yet. The fates of all our favorite heroes after Avengers: Infinity War may still be up in the air, but in the meantime, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a welcome distraction.
The Good
The Bad
Lighthearted and funny
Pseudo-science mumbo jumbo gets ridiculous
Evangeline Lilly phenomenal as the Wasp
No answers for Infinity War fans
Multiple fun new villains
Creative shrinking-and-growing action
Self aware about its sillier aspects
Much-needed palette cleanser following Infinity War
Epic Games has revealed when Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 5 will start. In a post on the game's Reddit page, the company confirmed Season 5 will begin on July 12 at 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET. To help people unlock remaining Battle Pass rewards for Season 4, Epic is awarding double XP for matches from June 29 until July 2. [Update: Double XP might have ended, but the next step of the rocket saga has occurred, as it launched into the air and caused cracks to appear in the sky.]
Ahead of the new season, Epic has released a new mode for Fortnite. Introduced as part of the latest update, the Playground LTM is essentially a private server for players to experiment on. It's designed for players to jump in and hone new strategies or sharpen building skills. Since access is invite only, you can do these things without being ruthlessly gunned down by enemy combatants.
The latest Fortnite update also adds Dual Pistols, map markers, part four of the Blockbuster Event, the Builder Pro controller layout, and more. You can read the full Fortnite v4.5 patch notes here for a breakdown of everything new. Week 9 challenges are also now available.
Fortnite continues to be incredibly popular, and the impact of its success is now being seen through how much physical copies of the game are selling. Since disc-based versions of Fortnite are no longer available, prices of it on Ebay have skyrocketed to the $100-200 range, with a few listings going as high as $450.
The game recently launched on Nintendo Switch and has already established a strong community. This is in part helped by the fact that it supports cross-play with Xbox One, PC, and iOS. Like the other versions of Fortnite, it is only available digitally.
While much of the discussion in the battle royale space is on Fortnite these days, PUBG is still growing. The game has now crossed 8 million players on Xbox One, Microsoft announced. The game launched on Xbox One's Game Preview program back in December, and Microsoft's Major Nelson said in a blog post that it's been "one of the most popular games" across Xbox One since then, though he did not share any specifics about that claim.
PUBG is still in an unfinished state on Xbox One, whereas the PC edition launched its 1.0 version back in December. The game is only available on console on Xbox One thanks to a timed exclusivity deal between Microsoft and PUBG Corp. Versions of the game for other popular platforms like PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch could come later.
PUBG has not necessarily sold 8 million copies on Xbox One, however, as Microsoft has offered free play periods for the game over the past few months. Whatever the case, it's clear the game is supremely popular, so it's no surprise that Microsoft also announced a new Xbox One X bundle for the game.
Available now at retailers is a PUBG Xbox One X bundle that comes with the 1 TB system and a copy of the game, which is among the titles enhanced for the console. You also get a 1-month Xbox Game Pass trial and a 1-month Xbox Live Gold trial. Everything else you need to get set up, including a wireless controller, is also included in the package. The bundle retails for $500 at retailers, which is the same price as the standard package.
Microsoft also announced a new $300 Xbox One S Minecraft bundle that comes with a code for the game and the Explorer's Pack that includes various extras. You also get access to Minecraft: Story Mode - The Complete Adventure, along with a 1-month Xbox Game Pass trial and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial. In the US, the system is only available at the Microsoft Store and Walmart.
Are you interested in either bundle? Let us know in the comments below!
Every year, one of the most exciting parts about the new Madden instalment is learning about player ratings. We're still waiting for the full picture, but EA Sports has now announced the first group of 99-rated players for Madden NFL 19, and they include some very big names in the NFL.
The first wave of 99-rated players include New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Denver Broncos' linebacker Von Miller, and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. You can click each player's name to read what EA Sports had to say about its rating determination for each player.
A video that emerged out of E3 2018 back in June has ratings details for many other players across a variety of positions. However, the version of the game shown at E3 last month is not final, so the numbers may not be accurate. PastaPadre has a breakdown of the top-rated Madden 19 players based on that video, and you can read the full post here.
A full rundown of player ratings for each position is expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months before launch in August, so keep checking back for more. And as usual, player ratings will change on a week-by-week basis based on real-world performance once the season begins.
Madden 19 launches in August for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the game is also coming to PC in a move that marks the franchise's first time back on PC in a decade. In other news, the game will deliver graphical improvements, not the least of which are advancements to how sweat looks.
The first trailer for Bethesda's much-anticipated Fallout 76 featured a cover of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." A stirring rendition of the classic, done by the band Copilot, the song was thematic fit. The lyrics mention West Virginia, which is Fallout 76's setting. You can now buy the song on iTunes, and what's even better is that 100 percent of proceeds from the 99-cent song go to Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity is a charity that that supports the creation of improvement of houses for people who need them. The theme of Fallout 76 is rebuilding America, and as it happens, Habitat for Humanity was founded in...'76.
Copilot's "Country Roads" launched on iTunes on July 4. Before now, we did not know for sure which band or artist was behind the track.
Fallout 76 launches on November 14 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Unlike previous entries in the acclaimed RPG series, Fallout 76 is an always-online, multiplayer-focused game, so it will be interesting to see how the community responds. A beta will be held prior to launch, and you can guarantee yourself a spot by pre-ordering.
The battle royale craze pushes ahead, as Scavengers Studio's battle royale game, Darwin Project, re-launched this week on Xbox One as a free-to-play game. The game originally launched on Xbox One in the Game Preview program as a paid title before this week's business model switch to entirely free to play. The changes were announced on Xbox Wire.
Those who already paid money are getting compensated, thankfully. The next time you log in you should see Founder's Pack content in your inventory, including a lot of cosmetic items. This includes two "legendary" sets of items that contain a shirt, pants, armor, helmet, boots, three axes, three bows, and a "full jumpsuit collection." You also get 10 "fan gifts," which include other items you can use to customise your look and weapons.
With the switch to free-to-play, the studio also added a in-game store where you can spend currency, Ramen, on cosmetic items. Scavengers Studio stressed that the items it sells are cosmetic only; like Fortnite, the items you can buy do not impact gameplay.
"With our switch to free-to-play, we want to take care to specify that cosmetics in the item shop grant no competitive advantage, and Darwin Project will never become pay-to-win," the studio explained. "These items are for looking good; only skill helps you win!"
The developer also addressed the business model switch in general, acknowledging that it is a "big change," while also stressing that it does not impact its longer-term vision for the game.
"Dropping the price tag is a big change, but we remain committed to the same vision that has guided the development for over three years, and that means providing the best experience we can for all Darwin Projectinmates," the studio said. "We hope that by switching to a free-to-play model, both early adopters and newcomers will be able to get the most out of Darwin Project."
A third-person, arcade-style shooter, Darwin Project's spin on the battle royale genre is that there are only 10 players in a match. And one person gets to be the Show Director, who sees the map from above and can help or inhibit players by revealing their location or creating a gravity storm. The game remains in an unfinished state, so you may come across some bugs and other oddities, if that matters to you.
Darwin Project is also on PC for free, but there is no word yet on if it's coming to PS4 or other systems further down the track. It's just the latest free-to-play battle royale game on Xbox One, following juggernauts like Fortnite and PUBG. Looking ahead, both Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will have battle royale modes when they release later this year.
The lead-up to Amazon's Prime Day is in full swing. This year, to drum up excitement for the shopping holiday beginning , Amazon is giving Amazon/Twitch Prime members free PC games each day between now and July 18. All told, Prime members stand to receive a total of 21 free games in July. Five games are free to download today, but you'll want to grab them soon, because they won't be free forever. The games in question are Battle Chef Brigade, Q.U.B.E. 2, and an SNK bundle that includes the Neo Geo games Metal Slug 3, The Last Blade, and Twinkle Star Sprites.
To get your free games, you'll first have to link your Twitch and Amazon Prime accounts. Then head to Twitch.tv and click the crown icon next to the search bar. That opens a drop-down menu where you'll find your free games, along with any other freebies you haven't collected yet. Just note you'll need the Twitch desktop app to access the games.
So how are the games? Pretty good, overall. Q.U.B.E. 2 is a first-person puzzle game where each level puts you in a room you have to figure out how to exit. From GameSpot's Q.U.B.E 2 review, "Q.U.B.E. 2 makes remarkably clever changes to a formula well established by its predecessor, giving you more agency over puzzle solutions with redefined core mechanics. It means veterans and newcomers alike won't have to suffer through an overwrought tutorial, with a gentle learning curve effectively nudging you along its growing library of tools." It's available for free on Twitch until July 9.
Battle Chef Brigade is a fantasy-themed game that successfully mixes side-scrolling brawling with match-three puzzling. On GameSpot's sister site Metacritic, Battle Chef Brigade has a score of 80/100. It's free until July 10. As for the SNK bundle, all three games were well received and have positive Steam reviews, so there's a good chance you'll find them worth playing. They're free until August 2.
Upcoming games that will be free for Prime members in July include Tacoma, Broken Age, and Brutal Legend. You can find the full schedule here.
Adult Swim Games has shared a new trailer for its ridiculous billiards game, Pool Panic. The video, which you can watch above, provides a closer look at how to play the game and shows off some of the outlandish challenges players will come across during the course of the adventure.
Described by developer Rekim as the "world's least realistic pool simulator," Pool Panic puts players in control of a "mischievous" pool ball. The object of the game is to aim your pool cue and shoot the ball into the other balls around the stage to sink them into pockets, but the title quickly introduces increasingly ridiculous permutations of that idea.
There are more than 100 levels in Pool Panic, which are laid out on a large overworld that changes and expands as you complete stages. As demonstrated in the trailer, the theme and objective of the levels can vary wildly; one stage, for instance, has players trying to knock pool balls off of motorcycles while they're racing down a freeway, while another features zombie balls that chase players around the level.
In addition to the single-player campaign, the game features a multiplayer party mode, in which up to four players can compete against each other locally in various mini-games. The Nintendo Switch version of the game also allows two players to play together on one console using a single Joy-Con each.
E3 2018 has come and gone, and as promised, it featured a ton of announcements, trailers, and other exciting reveals. But while the show was dominated primarily by triple-A titles such as The Last of Us: Part II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, those certainly weren't the only interesting games we had an opportunity to see during the expo.
Amid the many press conferences, bombastic trailers, and lengthy gameplay demonstrations showcased during E3 were a number of clever, intriguing, and touching efforts from smaller and lesser-known studios that were easy to overlook in the general bustle of the show. Thanks to related events like Indie Mix, however, these titles got a chance to stand apart from the crowd and capture our attention with their unique ideas and distinctive styles.
Below, you can find gameplay videos of six interesting and unique indie games we got a chance to see during E3 2018, from the rougelike real-time strategy game Bad North to the bizarre What the Golf? and the emotional, cyberpunk-inspired narrative adventure Neo Cab. For a look at even more interesting titles you may not have heard of, be sure to check out our gallery of 21 games you may have missed from E3 2018.
Bad North
Bad North from developer Plausible Concept is a Viking-themed tactical game that blends together real-time strategy gameplay with rougelike elements. The title's charming art style belies its unforgiving nature, as any commander you lose during a skirmish is gone permanently. Bad North is slated to launch later this year for PC, consoles, and mobile.
Chasm
Bit Kid's Chasm is a sprawling side-scrolling adventure game set in a medieval fantasy world. Boasting a beautifully retro visual style and procedurally generated areas to explore, Chasm casts players in the role of a new recruit of the Guildean Kingdom, who embarks on a mission to discover why townspeople have begun disappearing. The game is coming later this year to PS4, PC, and Vita.
Darq
Darq is a psychological horror game about lucid dreaming. Developed by Unfold Games, the title follows the story of Lloyd, a young boy whose dream takes a dark turn. He must manipulate the logic of the dream world and use stealth to overcome obstacles, avoid horrific enemies, and survive the darkest corners of his subconscious. Darq will release for PC later this year, with a console release potentially following later.
Neo Cab
Neo Cab from developer Chance Agency is narrative game that casts players in the role of Lina, the last human driver in the cyberpunk-inspired city of Los Ojos. Lina's friend mysteriously vanishes, and it falls to players to maintain her driver rating--and livelihood--by deciding which passengers to pick up and how to interact with them while Lina searches for her friend's whereabouts. Neo Cab doesn't yet have a release date, but the game is in development for PC and Mac.
What the Golf?
Billed by developer Triband as a "golf game for people who hate golf," What the Golf? is a ridiculous, physics-based title that takes the basic idea behind the sport--hitting a ball into a hole--in a variety of outlandish directions. It begins like a standard game of golf, but soon players will find themselves smacking the ball into toasters, steering a car, and even putting a house. The game is coming later this summer to PC.
Where the Bees Make Honey
Where the Bees Make Honey is a beautiful isometric puzzle game reminiscent of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Players must guide Sunny, a young girl dressed like a bee, around diorama-like worlds, which can be rotated to gain a different perspective and discover unseen objects. The game spans four seasons, each of which has its own puzzles, while its story unfolds through cutscenes that punctuate every world. Where the Bees Make Honey will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2019.
In time for 4th of July celebrations, Epic Games has released a new emote for Fortnite. As with most of Fortnite's emotes, it's a simple and charming little animation that has your character light up a sparkler, wave it about for a little bit, and then toss it aside.
You can buy the Sparkler emote from the in-game item shop for 200 V-Bucks. Take a look below to see the animation in action, courtesy of the official Fortnite Twitter account.
In related news, Fortnite: Battle Royale has been updated with the Playground LTM (limited-time mode). Although the mode originally launched on June 28, it was taken offline after server issues arose. A week of testing and bug fixing later and Epic has made Playground LTM available again on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.
Playground is designed to be a "low-pressure environment" similar to a private server. It enables players to explore the map and hang out with up to three friends, free from the risk of being eliminated by other people. It's a good place to check out weapons, practice, and refine strategies.
A Fortnite update (version 4.5) has also added a few new weapons to the Save the World and Battle Royale modes. Perhaps most notable among these is the Drum Gun for the Battle Royale mode, which is described as a "hybrid weapon that combines the stopping power of a rifle with the suppressive ability and fire rate of an SMG." On top of that, there's the Stink Bomb and Stars and Stripes Heroes. You can find out more about all the new Fortnite update and see the full patch notes here.
Fortnite Season 5 is set to start on Thursday, July 12, at 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET. Players can still finish up Season 4's challenges to level up their Battle Pass and unlock any remaining rewards. If you need help completing the challenges, take a look at our full Season 4 challenge guide.
Fortnite: Battle Royale has gained another new mode, as the Playground LTM (limited-time mode) is now live. The mode first launched a few days ago, but was taken offline soon after due to server problems. After an extended week that lasted almost a week, the issues have now been resolved, and the mode is available to play on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.
Unlike previous limited-time modes, Playground is intended to be a "low-pressure environment" that acts much like a private server. It allows players to explore the map and play around with up to three friends, free from the risk of being eliminated by other people.
Each Playground match lasts for one hour, and the storm circle won't begin closing in on the map until 55 minutes have passed. Friendly fire is enabled, although players will respawn immediately unless eliminated by the storm. There's also much more loot to find.
Meanwhile Fortnite has another content update available now. It adds the Drum Gun for Battle Royale and Stink Bomb for Save the World, as well as special American-themed cosmetics in celebration of the United States' Independence Day, July 4.
Finally, Season 5 of Fortnite is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 12, at 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET. In the meantime, players can still complete this season's challenges to level up their Battle Pass and unlock any remaining rewards. If you need help completing the challenges, be sure to check out our full Season 4 challenge guide.
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