With Avengers: Infinity War's home release, we're learning a whole lot more about the film--including cameos--thanks to the special features included with the film. In addition to a cut scene featuring Jon Favreau reprising his role as Happy Hogan, it was revealed that an actor knighted by the Queen of England in 2012 opens up the movie.
Thor director Sir Kenneth Branagh, who most recently starred in Murder on the Orient Express and Dunkirk, did some voice over which plays during the Marvel logo, right before Thanos and company takes on Thor and the Asgardians. "This was an amazing surprise, by the way, and we had this idea very late in editorial, to ask the amazing Sir Kenneth Branagh to come in and do the opening distress call over the logo, that carries us and sets the stage and carries us into the scene with Thor and Thanos and Loki on the Ark," explained director Joe Russo during the audio commentary for the movie.
This wasn't a moment that was long planned though. During an interview with ET, Joe Russo explained this was a last-minute decision. "That literally is one of those crazy ideas we had sitting in the edit room--I don't know--two or three weeks before we locked picture maybe," explained Russo. "And we're talking about--you know--we needed a great actor to open the film that had the right gravitas to make you concerned for the Asgardians. And we went, 'Why don't we just ask Branagh? He's one of the greatest actors in the world?' Luckily, he said yes."
Avengers: Infinity War is out digitally now but has a limited amount of special features, which includes some deleted and extended scenes, and a few featurettes about the characters and locations seen in the film.
If you want the total Infinity War experience, you'll have to wait until August 14 for the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD releases of the film. Including audio commentary, the physical release is stacked with extra special features, including what was released with the digital copy. These special features will give fans a ton of insight into the movie-making process, along with a few Avengers Easter eggs you might have missed.
August has arrived, and with it comes a new set of Field Research tasks to complete in Pokemon Go. As Niantic previously revealed, this month's selection of challenges revolve around Electric-type Pokemon and ultimately lead to another encounter with Raikou, but that isn't the only rare Pokemon players can acquire through the quests.
Along with the Field Research tasks, Niantic has introduced a new Pokemon to the game: Spinda. The Spot Panda Pokemon originally debuted in the series' third-generation installments, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and is notable for having more than four billion possible fur patterns. However, it was one of the small handful of monsters who were skipped over when Niantic began introducing Gen 3 Pokemon to Go, making this the first chance players have to add one to their collection.
At the moment, Spinda can't be found in the wild; rather, it's the reward for one of this month's Field Research challenges, meaning you'll first need to find and complete the task in order to get your hands on the Pokemon. The challenge in question tasks players with throwing three curveballs in a row. You can collect Field Research by spinning the discs at Poke Stops.
As before, players can find and complete as many Field Research tasks as they want, but only the first one you finish a day will reward you with a stamp. Collecting seven stamps will lead to a Research Breakthrough, which in turn will unlock more rewards, including an encounter with a powerful Pokemon. This month, players who achieve a Research Breakthrough will have another chance to capture the aforementioned Legendary Pokemon, Raikou.
Pokemon Go's next Community Day event takes place next weekend and features Eevee. Additionally, players still have a chance to capture Registeel, the latest Gen 3 Legendary to arrive in the game. It can be found in Raid Battles until August 21, when it will be replaced by Regirock.
Each Tuesday Microsoft resets its weekly sale on digital Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, offering deals on a new selection of games. This week's sale is now live, with savings on a lot of pretty fantastic games. Let's take a look at some of the highlights of this week's Microsoft Store sale.
Lots of games are on sale this week, but the publisher with the biggest presence by far is Bethesda. Tons of Bethesda games are on sale, including Skyrim Special Edition for $20 / £15 and The Elder Scrolls Online for $10 / £7.50. If you're feeling apocalyptic, you can download Fallout 4 for $15 / £10, or go all-in and get the Game of the Year Edition, which includes the game and all of the DLC, for $30 / £25.
Bethesda shares the spotlight this week with a good deal of indie games that are also on sale. The hectic multiplayer game Overcooked is down to just $6 / £4 this week, which ought to whet your appetite for the upcoming sequel. The Banjo-Kazooey-like platformer Yooka-Laylee is on sale for $13 / £12 for anyone feeling nostalgic for the Nintendo 64 days. And the recently released Yoku's Island Express, a clever mash-up between Metroidvania and pinball, is on sale for $16 / £13.
You can find more of our picks listed below, or click over to the full list of games on sale here, including huge discounts on the Street Fighter series on Xbox 360.
August has arrived, and so has Sony's announcement for what free games PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download this month. As usual, PS Plus members get two games each for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita between August 7 and September 4. This month also comes with a couple of bonus games we'll detail below.
PS4 owners will be able to download Mafia III, an open-world crime game set in 1968 in New Bordeaux, a city modeled on New Orleans. You play as Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam vet who comes home to get revenge on a local crime syndicate responsible for the death of his adopted family.
The second PS4 freebie is Dead by Daylight, an asymmetrical competitive horror game. In each match, four players are survivors who are trying to repair generators to open a gate to escape. The only problem is that one additional player controls a merciless killer on the hunt for the survivors.
Over on PS3, the free games include the action-RPG Bound by Flame, in which you're a warrior possessed by a flame demon tasked with killing seven Ice Lords. The other game is the throwback first-person shooter Serious Sam 3: BFE. PS Vita owners can download Draw Slasher and Space Hulk, the latter of which is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
As mentioned above, two bonus games will be available to PS Plus members starting August 7. The first is the PSVR horror game Here They Lie, which will be free until October 2. The other is the party quiz show game Knowledge is Power, which will be free until November 6.
It's not too late to download July's free games with PS Plus. These include Absolver and Heavy Rain for PS4, Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess and Rayman 3 HD for PS3, and Space Overlords and Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma for Vita.
Two sales are going on at the PlayStation Store this week instead of one. The bigger of the two is the Double Discounts sale, in which PlayStation Plus members get double the amount off that non-members get. Then there's the Totally Digital sale that focuses on digital-only games. PS Plus members also get an additional savings in this one, making it a great time to join if you haven't already. Let's take a look at some of the highlights of this week's discounts.
Quite a few big games are on sale, with prices dropping to particularly appealing lows for PS Plus members. One of the newest big games to get a discount is the cinematic sci-fi-themed Detroit: Become Human, which is about androids who begin acting as if they're alive. It's on sale for $50 ($40 for PS Plus members). Another recent one is Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, on sale for $51 ($42).
Far Cry Primal (AKA "the one without guns") is down to $32.50 ($15). While this Stone Age-set title doesn't have modern weapons, it does have prehistoric pets like sabertooth tigers to help you rip through enemies. Another game that's set a long time ago (but in a galaxy far, far away) is Star Wars Battlefront II, on sale for $39 ($18).
Racing enthusiasts can pick up Burnout Paradise Remasteredfor $30 ($20). It goes on sale often, but it usually doesn't drop as low as that PS Plus price. Survival game fans can download Conan Exiles for $40 ($30). And if you want to use hacker technology to take down the bad guys in San Francisco, you can grab Watch Dogs 2 for $40 ($20).
If you're looking for something a little different, you can grab the relaxing Walden, a Game for $14 ($9.50). It has you hang out at a serene cottage by a lake while reading sections of the titular classic of American literature. Also unique but with a little more action is What Remains of Edith Finch, on sale for $15 ($10). In this creative title, you play through the final moments of a number of characters' lives. Spoilers: everyone dies.
A whole lot more games are on sale this week on the PlayStation Store. You can find more of our picks below, or peruse the full list of discounts here.
Season 5, Week 4 of Fortnite is in full swing, which means there's a bunch of new challenges to undertake. Among the newest set of challenges available to all players is one that asks you to jump through flaming hoops with a Shopping Cart or ATK. The easy part of this challenge is getting your hands on a Shopping Cart or an ATK, but from that point on you'll have to put in some legwork to find the flaming hoops and hurl yourself through them. But never fear, we've got a guide here.
Statistically, finding five flaming hoops is actually a little easier than you might expect, since there's more than five on the island. The easiest way to locate them is to watch our video above and follow along. We've also got a map below pointing where the flaming hoops are, as well as details on where the ones we jumped through can be found.
Flaming Hoop Locations
Over the cavern west of Lazy Links
Over the ice cream van between Lazy Links and Loot Lake
South of the Tomato Town tunnel
Multiple surrounding the stunt mountain
Between the Viking village and Snobby Shores
Hills north of Flush Factory
Under the bridge where the desert biome starts
East side of the southern desert bridge, near the dinosaurs
East of Paradise Palms
The other tricky challenge for Season 5, Week 4 involves searching for a Battle Star hidden somewhere on the map. As always, Epic provides a clue as to its location, but it's purposefully vague. We've hunted it down, and put together a Search Between Gas Station, Soccer Pitch, Stunt Mountain guide, so you won't have any trouble if you use that.
Another week has come and gone, and that means a fresh batch of Fortnite challenges for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS players to complete. We're now in Season 5, Week 4, and there's a full lineup of seven more challenges to complete. You can read about those below, complete with a map and details on how to complete the week's most difficult challenge: search between a gas station, soccer pitch, and Stunt Mountain.
This challenge is only available to those with the Season 5 Battle Pass. All you have to do for it is head to the designated location and pick up the Battle Star, which can be found in grid C5 on the map, at the base of Stunt Mountain, just northwest of Tilted Towers--it's hidden near a pale white tree. This tree is located north of the gas station and just south of Pleasant Park. You can look at the images below to see exactly where it is on the map and also get a breakdown of all the challenges. Alternatively, watch the video above to see us do the challenge.
Click images for a full-size view
Other Battle Pass-only challenges for Week 4 are more straightforward. These include dealing 500 damage to enemies with a Sniper Rifle, searching seven chests in Flush Factory, and getting three pistol eliminations. None of these need to be completed in a single match, so you can slowly make progress at your own pace over the season.
In the free challenges section, the two most straightforward challenges involve building 250 structures and eliminating five opponents in Dusty Divot. The one that will eat up some time is jumping through five flaming hoops with a Shopping Cart or an ATK; we've got a separate guide to help you find all of the hoops.
Fortnite Season 5, Week 4 Challenges
Free
Build structures (250) -- 5 Battle Stars
Jump through flaming hoops with a Shopping Car or ATK (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Dusty Divot (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Deal damage with Sniper Rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Flush Factory (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search between a gas station, soccer pitch, and Stunt Mountain (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Pistol Eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Fortnite's weekly challenges allow players to unlock Battle Stars by fulfilling specific objectives. These range from simply taking out a specific set of enemies, to trickier challenges that involve following treasure maps. Completing these unlocks unique customisation items and also levels up your Battle Pass--if you have one. Challenges are split into two categories, with a set of quests for all players and then a second set available exclusively to Battle Pass owners.
Developer Epic Games recently launched Fortnite's 5.10 content update, which introduces a limited-time mode called Fly Explosives. In this mode, players are equipped with jetpacks and explosive weaponry to wreak havoc on their fellow combatants. The update also pulls the Guided Missile out of the vault and puts it back into play, albeit with some changes.
For those still doing Season 5, Week 3 challenges, you can take a look at out our guide on how to follow the Flush Factory treasure map and also the locations of all the Clay Pigeons. If you haven't already done the Fortnite birthday challenges, we've got a guide for where to find the birthday cakes too. Take a look below for a comprehensive list of our Fortnite Season 5 coverage. The list includes guides to all the challenges so far, as well as a gallery of the new cosmetics introduced in the latest season, among other recent developments surrounding the game.
While Marvel Studios may be done with new movies for the year, Sony still has a couple more coming out in the next few months. Aside from Venom, which had a new trailer this week and revealed the villain Riot, Sony's animated movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse will be closing out the year in December. From what we've seen and heard about for this film, it seems pretty awesome.
During the Sony panel at Comic-Con, we learned a bit more about the upcoming film, including that Nic Cage will be playing Spider-Man: Noir. However, during a roundtable discussion with the cast, we learned that the voice of Miles Morales, Shameik Moore, is pretty excited about the role, especially since this is the first time fans will see Miles on the big screen. "I feel blessed," explained Moore. "I feel chosen. There's a lot of black people, a lot of latino people, and I'm sitting in front of you... I want to be a positive role model. I think it's a good way to start."
What's interesting is that this is a role Moore has wanted to play for quite some time. While he was filming Dope back in 2015, Kiersey Clemons--who played Diggy in the movie--gave him a notebook. "I wrote 'I am Miles Morales' and 'I am Spider-man' in my journal," explained Moore. "Kiersey gave me a journal for whatever reason, and I started writing. We were really big on The Secret, The Law of Attraction, The Four Agreements, reading books and practicing that.
"We were working out at 6AM, taking however many mile runs up the street. Eating healthy. All of us in that apartment were pushing each other, growing successful actors, and so, I was just being positive and writing what I wanted in a book. Some things came to life."
Moore's positivity and dedication paid off when he was given the role of Miles Morales. Spider-fans will get to see Moore in his dream role when Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse comes to theaters in the US on December 14.
We're in the thick of Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. As before, the latest season brings with it a selection of new challenges to complete on a weekly basis, as well as a variety of Battle Pass rewards to unlock. This time, however, Epic has made a few notable changes to the way certain Battle Pass challenges operate. Here's everything you need to know about the new Season 5 challenges, details on all of the ones available so far, and how to get them all done.
Once again, players who purchase the Season 5 Battle Pass will get a set of objectives to complete every week, which in turn will go toward leveling the Battle Pass up and unlocking new rewards. Unlike past seasons, however, weekly challenges are now divided into two categories, Free (which are available to all Fortnite players) and Battle Pass (which are reserved for those who've purchased the Pass). That means that even if you haven't bought the Battle Pass, you'll still be able to complete certain objectives and earn rewards.
If you do decide to pick up the Battle Pass partway through the season, you'll be also able to retroactively unlock any premium rewards you've earned based on the tier that you've already reached. However, one of the advantages of purchasing the Battle Pass early is bonus XP, which is awarded for playing in general and for playing in a party with friends. Since leveling up with XP translates into Battle Stars, you'll want to grab the Battle Pass as soon as you can and take advantage of these bonuses.
There are two other types of challenges to complete this season as well: Road Trip and Drift. The former are much like the Blockbuster challenges from Season 4; when you complete all of the challenges in a given week, you'll receive a special loading screen that points to the location of a hidden Battle Star. Drift challenges, on the other hand, task you with gaining a certain amount of XP. There are five Drift challenges to complete in total in Season 5, each of which reward you with a new style option for the Drift skin. If you manage to complete four out of the five Drift challenges, you'll also unlock the Rift Edge, an alternative for the pickaxe. For a limited time, you can also complete special anniversary challenges tied to Fortnite's birthday event.
You'll find a complete list of all Season 5 challenges available so far below, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all. You can see all of the new skins, cosmetics, emotes, sprays, and other items to unlock this season in our gallery of Fortnite Season 5 Battle Pass rewards.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 5 Challenges
Road Trip
Complete all challenges from any week -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 2 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 3 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 4 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 5 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 6 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 7 different weeks -- loading screen
Epic Games has released a new update for Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. Following the recent update 5.10, content update 5.10 marks the start of a new limited-time mode called Fly Explosives, which involves using jetpacks to cause mayhem. The update also pulls the Guided Missile weapon out of the Vault and puts it into play.
"The Guided Missile is back from the Vault and dropping into Battle Royale this update," the patch notes read. "In its time away, the Guided Missile has been tweaked and tuned down as it was too strong upon its initial release." The weapon now deals less damage, moves slower, and has a shorter fuse, among other tweaks. However, there are reports that might sometimes be invisible, which is a real problem.
For those playing Save the World mode, there's a new Spyglass Sniper Rifle, which will be available in the store on August 1 at 8 PM ET. Take a look below for the full Fortnite 5.10 content update patch notes.
Battle Royale
Guided Missile (Battle Royale): The Guided Missile returns from the Vault! Scan the battlefield from above, weave through obstacles, and rocket ride teammates into the action.
Fly Explosives (Battle Royale): BOOM! The new Fly Explosives Limited Time Mode is here and it's a blast for the whole squad. Use Jetpacks to fly above your foes and rain down in this explosives only game mode.
Limited Time Mode: Fly Explosives
This mode combines the explosive fun of the High Explosives LTM and the vaulted Limited Time Item Jetpack. Take to the skies and blast everyone else back to the lobby!
Mode Details
Only Explosive Weapons can be found in this mode.
Floor Loot spawners will occasionally spawn Jetpacks.
Fly Explosives Jetpacks have increased fuel regen rate & decreased burn rate compared to Default Jetpacks, to keep pilots in the sky a bit longer.
Between-storm wait times have been reduced due to players needing less time to find adequate loot (avg. match length should be lower than 20m).
Rocket Ammunition capped at 120.
Profile Stats (K/D & Wins) are tracked in this mode.
Limited Time Mode: Playground
The following weapons and items have been added to the Playground LTM only.
Jetpack
Guided Missile
Crossbow
Bug Fixes: Nameplates will no longer appear for members of the opposite team.
Weapons and Items
Guided Missile returns!
Available in Epic and Legendary variants.
Fuse duration reduced from 18 to 15 seconds.
Movement Speed decreased from 1100 to 1000.
Reload time increased to 2.4/2.2.
Reduced player damage from 105/110 down to 74/77 damage.
Reduced structure damage down from 1100 to 400.
Explosions now damage structures with no regard for Line of Sight.
Guided Missile can also be controlled via keyboard using the default movement inputs.
Bug Fixes
The issues with Slurp Juice have been fixed and it can once again be looted in-game.
Save the World
Spyglass Sniper Rifle (Save the World): Husks don't stand a chance against this newest addition to the Flintlock Weapon set. This powerful single shot sniper packs a punch, so hold on tight as you take aim and fire.
Weapons and Items
Spyglass Sniper Rifle added to the Weekly Store
An accurate, high-powered, scoped sniper rifle with a single round per magazine that kicks like a mule.
Available Wednesday, August 1 at 8:00 PM ET until Wednesday, August 8 at 8:00 PM ET.
If you're on the list, you may be able to help Sony test new PlayStation 4 firmware soon. Invites are going out for the beta of system software 6.00. If you signed up to be a tester, check your email to see if you've been selected for this beta round.
Those who are selected to participate will get a notification when the beta begins, and then need to visit the Settings menu to download it. Sony urges testers to play a wide variety of games to test the new software, and to provide feedback to the development team. Crashes and bugs can be flagged with their respective reports, and general feedback is invited on the beta forum.
Whatever new features may be coming in this update will remain a mystery until Sony is ready to roll it out to the public, as beta testers are sworn to secrecy. The whole numbered updates tend to add significant features, though. The 5.00 system update, for example, added new family settings and child safety features, friends list and follower tweaks, messages and setting customization, and other various quality-of-life improvements.
BioWare gave fans their first in-depth look at Anthem back at E3, and since then, the acclaimed developer has slowly revealed more tidbits about the upcoming action RPG. Anthem executive producer Mark Darrah has been regularly answering fan questions and revealing new details about the game on Twitter, and now the company has shared a bit more information on how Anthem's shared world works.
BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has posted an update about the studio's recent activities on the official BioWare Blog. He touches on a number of different topics in the post, thanking the community for their support and teasing secret projects that Mass Effect and Dragon Age fans would "really like," but he also addresses how players' personal stories unfold in the multiplayer-centric Anthem.
According to Hudson, one of the most common questions the studio has received since formally unveiling the title at E3 2018 is how players will have the agency to shape their own story when sharing the same world with others. As it revealed at E3, BioWare's solution to that dilemma is dubbed "Our World, My Story," which has players come together in a dynamic, shared world to complete missions and return to a hub area to continue their individual story. As Hudson explains:
"In the dynamic open world, everything is experienced in real-time by all Anthem players--day/night, weather, and world-scale events that shape the ongoing narrative of the setting. This is 'our world,' which we share as a player community. Then when you return to Fort Tarsis, that's actually a single-player experience, and it's where you spend time developing relationships, making choices, and seeing consequences. That's the 'my story' part."
Hudson says BioWare will share more details about Anthem's "Our World, My Story" approach and other information about the game during a panel at PAX West later this month. He also teases that the studio is currently working on "amazing plans" for Star Wars: The Old Republic this year, which includes "new features and surprises." You can read the entire post on the BioWare Blog.
BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has teased secret projects that his company is working on. In a blog post, Hudson thanked the overwhelming support that fans have shown Anthem and shared that the team would be at PAX West to offer further details on the game. He also hinted that plans are in place for more Star Wars: The Old Republic content and that BioWare has teams in place working on surprises that fans of Dragon Age and Mass Effect would like.
"Our Star Wars: The Old Republic team is hard at work on some amazing plans for the coming year, with new features and surprises that I think makes it the game's most exciting year yet," wrote Hudson. "And yes--we hear loud and clear the interest in BioWare doing more Dragon Age and Mass Effect, so rest assured that we have some teams hidden away working on some secret stuff that I think you'll really like--we're just not ready to talk about any of it for a little while…"
It seems like BioWare is still focusing entirely on Anthem--which is scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PS4, and PC in February 2019--but it's nice to know that the developer is still thinking about older franchises. The Old Republic's last notable expansion--Knights of the Eternal Throne--released in December 2016, adding nine story missions and raising the level cap to 70. The expansion celebrated the game's fifth anniversary, but Old Republic hasn't seen anything more than a few quality-of-life patches since.
In regards to Mass Effect, players did recently get a new entry, Mass Effect: Andromeda, but the 2017 action-RPG was not well received by critics--we gave it a 6/10 in our review--and fans were disappointed to hear BioWare was ending single-player support and leaving the lingering storylines and cliffhangers unresolved. At E3, BioWare did say it would return to the series eventually.
We're probably still months--if not years--away from any sort of teaser trailer for whatever happens next for The Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect, but at least fans of these franchises can rest easy knowing that BioWare is working on something.
Insomniac's upcoming Spider-Man game has jumped to many fans' lists of most anticipated games, in part because it seems to so innately nail the free-swinging and improvisational feeling of the wall-crawling superhero. One part seems a little less at home for the web-head, though: a tower-climbing mechanic straight out of older Assassin's Creed or Far Cry titles.
As detailed in our preview of the first two hours, Spidey has to climb towers littered around Manhattan to find points of interest like side missions and collectibles. There's a handful of towers per district, so you'll be crawling your way up to find waypoints in iconic locations like Chinatown, Hell's Kitchen, and Central Park. It's an odd choice, given that Peter Parker is supposed to be well into his superheroic career at this point, and he's lived in New York City his entire life.
In the most recent Assassin's Creed Origins and upcoming Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft has moved away from using towers to spot waypoints. Rather than "unfogging" the map and adding points of interest, these recent games have added markers to highlight items and areas that are unexplored. Far Cry 5 did away with towers altogether, and even cracked a joke at its own expense about it.
This wasn't enough to detract too much from the experience, though. In the preview, Edmond Tran says the game plays as good as it looks, with a greater focus on character interaction and a wide array of progression options. Insomniac has even found a way to bring the usual damsel-in-distress Mary Jane into a more prominent role with her own gameplay function. Still, the towers are said to feel a bit outdated and out-of-place here.
Despite being a sequel, Life is Strange 2 is still pretty mysterious. It's set to star a new cast of characters in a new location, both of which we know very little about. A new teaser trailer gives us the faintest hit of some plot points, and promises more details to come soon.
The teaser shows a police officer's dashboard camera as he drives around a normal-looking suburban neighborhood. He spots something and exits his squad car, and only a few moments later both he and his entire car are pushed and flipped by some strong force. The teaser ends with a promise that "All Will Be Revealed August 20th 2018." On that date, presumably, Square Enix will release a longer and more detailed trailer.
Life is Strange earned a following for its dramatic storytelling touching on dark subjects within a magical realist setting. A free in-universe game, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, helps set the stage for Life is Strange 2. We've already gleaned what we can from that release, but this trailer and the other one upcoming at the end of this month should give us much more detail.
The first episode of Life is Strange 2 will release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 27.
In Season 5 of Fortnite's challenges, developer Epic Games has introduced a secret Road Trip challenge that allows you to get a free Battle Pass tier. To do this you need to follow a clue to a specific location. However, there are some steps you need to complete before you can do this. The first of these is to successfully finish all of the challenges from a week for the fourth time, at which point a special loading screen will be unlocked that provides the clue you need to find the hidden Battle Pass tier.
The new secret loading screen shows a bunch of Fortnite characters having a jolly old time at the pool party in Lazy Links. If you look past all the fun and frolicking to the back wall, you'll spot an image of a camel and a drinking cup, along with a picture of the Battle Star--that's the clue you need.
The location of the prize is on the road between Paradise Palms and Lucky Landing, in quadrant G9. Head over there and you'll quite easily spot the statue and the extra goodie too. Take a look at the video above to watch us track down the Battle Star, or use the images below to see a precise location map. Remember that this will only appear if you've completed all of the challenges from four different weeks.
If you're looking for something else to do, Fortnite's 5.10 content update introduced a new limited-time mode called Fly Explosives. Jump into this and you'll be outfitted with a jetpack and explosive weapons to do some high-flying damage. After spending some time in the vault, the Guided Missile has also been re-introduced, with some changes that you can read about in the patch notes linked above. For more Fortnite Season 5 coverage, including guides on previous challenges, take a look below.
The '80s sitcom Alf may be getting a revival. Warner Bros. is reportedly looking into a series reboot. The original series, which ran for four seasons, centered on a sarcastic alien puppet living in a quiet suburban town with a family that took him in. It was something of a phenomenon at the time, kicking off a wide array of merchandise, comic books, and an animated series.
TV Line reports that Warner Bros. is still in the early stages of planning the reboot and is currently searching for a writer to spearhead it. It's unclear what involvement, if any, series co-creator and puppeteer Paul Fusco would have with the project.
While Alf became a nickname for the character, as an acronym it stands for "Alien Life Form." The character's full name was Gordon Shumway, and he took up with the Tanner family after his spacecraft crash-landed in their garage. He was sarcastic and slovenly, and constantly attempted to eat the Tanner family's pet cat. It was a simpler time.
This comes as quite a few nostalgic properties are being brought back for modern audiences. In just the last few months we've heard of Child's Play and Buffy reboots in the works. This Alf project is so early we may not see it for quite some time, if at all.
Along with its financial earnings report for the latest fiscal quarter, Nintendo has shared updated global sales figures for its Switch and 3DS titles. While Switch hardware sales may have dropped slightly compared to the same period last year, software sales grew significantly year-over-year, and many of the console's biggest tiles have hit new sales milestones.
Nintendo's best-selling Switch game, Super Mario Odyssey, moved an additional million copies since the company's last financial report, bringing its worldwide sales total up to a staggering 11.17 million. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo's No. 2 and 3 best-selling Switch games, respectively, likewise continue to sell well; the former has now surpassed 10 million copies, while the latter has sold 9 million.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Mario Tennis Aces have also sold an impressive amount, clearing a million units each on Switch despite only launching recently. Nintendo's spring-loaded fighting game Arms has now sold more than 2 million copies, while the two Nintendo Labo kits have sold a combined 1.39 million units.
In comparison, Nintendo's 3DS games have sold much more modestly over the last fiscal quarter, but they continue to prop the handheld up as it enters its eighth year on the market. Mario Kart 7 remains the company's best-selling game for 3DS at 17.21 million units. Super Mario 3D Land has now surpassed 12 million, while Animal Crossing: New Leaf inches closer to the same milestone. You can see the full top 10 list for each console below or on Nintendo's website.
Microsoft has rolled out another pair of backwards compatible games for Xbox One. This week, two Xbox 360 installments in Ubisoft's Splinter Cell series have been added to the growing backwards compatibility library--Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Splinter Cell: Double Agent.
Blacklist is the most recent installment in the Splinter Cell series, originally launching in 2013. It takes place after the events of Splinter Cell: Conviction and introduces a number of new skills and tools to Sam Fisher's arsenal, like the Tri-Rotor drone. GameSpot awarded the title an 8/10 in our original Splinter Cell: Blacklist review and said it has "too many sweet adventures in store for you to miss them."
Double Agent, on the other hand, was originally released in 2006. This installment marked the series' Xbox 360 debut and sees protagonist Sam Fisher infiltrate a terrorist group. It earned an 8.5/10 in GameSpot's original Splinter Cell: Double Agent review, in which we said, "Double Agent's few keen twists on Splinter Cell's single-player gameplay don't result in a remarkably different experience from the previous games, though that doesn't mean it still isn't some of the best stealth action out there."
Splinter Cell: Blacklist
If you still have a copy of either title laying around, you can simply pop the disc into your Xbox One to begin playing. Meanwhile, those who've previously purchased either game digitally will find them automatically waiting in the Ready to Download area of Xbox One's My Games and Apps menu. If you don't already own the titles but are interested in checking them out, they are also available to download from the Microsoft Store.
There are now more than 400 Xbox 360 games--as well as more than 30 original Xbox titles--in Xbox One's backwards compatible library. You can see all of the past-generation titles that are playable on the console in our full list of backwards compatible games. You can also check out our gallery of the best Xbox One backwards compatible games for recommendations on which classic titles to play.
Nintendo has shared its financial earnings for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, and the Nintendo Switch continues to perform well. The company reports it has sold another 1.88 million Switch consoles worldwide during the period from April through June, bringing the system's total sales up to 19.6 million.
While that represents a slight decrease in Switch hardware sales from the same period last year (down 4.4% year-on-year), software sales grew by more than 120% year-on-year, with 17.96 million units sold during the quarter. Digital sales of packaged Switch games and DLC also grew by 68% from the same period last year.
As for specific first-party game sales, Nintendo Labo sold a combined 1.39 million units worldwide between the Robot and Variety Kits. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which originally released for Wii U back in 2014, moved 1.40 million units on Switch, while Mario Tennis Aces sold 1.38 million copies worldwide, despite launching toward the end of the fiscal quarter.
The Nintendo 3DS continued chugging along, selling another 360,000 units (down approximately 62% year-on-year). The handheld's lifetime sales now stand at 72.89 million units. Meanwhile, Nintendo's smartphone business saw a very modest increase of 0.4% year-on-year. The NES Classic Edition also returned to stores toward the end of the quarter and has already proven to be a success, selling 1.26 million units.
Despite the first half of this fiscal year being somewhat slower for Switch sales, Nintendo still expects to sell 20 million units during this fiscal year, which runs through March 2019. That may still be feasible given how much business it traditionally does during the holiday season. The company says Switch sales in every region have been "trending upward" since E3 2018, and it still has a number of big games lined up for the system through the end of the year.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon launched for 3DS back in November, marking the mainline series' swan song on Nintendo's dual-screen handheld. As it did for the original Sun and Moon versions, The Pokemon Company is continuing to support the pair in the months following their release with free items and Pokemon. The company has a lot of giveaways lined up for 2018, which it has dubbed the Year of Legendary Pokemon, though those certainly won't be the only freebies players can expect to find this year.
We've rounded up all of the free distributions currently running for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon below, many of which are also open to Sun and Moon players. We'll be updating this list as more giveaways are announced, so check back often to see what free items and Pokemon you can get. In the meantime, you can learn more about the latest Pokemon games in our rundown of everything new in Pokemon Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon. We also break down the differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, if you're still unsure of which version to pick up.
Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Free Gifts
Groudon/Kyogre -- Ends Aug. 26
The cover monsters of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Groudon and Kyogre, are the two free Legendaries available in August. In the US, the Pokemon are being distributed via a free download code, which can be picked up at a participating GameStop store from August 3-26. As with previous giveaways, the Legendary you receive depends on which version you own; those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get Kyogre, while players who have Moon or Ultra Moon will get Groudon.
Celebi -- Ends Sep. 21
Players who purchase either Pokemon Gold or Silver from the 3DS Eshop by September 21, 2018 will receive a bonus download code for the Mythical Pokemon Celebi. The code can be redeemed in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon. We've outlined the steps you need to take to find and redeem the code here.
Decidueye, Incineroar, and Primarina -- Ends Oct. 31
Players who have a Pokemon Bank account can receive the final forms of all three Alola starters--Decidueye, Incineroar, and Primarina--as a free bonus for using the cloud storage service. What sets these three Pokemon apart from the ones you can obtain in-game is that they each come with their Hidden Abilities, which aren't typically available through normal play. You'll receive a notification about the gifts the next time you access Pokemon Bank, and they can be picked up in your game of choice from the deliveryman waiting in any Pokemon Center.
Magearna
Unlike most other gift Pokemon, the Mythical Steel/Fairy-type, Magearna, is not available through the Mystery Gift feature, but via a QR code, which is compatible with Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. After defeating the Elite Four and completing the main story, you can use the QR Scanner to scan the code below. Once you've done that, visit the Antiques shop in Hau'oli City and pick your Magearna up from the deliveryman waiting there.
Past Gifts
Dialga/Palkia -- DONE
Kicking off the Year of Legendary Pokemon are the Space and Time Pokemon, Palkia and Dialga. The two are being distributed in the US at GameStop from February 2-28, while UK residents can pick them up from participating Game stores. The Legendary you receive will depend on which version you have: players with either Sun or Ultra Sun receive Palkia, while those playing either Moon or Ultra Moon get Dialga. You'll need to redeem your download code by May 23 to claim the Legendaries.
Regigigas/Heatran -- DONE
The Year of Legendary Pokemon continues with another pair of Legendaries originally from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: Regigigas and Heatran. As before, the Pokemon you receive will depend on which seventh generation title you're playing: Sun and Ultra Sun players will get Regigigas, while those with a copy of Moon or Ultra Moon will receive Heatran.
Unlike the Dialga and Palkia distribution, The Pokemon Company is giving away the download code for Regigigas and Heatran in the March Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter, so you'll need to create a free Trainer Club Account here and opt-in to the newsletter before March 1 in order to get the code.
Entei/Raikou -- DONE
The Johto Legendary dogs Entei and Raikou are April's free gift for Pokemon players. The Pokemon are being distributed in the US via a free download code from participating Target stores, and as before, the Legendary you receive depends on which version you're playing: those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get Entei, while Moon and Ultra Moon players will receive Raikou. In Europe, the Legendaries are being distributed as a free online Mystery Gift until April 25.
Xerneas/Yveltal -- DONE
Pokemon X and Y's cover monsters, Xerneas and Yveltal, are the free Legendary Pokemon available in May. From May 4-27, US players can snag a download code for the monsters at no charge from GameStop stores, while those in the UK can grab one from Game. As usual, the Legendary you receive depends on which version you're playing: Sun and Ultra Sun players will get Yveltal, while Moon and Ultra Moon players will end up with Xerneas.
Shiny Zygarde -- DONE
The Kalos Legendary Zygarde is June's free Pokemon. Regardless of which game you own, you'll get the Order Pokemon, although its moveset will differ depending upon which version you're playing. What makes this particular Zygarde special is that it's a Shiny. Players in the US can pick up a free download code for the Legendary at GameStop from June 1-24, while those in Europe and Australia can get it via Mystery Gift over the Nintendo Network.
Tornadus/Thundurus -- DONE
Tornadus and Thundurus from Pokemon Black and White are July's free Legendary Pokemon, and as usual, the one you receive will depend on which version you're playing. Those with a copy of Sun or Ultra Sun will get Thundurus, while players who have Moon or Ultra Moon will receive Tornadus. To get the Legendaries, US residents will need to pick up a free download code at Target stores from July 13-28, while players in Europe can download the Pokemon over the Nintendo Network via Mystery Gift.
A new month is upon us, which means another pair of free Legendary Pokemon will soon be available for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. This time, The Pokemon Company is giving away the Ruby and Sapphire cover monsters Groudon and Kyogre as part of its ongoing Year of Legendary Pokemon promotion, but they'll only be available for a limited time.
As with previous distributions, the way to receive the Legendaries depends on which region you live in. Once again, US residents will need to travel to a specific retailer to pick up a free download code for the Pokemon. This time, the code will be available at participating GameStop stores from August 3-26. UK and Canada distribution details have yet to be announced.
The Legendaries can be redeemed in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, but the one you receive will depend on which version you're playing. Those with a copy of Sun or Ultra Sun will get Kyogre, while Moon and Ultra Moon players will get Groudon. Additionally, the Pokemon will come at different levels and know different attacks based on the game you own; in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, each Legendary will be level 100 and come equipped with a Gold Bottle Cap, while they'll be level 60 in the original Sun and Moon versions.
To claim your Legendary, you'll need to redeem the download code using the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting Mystery Gift, choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password, and input the code you picked up from GameSpot. The Pokemon will then be downloaded into your game. Once those steps have been completed, you'll be able to pick your Pokemon up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Disney's decision to fire James Gunn from the Marvel sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 led to a joint-statement from the cast, in which they offered the writer/director their support. There had been some subsequent speculation that Disney might rehire Gunn, but a new report states that he is very unlikely to return to the movie.
According to Variety, the studio is "currently not planning" to rehire Gunn. The site spoke to "multiple people familiar with the studio's current thinking," and says that, despite the support from the cast of Guardians movies, the tweets that ultimately led to his dismissal remain totally at odds with Disney's family-friendly image.
Despite the strongly worded statement, there is no suggestion that any of the cast, which includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel, will quit the series as a result. They are all under multi-film contracts, and while the movie was expected to start production in February 2019 ahead of a 2020 release, it had not officially been given a release date as yet.
The tweets that led to Gunn's dismissal date back almost a decade, and saw the director joking about topics like pedophilia and rape. They resurfaced online via conservative website The Daily Caller, and Disney was quick to sever ties with him. In a statement, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said, "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him."
Gunn offered a subsequent statement in which he took responsibility for the tweets and accepted Disney's decision. "My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative," his statement read. "I have regretted them for many years since--not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don't reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.
"Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse."
Star Wars: Episode IX has started production. The next movie in the long-running Star Wars saga is being shot in London, and director JJ Abrams has tweeted the first image from the set and paid tribute to the late Carrie Fisher.
The image doesn't exactly give much away--it's a close-up of some camera equipment in front of a blurred background, in which you can just about make out actor John Boyega. In his tweet, Abrams stated that it was "bittersweet" to start Episode IX without Fisher but paid tribute to his "extraordinary cast and crew." Check it out below:
Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go. Grateful for @rianjohnson and special thanks to George Lucas for creating this incredible world and beginning a story of which we are lucky to be a part. #IXpic.twitter.com/FOfnGwVut5
Boyega also tweeted the same image, and stated that the first day of shooting had been completed. In addition, The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson replied to Abrams' message with his own amusing tweet.
Last week, the full principal cast of Episode IX was confirmed. Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billie Lourd are all set to reprise their roles from the previous two movies. They will be joined by new cast members Keri Russell, Naomi Ackie, and Richard E. Grant. Additionally, Billy Dee Williams will return to the saga to play Lando Calrissian once again. Also, Fisher will appear as Princess Leia for the last time, via unused footage from 2015's The Force Awakens.
Abrams also directed The Force Awakens and joined Episode IX in September last year, following the departure of original director Colin Trevorrow. Although little is known about Episode IX at this stage, Abrams has suggested that he won't play it safe with his second Star Wars film. "I feel like we need to approach this with the same excitement that we had when we were kids loving what these movies were," he said. "But at the same time, we have to take them places that they haven't gone, and that's sort of our responsibility."
Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, 2019 and is currently the only other Star Wars movie on Disney's release schedule. There were rumors that the studio might have stopped development on some of its planned spin-offs following the financial disappointment of the recent Solo: A Star Wars Story, but the studio subsequently denied this was the case. In addition, there are two separate Star Wars movies series in the works, one from The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson, the other from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Despite the box office failure of 2015's Terminator Genisys and lots of uncertainty about the future of the long-running sci-fi franchise, the sixth Terminator movie is set for release next year. The currently-untitled film is currently in production, and the first official image has now been released.
The image shows Linda Hamilton, who is reprising her role as Sarah Connor, alongside new stars Natalia Reyes and Blade Runner 2049's Mackenzie Davis. Reyes is playing a character called Dani Ramos, whileDavis will portray Grace. Check it out below:
Terminator 6 is directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller, with series creator James Cameron producing. Original star Arnold Schwarzenegger is also coming back, and the movie is reportedly a direct sequel to 1991's classic Terminator 2 and will ignore the three movies in-between. It hits theaters on November 22, 2019.
Last year, Cameron spoke about the decision to bring Hamilton back. "As meaningful as she was to gender and action stars everywhere back then, it's going to make a huge statement to have that seasoned warrior that she's become return," he told The Hollywood Reporter.
The director also made reference to Hollywood's willingness to employ aging male action stars, but not female ones. "There are 50-year-old, 60-year-old guys out there killing bad guys," he said. "But there isn't an example of that for women."
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.
A new month is just around the corner, which means a new batch of Field Research quests will soon be available in Pokemon Go. Developer Niantic has shared the first details about the upcoming set of challenges on Twitter, including which Pokemon awaits those who manage to complete enough of them. [Update: The new Field Research tasks are now live in Pokemon Go.]
According to Niantic, August's batch of Field Research tasks will revolve primarily around Electric-type Pokemon. As usual, the first task you complete each day will reward you with a stamp; if you collect seven of them, you'll achieve a Research Breakthrough and unlock additional rewards, including an encounter with a rare Pokemon.
The reward for achieving a Research Breakthrough this time will be another encounter with Raikou, one of the three Legendary dogs originally from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Raikou was previously available in Pokemon Go last fall as a Raid Battle, but this gives players another opportunity to capture one without having to team up with other Trainers and travel to a Gym.
Field Research tasks are distributed at PokeStops. They're one of two types of quests introduced to the game earlier this year, along with Special Research. The latter are more story-driven challenges assigned by Professor Willow, with the reward being an encounter with a Mythical Pokemon. The first set of Special Research led to Mew, while an upcoming questline will give players the chance to find Celebi.
In addition to Raikou, Pokemon Go players can encounter another Legendary in the game right now. The powerful Steel-type Registeel is appearing in Raid Battles from now until August 21, when it will be replaced by Regirock. Before then, Niantic will host the next Pokemon Go Community Day on August 11 and 12, with Eevee starring as the next featured Pokemon.
August is here, which means Amazon/Twitch Prime members can now grab the latest batch of free games from Twitch. Between August 1-31, Prime members can download seven games: Antihero, Death Squared, Jotun: Valhalla Edition, SteamWorld Dig, and a bundle that contains Wizardry 6, 7, and 8. That's a generous lineup, particularly after we got 21 games in July.
To get the games, you first have to link your Amazon Prime and Twitch accounts. Once you do, head to Twitch.tv on a desktop computer and click the crown icon near the search bar. There you'll find a dropdown menu with buttons to claim the games for free. They're yours to keep forever, even if you cancel Amazon Prime down the line. All you need is the Twitch desktop app to install them.
The games themselves were mostly well-received when they came out. Much like the recent God of War, Jotun: Valhalla Edition takes place in the realm of Norse mythology. You play as Thora, a warrior who must explore the frigid world and solve puzzles to prove her worth to the gods. In SteamWorld Dig, you explore a massive underground world, fighting enemies and collecting valuable treasure to help you upgrade your abilities. Finally, the Wizardry Bundle contains the "Dark Savant" trilogy of first-person RPGs.
Antihero is set in in the Victorian underworld, where you're tasked with assembling a thief's guild. It's a turn-based strategy game in which you convince criminals and street urchins straight out of Dickens to join your criminal empire. Puzzle fans may enjoy Death Squared, a co-op game that has you moving colorful cubes around a dense map.
In addition to games, Twitch Prime members also get ad-free viewing on Twitch, a free channel subscription every 30 days, and free in-game loot for titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty: WWII.
If you love reading superhero comic books, there's a good chance that a huge part of what makes them so attractive is the way they explore the regular lives of the people behind the masks. Matt Murdoch's daily courtroom drama and neighborhood philanthropy, Jessica Drew's demanding commitments as a single mother, and the multifaceted teenage dramas of Kamala Khan and other student-aged heroes are equally as engrossing as the crime-fighting adventures of their alter-egos. And when work and life clash, that's when things really get interesting.
The more mundane side of superhero stories are rarely explored in video game adaptations, and that's something Insomniac Games is openly talking about as a major point of difference in their take on Marvel's Spider-Man. In the game's first two hours, which I experienced during a recent preview tour, a large chunk of time was spent controlling Peter Parker in his mild-mannered form, as well as Mary Jane Watson. Insomniac explained that this ratio was largely indicative of the rest of the game, with major themes of mentorship and trust as something that would be explored with and without masks.
That might sound like a far cry from what's been shown of Insomniac's Spider-Man up to this point, but these moments hit all the right notes for us. The game's version of Peter Parker falls on the dweeby side, despite being old and having almost a decade of crime-fighting expertise. He's messy, perpetually behind on his bills, and isn't currently in any kind of romantic relationship, all thanks to his second life. But he takes time to visit his Aunt May and catch up with acquaintances, as well as work on science projects as part of his day job, hoping he can do some good there, too.
I spent a large part of Spider-Man's opening hours exploring interior environments as Peter, making and listening in on small talk, looking at photos and reading documents to fill out back-story, and performing research experiments--there are Pipe Dream and pattern matching minigames that can earn you experience points to spend on Spidey abilities. Mary Jane, an investigative reporter in this universe, has her own separate narrative motivations that quickly become entwined in the rest of the plot. Her interactive segments have their own mechanics, which Insomniac told us would grow and evolve over the course of the game. For more on Mary Jane's section in these opening hours, be sure to read Kallie's in-depth account.
But as happy as I was to see a big emphasis on the Peter and MJ side of things, I still had just one thing on my mind, being this was my very first first hands-on: Whether or not Insomniac's Spider-Man was going to surpass the memories I had playing Treyarch's open-world Spider-Man 2 for consoles, generally regarded as the best Spider-Man game to date, thanks to its phenomenal web-swinging mechanics. And it most definitely does, as we've previously reported. Insomniac's Spider-Man adheres strictly to the rule that Spidey's web lines need to attach to a structure, and that creates the wonderful sense of tangibility that is both essential to selling the experience, as well as creating a satisfying need for forethought when traversing New York City.
It works like this: R2 shoots out a web line, and pressing X while mid-swing will let you jump and gain height or distance, depending on where you are in your arc. Pressing X without being attached to a web line will let you perform a quick web zip, which propels you forward, allowing you to gain directional momentum without losing height, and is great for quickly changing directions. Finally, holding L2 will trigger a slowdown, allowing you to aim a cursor and hit R2 to create a direct zipline to that particular point (provided it's in range), and is a great landing technique that allows you to expertly perch on lampposts and other locations, just like a spider can.
Web swinging feels fantastic, and minor additions, such as hitting L3 to nosedive, using Circle + Triangle in tandem with the left stick to perform aerial tricks for experience points, and the motion blur when you pick up a large amount of speed, adds a lot to making the act of getting around town a pure joy. Even Central Park can be traversed by web-swinging, thankfully, so long as you pick a route with enough trees to latch onto.
Movement on the ground also feels suitably Spider-Man-like. Aside from using L2 and R2 to web zip from point to point, holding R2 acts as an Assassin's Creed-like parkour button, allowing you to easily clear obstacles, as well as run up and across the side of buildings. But if you need a break from thinking about how to get from A to B, Spidey can also just take the subway and fast travel to a different station.
The parkour button isn't the only inspiration Insomniac's Spider-Man takes from an Ubisoft series, though. In a move that took me completely by surprise, Spider-Man incorporates the archaic mechanic of tower reveals, that is, points of interest that you have to find, travel to, and solve a puzzle at in order to reveal a map of the immediate area, as well as the locations of other points of interests like side missions, challenges, collectables, and Far Cry-style outposts. Each district of Manhattan represented in the game--Chinatown, Greenwich, Financial District, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Upper West Side, Central Park, Upper East Side, and Harlem--has a number of towers hidden within them, which you're required to activate before you're even able to see where you're going on your minimap.
This is strange not only because the mechanic feels incredibly outdated--Ubisoft has moved on, their open-world franchises now focus on more organic discovery mechanics--but it just doesn't make characteristic sense. Insomniac has been pitching their version of Spider-Man as an experienced one, one that's been fighting crime in New York for nearly a decade, and it's incredibly puzzling that this Spider-Man hasn't internalized an intimate geographic knowledge of the city he protects. I don't believe him when he exclaims, "I'm flying blind here!" while swinging through world-famous Times Square, no matter what the tower MacGuffin might be.
Any activity revealed by towers can still be found by naturally stumbling across them, and minor Spider-Man 2-style randomly-generated events, such as car crashes and armed robberies, also can pop up unannounced, which is great to see. But the emphasis on using towers to reveal them just seems like a huge misstep, a puzzling addition that feels like unnecessary filler.
But there's still plenty of good filler in there, namely, the number of things you can stuff into Spider-Man's suit. As expected, you can unlock dozens of different Spider-Man costumes by earning experience and leveling up to gain access, and spending different tokens (earned through completing side content) to purchase them for use. Each suit comes with its own unique suit ability to assist you during the game's exciting, Batman Arkham-inspired combat system, but a nice feature is that once you own a suit, you can transfer its unique ability to a different suit you own.
For example, I immediately sought to don the Spider-Man Noir costume, which comes with the ability to stop enemies from calling backup (great for stealth approaches), but swapped that out for the Battle Focus ability from the Advanced Suit seen in the game's marketing materials. Battle Focus steadily increases your Focus meter, used in combat to heal and perform the game's cinematic takedowns. Other suits and abilities I saw included the Classic Suit (webs every enemy in sight), Scarlet Spider (creates holographic decoys), and the Spider Armor MK II (protects from bullet fire).
True to Peter's science background, you can also equip a number of unique combat gadgets, switching between them using a radial menu with L1, and upgrade their effectiveness over the course of the game. Aside from the standard web shooters, they include things like impact webbing to pin enemies to surfaces, spider drones that seek out opponents and fire energy, electric webs that stun, web bombs that are proximity triggered, web trip mines, concussive blasts, and a suspension matrix that suspends enemies in the air.
The game also has a skill tree for ability progression, featuring three branches with which to upgrade Spidey's combat and web swinging techniques. The Innovator branch focuses on web-based combat techniques, such as using webs to disarm gun-toting thugs and the ability to throw a larger variety of objects and enemies, while the Defender branch improves Spider-Man's general striking, evasion, and combo abilities, letting you earn bonuses for things like perfectly-timed dodges. Finally, the Webslinger branch largely lets you perform additional traversal moves, but also gives you access to Spidey's infamous web swing kick in combat. It also unlocks the aforementioned ability to perform tricks in mid-air for small amounts of XP and large amounts of style.
There are a number of references too, of course, found in dialogue, environment, and the game's backpack collectibles. But it's a range that can be appreciated by both casual Spider-Man fans (Spidey asking "Should we kiss?" to a hanging enemy), and fanatics (a mention of "Nazis made of bees"). There were some nice interactive touches I loved: using the attack buttons around citizens lets you wave and give high fives, with some interactions giving you XP, and J.J. Jameson now hosts a podcast Peter listens to, but you can unsubscribe in the audio settings menu.
Insomniac's representation of the Spider-Man experience plays as good as it looks, at least in its opening hours. The web swinging and acrobatic combat are instantly satisfying, but it's also wonderful to see that there's a lot more to it--a significant focus on interacting as Peter Parker and Mary Jane (which we're hoping will continue to evolve into something great), a depth of progression options and combat abilities, and many minor, but exciting details that positively colored my short experience. The opening hours had me eager to play more--even just to have more time swinging around the city--but it also reinvigorated my excitement about the Marvel universe in general. I just wish I could forget about those towers.
As we're approaching the release of Insomniac's Spider-Man game, it's become clear that the game nails the big things. For a lot of fans, getting the feel of Spider-Man right was the most important concern. We now know that traversing New York City indeed feels fantastic, with smooth, satisfying web-swinging and parkour that effortlessly carries Spidey from one corner of the concrete jungle to another. Combat, too, is easy to pick up yet complex enough to reward experimentation and encourage customization. Taking on the role of Spider-Man feels so good that it's very easy to overlook the other playable character.
Though you spend most of your time playing as Spider-Man (and plainclothes Peter Parker), some missions star his on-again, off-again girlfriend Mary Jane. She understandably hasn't been the focus of the pre-release hype; when I had a chance to play several hours of Spider-Man recently, I, like a lot of other people, was most interested in trying out web-swinging for myself. But after a few hours, a handful of story missions, and a lot of goofing-off as Spider-Man, I was surprised at how much MJ stood out.
This version of MJ is an investigative journalist, and she hasn't talked to Peter in months. They're reunited early in the game thanks to circumstances involving bigtime crime boss Wilson Fisk (suffice it to say his art collection is on sale). Peter is at the gallery to take out bad guys, while MJ is there to snoop around under the guise of covering the auction for an art publication. You play the first part of the mission as Peter, switching to MJ as a flashback in lieu of listening to her explain what happened.
The two are opposites in a lot of ways. MJ's part has no combat, just some low-pressure stealth and a minor puzzle; the main activity is taking photos of the art, which MJ comments on as you go. A samurai-like statue prompts her to comment about how history sometimes feels like a series of "boys dressing up and getting into fights," while a mask leads her to ruminate on Peter's secret and how, if she were a hero, she'd want people to see her face.
When MJ asks one too many probing questions, the art dealer tells her to leave. Instead, she pretends to head to the bathroom and sneaks her way to a back room to find the incriminating files she's looking for. Later, when the dust has settled, Peter asks MJ to dinner, and she asks him if he remembers why they broke up--it's implied that being Spider-Man and being a boyfriend don't exactly go together.
MJ, like Peter, wants to make the world a better place. She goes about it a different way both because she has no powers and because she's a different person; it's very clear from the relatively brief introduction that she and Peter don't always see eye to eye and that she isn't afraid to tell him that. All of this gives her the potential to be a powerful foil and provide much-needed depth to Spider-Man's superheroic story.
The unfortunate reality is that female characters in stories like this often exist solely to further the male protagonist's journey, and we don't know yet what MJ's place is in the game overall. Her role as a foil only works if she's also a well-rounded character in her own right; otherwise, any depth she seems to provide would be a convenient facade. But after only 20 minutes, I got a sense of the character she might end up being: someone strong-willed, clever, maybe a little rash, and who's interesting to play even though she can't swing from building to building.
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