Time for scores to be settled in the ring, except this time, the ring is enclosed entirely in a cell. On Sunday, September 16, WWE will host its annual PPV Hell in a Cell, coming to you live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Competitors will be locked in a gigantic chain-linked enclosure and have to duke it out. Many times, the fight explodes out of the cell, and for some reason, the superstars climb to the top of it, and someone falls or jumps off the top. It's terrifying. As of this writing, there are two Hell in a Cell matches, and there may be even more.
The event will air on PPV and the WWE Network at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM BST (Sept. 17). Just like every PPV, there will more than likely be a Kickoff Show before the main card starting one hour prior. There will be at least one match on the pre-show, which hasn't been announced yet.
Almost every year, fans remain on the edge of their seats as WWE superstars perform in the enclosed structure, then break out, climb to the top, and almost kill themselves jumping off of it. Considering that Jeff Hardy is fighting Randy Orton in the cell this year, that may mean Hardy will swanton off the top, and fans will collectively have a heart attack.
It's still early, but there have been a few matches already booked for the card, outside of Hardy/Orton. Brie Bella--who I thought was on Raw--teams up with her husband Daniel Bryan to take on Maryse and her husband The Miz. Both Miz and Bryan put on a fantastic match at Summerslam, so this should be a fun one. In additional, three title bouts have been booked. Former Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss gets her rematch against Ronda Rousey, and hopefully, Rousey won't ragdoll her around again like the squash match at Summerslam. There's also both the WWE Championship and Universal Championship matches as well.
At the time of this writing, there are only six matches booked for the event, but you can expect this card to fill up exceptionally quickly in the next week or so, including matches for the United States, Intercontinental, Raw Tag, and Smackdown Tag Championships.
Hell in a Cell match card:
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell match)
Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women's Championship)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Hell in a Call match for the Universal Championship)
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, September 16 for live coverage of the event.
Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum, has listed dozens of new openings at its UK studio, making reference to a "highly anticipated upcoming AAA title" on new platforms.
ResetEra detailed a listing from the studio seeking a new community manager. The jobs website lists 24 new positions, with nearly all of them making reference to an unannounced AAA title for "next generation platforms."
Some of the positions are permanent, others are two-year contracts. This may or may not indicate a timeframe in which we might see some sort of announcement.
It's not clear on exactly what kind of game Rocksteady is working on quite yet. Some positions, like the senior producer and lead scriptwriter, are calling for "broad knowledge of comics, novels, games, cinema, and popular culture relating to video games." Given Rocksteady's portfolio, and knowing it is partnered with Warner Brothers, we're most likely going to see something related to DC comics once again.
Destiny 2's Forsaken DLC expansion arrived this week, bringing with it a wealth of new content and changes. A number of adjustments went into effect with a patch released a week prior to Forsaken, but we're now getting to see exactly what Year 2 is going to be like for Destiny 2.
Whether you've already started Forsaken or are just beginning to dive in this weekend, there are some notable tweaks and tips you should be aware of. In typical Destiny fashion, things aren't always spelled-out in-game, and you can easily shoot yourself in the foot and waste time if you aren't completely familiar with all of the game's systems.
With that in mind, we've rounded up some key tips you'll want to be aware of, along with some other advice about how to approach the game and some notable issues the game is currently suffering from. No, it's not just you--the clan bounties are frustrating right now. Also be sure to check out our Gambit guide for some advice on how to excel in the cool new PvP/PvE hybrid mode, and our Forsaken review-in-progress for our thoughts on the game so far.
Dismantle Old, Unwanted Gear, Items, And Mods
When first diving in to Forsaken, there are a number of tasks you can take care of right away. Thanks to the introduction of new, more desirable gear and the introduction of an expanded Collection, you can feel free to dismantle your old gear and net yourself some Legendary Shards. The Collection allows you to peruse all weapons, armor, sparrows, shaders, and so on in the game. This lets you both see how to obtain things you don't have and pay to retrieve items you've previously gotten your hands on. The exception is Year 2 gear with randomized rolls; you'll need to earn those and hang on to them if you want to use them. But the bright side is you can now purchase an unlimited supply of shaders and dismantle things like ships and then get them back later.
As for mods, the system has been totally overhauled, and all of your existing mods have been deprecated. That means they're no longer usable and can be safely dismantled. While you might have some desire to hold on to old gear, the mods are something you have no reason to keep.
Grab Your Bounties Every Day
Another thing to do right away--and every day--is grabbing the appropriate bounties. Zavala and Shaxx at the Tower each offer five daily bounties for Strikes and Crucible, respectively, but you'll also want to hit up Hawthorne for clan bounties (some of which require you to do things in a fireteam with a clanmate), Tess for a weekly Eververse bounty (you'll also be able to periodically get additional bounties from her when you obtain an Eververse Bounty Note), and the Drifter for Gambit bounties. (The Drifter is found in the same area as Ikora, hiding in an alleyway to the right of the ramen shop--just crouch under the gate to get to him.) Each location's vendor, including the Tangled Shore's Spider, also has additional bounties specific to that area. Grab them as soon as you go somewhere to ensure you don't waste any effort.
Of course, bounties cost a small amount of glimmer to obtain. If you don't plan to play Gambit on a particular day, for instance, there's no sense in grabbing those bounties.
Check Your Challenges In The Director Regularly
Keeping an eye on the Director--that is, your map that lets you view the various locations and activities available to you--is critical for tracking desirable rewards. Raising your Power level to 500 is relatively easy in Forsaken; taking part in story missions, public events, and Crucible/Gambit can earn you Rare (blue) gear that can get you to that point. Getting past 500 is where the grind truly begins. One reliable way of increasing your Power level is by obtaining so-called Powerful gear, which will come with a Power level higher than your current overall number.
Powerful gear is rewarded for completing a number of different challenges. Unlike in the past, where these challenges could be seen by pulling up the "blade" on the left side of the Director, these are now primarily tied to specific locations and activity playlists. Jump into the Vanguard section of the Director, for instance, and you can hover over the Vanguard Strikes playlist to see what you have to do to earn a piece of Powerful gear. Be sure to check out everything in the Director that promises you a reward to ensure you're earning all of your Powerful gear rewards before the weekly reset, which happens each Tuesday. To make it easy, you'll see a yellow icon next to any area/playlist that has a challenge available.
Spend Glimmer At Spider
You'll inevitably hit the glimmer cap of 100,000 at some point; grinding out patrols and public events, in particular, will get you there fairly quickly. Rather than let your further earnings go to waste, be sure to spend that money. The first Tier upgrade on any piece of gear only costs glimmer, so that's one way to go about it. But with the removal of the old mod system, you no longer have Banshee-44 and his random mods to throw glimmer at.
The vendor you'll likely want to visit whenever your wallet is full is Spider, the new, Jabba the Hutt-esque NPC you encounter on the Tangled Shore early in Forsaken's campaign. Alongside the many bounties he offers, he also allows you to purchase a number of items, including planetary materials. While these are now quite easy to come across if you spend time doing patrols and public events, they do serve as the primary source of reputation gains with the respective location vendors and are now used in infusion. If you have no other use for your glimmer, grab a bunch of materials from Spider.
Considering Buying Masterwork Cores Daily
And while you're at Spider, you may want to buy yourself some Masterwork Cores. These are more valuable than ever; in addition to being a necessary aspect of upgrading an item past a certain point, they're also sometimes used for infusion, including doing so with Exotics. Obtaining Masterwork Cores can be done by breaking down a Masterwork item, but that of course requires one to drop for you in the first place.
Your alternative is to buy Masterwork Cores from Spider. Alongside the planetary materials mentioned above, glimmer, and Legendary Shards, he sells Masterwork Cores. They cost Legendary Shards, and each subsequent one you buy increases the cost. However, this price resets each day. Provided you have Shards to spare, it makes sense to buy at least one Masterwork Core per day to ensure you have some handy when you need them.
Understanding The New Infusion System
Bungie has overhauled the process of infusion, where you use the power of one item to increase that of another (destroying the more powerful one in the process). This change went into effect just prior to Forsaken, and the overriding point is that infusion is not something you'll blindly do for every item you get, as in the past. You'll need to be more thoughtful about what gets infused, as the price has increased, now requiring planetary materials and sometimes Masterwork Cores.
Unlike before, you no longer have to use a weapon or piece of armor from the same slot to infuse something. In other words, a pulse rifle can be infused using a hand cannon; it doesn't have to be another pulse rifle. But if you use a duplicate of an item, infusion merely costs glimmer. You'll of course want to be sure which version you want to keep, as the new random rolls system means two of the same weapon or armor can be significantly different (and you may actually want to keep duplicates due to their rolls). But if you're looking for a cheap way to infuse, using a dupe is the way to go.
Don't Miss Your New Subclass Trees
Among Forsaken's additions are new subclass trees. You get your first one through a milestone, New Powers (seen in the blade accessed through the Director), given to you early in the campaign. For this, you have to complete Visions of Light, which are items dropped by enemies with yellow health bars. Collect 100 and it'll unlock a mission on Io; a milestone notification will pop up when you do so, but it can be easy to miss, so be sure to keep a close eye on it. Complete the mission and you earn a Seed of Light, which is used to unlock your choice of a new subclass tree.
Be sure to think through your choice, because getting your other two subclass trees is not quite as easy or quick. Based on what players have reported, you'll earn additional Seeds of Light by completing the Blind Well activity, which is unlocked after finishing Forsaken's campaign. Manage to successfully finish the Blind Well, and a Seed will potentially drop.
Stop Deleting Shaders One By One
Among the many quality-of-life changes Destiny 2 has received recently is the ability to bulk delete shaders. Rather than getting rid of them one by one, you can now visit Rahool (the cryptarch who decrypts your engrams) to delete them five at a time. It truly is magical to see a bunch of awful-looking shaders go away in the blink of an eye. And, as noted above, don't forget you can now purchase the shaders you do like from the Collection.
Maybe Don't Get Excited About Xur
Ahead of Forsaken's release, Bungie made some changes to Xur, including where he shows up. You won't find him on the map, and he doesn't just go to whatever place has the current Flashpoint. For his first post-Forsaken appearance, his lineup of items is rather disappointing--two things are the same as the prior week, and none of them are Forsaken gear. He also doesn't have anything of note other than the standard lineup of one piece of Exotic armor for each class and one Exotic weapon; Three of Coins and the Fated engram are gone (the latter could return, but Three of Coins have been deprecated).
Whether things get better in future weeks remains to be seen; he could always show up for an exciting visit like when he offered Gjallarhorn or the current broken weapon du jour. But based on this first week, you may want to keep your expectations in check.
Known Issues To Be Aware Of
While the launch of Forsaken has been relatively smooth, some players on Xbox One and PS4 have had trouble purchasing a standalone version of the DLC, for instance. Those fortunate enough to be playing have also been experiencing issues, which Bungie keeps track of on its website.
On the less serious (but nonetheless annoying) side, the new clan bounties offered by Hawthorne have not been rotating as they should; instead, the same set has been available every day. Given these bounties are the new way to complete your weekly clan challenge (netting you a piece of Powerful gear), that's proven to be a hassle because of how many of them have to be done in Crucible.
Other issues of note include the Ace of Spades quest line. The step requiring Gambit kills requires you to kill an invader five times using a hand cannon. Additionally, Bungie is looking into an issue where you don't get your Oracle Offerings if your consumables inventory is full. To prevent that, Bungie says to ensure you have space in your consumables inventory.
This week saw the release of the third new DLC expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken. It's much larger than the last two, being positioned as the equivalent of the previous entry's game-changing Taken King expansion. Whether it'll add the long-term legs players crave remains to be see, but in the meantime, there is a lot of new stuff to take in--including Exotics (both weapons and armor) for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans to get their hands on. Be sure to check out our Forsaken review-in-progress for thoughts on what we've played so far.
Following the recent changes made as part of the 2.0 update, among the many additions and changes in Forsaken and the 2.0.0.1 update are a new Power level cap, Strikes, story missions, areas to explore, a Raid (launching September 14), Gambit mode, Crucible maps, and much more. But players take part in many of these activities with one goal: to secure new gear, and specifically Exotic weapons and armor. You can always buy some old ones from Xur, but it's the new stuff that's most exciting.
No doubt there are many hidden Exotics to uncover, some of which may not be available right away. But already we've either gotten our hands on or been able to preview a ton of the Exotic weapons and armor included, and you can see them above, including one of the new weapon type, bows. We'll continue to expand this as we come across more.
One thing to bear in mind is that there are a select number of items that you'll only find on PS4. As with previous Destiny content releases, Sony has a timed exclusivity arrangement that sees certain things released first on PS4. With Forsaken, that includes a Strike called Broodhold, an Exotic weapon called Wavesplitter (pictured above), an Exotic ship (Great Beyond), and an armor set for each class: Thorium Holt (Warlock), Red Moon Phantom (Hunter), and Mimetic Savior (Titan). All of this will eventually release on Xbox One and PC, but not until at least Fall 2019.
Forsaken is now live on all platforms. We've got some early impressions, a guide to activating a new Heroic Public Event, and we'll have a Gambit guide soon on how to compete effectively in the new PvE/PvP hybrid mode. Look for much more in the coming days.
Remember when fans were worried that Danny McBride and David Gordon Green--the guys behind HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down--would ruin the Halloween franchise by trying to make it funny? Well, the newest chapter in the Michael Myers saga--which is technically only the second, since it ignores all other sequels--is definitely the funniest film in the franchise. But surprisingly, it's also the perfect continuation to the story begun in the original Halloween 40 years ago.
Yes, it's been 40 years since Michael Myers put on a mask and terrorized the town of Haddonfield, Illinois as "The Shape," and he hasn't done much since then. Played by the original actor Nick Castle, as well as newcomer James Jude Courtney, Myers hasn't spoken a word in the 40 years he's apparently been incarcerated at the movie's start. Not even when two podcasters--or "investigative journalists," as they refer to themselves--present him with the iconic mask in an attempt to get a reaction does Michael stir. This is a return to form (or shape) for Michael. No longer the brother of Laurie Strode, as was established in sequels to the original, he is back to being a force of pure evil who commits random acts of violence with no cause or reason. Green, who directs with co-writer McBride, treats the character with utmost respect, like a larger-than-life force that deserves your complete attention and fear.
Castle and Courtney, who seamlessly share the role of The Shape, don't miss a beat with their performances, as this is the most terrifying Michael has been since 1978. It helps that Green and McBride have made this one mean and nasty Halloween movie. It surpasses the body count of John Carpenter's original even before Michael gets to Haddonfield, and we see kills involving knives going through throats, lethal headbutts, and more.
Meanwhile, the core of the story focuses on Laurie Strode. Jamie Lee Curtis gives what is perhaps the best performance of her career in the role that first gave her the spotlight. She effortlessly steps back into Laurie's shoes, evolving the trauma and psychological damage Myers inflicted on her all those years ago. Yes, she is a complete and absolute badass in this film, as she is now the hunter and no longer the hunted. However, she is no Sarah Connor. She is a broken woman who hasn't been able to let go of that fateful Halloween night.
Strode now lives in a fortified house in the middle of the woods and spends every day shooting at target dummies, preparing for the day when her paranoia finally bears fruit. Of course, it doesn't take long before Myers escapes and finds his way to Haddonfield, where he obsesses over finishing the job he started 40 years earlier.
Despite the gravity of Halloween's themes, and the gory and violent fun audiences expect from a slasher, McBride and Green infuse the script with their signature sense of humor, and surprisingly, it actually works. Every side character gets a moment to shine, and the jokes never feel out of place, especially when coming from soon-to-be breakout star Jibrail Nantambu. Nantambu plays the only character who has any idea what's going on in the film--he never makes a stupid choice (it's a slasher, so naturally, characters make a lot of stupid choices) and provides insightful meta commentary about the horror tropes on display.
Speaking of meta, Halloween pokes fun at every single film in the franchise, all while paying homage to its predecessors. There are references to Silver Shamrock, tributes to Halloween 2, and a fun cameo or two. The film also comments on this being a pseudo remake of the original, but in modern times. For example, when discussing the original babysitter killings from the first film, a character remarks that five dead people isn't too much "by today's standards." Green has fun with the idea of Laurie being prepared for Michael by playing with role reversal throughout the film. One instance in particular got the audience at the world premiere cheering so hard, the next three lines of dialogue were inaudible.
If there's one problem with Halloween, it's that it never uses Laurie's granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and Allyson's mom Karen (Judy Greer) to their full potential. Thankfully, it isn't a big issue, as Laurie's story is compelling enough on its own. And those missing the magic Carpenter touch will be delighted to know that the film is keen on using silence to increase the tension, and there is a 5-minute-long single-shot sequence that is a marvel to watch, even if it's quite brutal. Green may not have a ton of experience filming horror, but he sure knows how to create nail-biting tension at the right moments.
John Carpenter returns to score the film with the help of his son, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies. Yes, you do hear the classic Halloween theme, and Carpenter even uses a slower version of the theme at several key moments. Carpenter also uses a whole new style of synth rock that pulsates and beats like a heart and will have everyone in the audience on the edge of their seat while also making them pre-order the soundtrack as soon as they leave the theater.
Halloween doesn't reinvent the wheel or create a new subgenre of horror. What it does is take the best parts of all the films in the franchise, and deliver the ultimate companion piece to Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece. It's a film that not only has something to say about trauma and PTSD, but also delivers a bloody, fun time at the theater. Will Michael Myers return again? Who knows, but we sure as hell welcome him home.
The Good
The Bad
Laurie Strode is a more complex character, yet a total badass
Side characters are slightly underused
Michael Myers is scarier than ever
The fantastic score that will get your heart beating
A much-welcomed sense of humor and meta commentary
The original Life is Strange from Dontnod Entertainment was one of the biggest surprises of 2015. As an episodic adventure game focusing on the everyday struggles of Max, a high-schooler and outcast in a small town, her life gets even more complicated when she discovers the ability to turn back time. Subverting the mundanity of everyday life with a supernatural undercurrent, the twists and turns that its story took while simultaneously telling an incredibly heartfelt and tragic tale of young love between Max and fellow outsider Chloe, it earned itself a lot of praise from fans. After the release of its prequel Before The Storm, the developers were ready to move onto the next game in the series, now centering around the story of two brothers on the run.
Set three years after the first game, Life is Strange 2 focuses on the new central characters Sean and Daniel Diaz. After a tragic run-in with the police, Sean and his younger brother flee from home, leaving everything they know behind. With some ties to The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, and some connections to the first game, the story of the two brothers and their loyalty to one another will be tested. With every choice leaving an impression, the sequel's story will offer more branches than the original, leading to some unexpected consequences for the young duo. We sat down with Life is Strange 2's lead writer Christian Divine and voice-over director Philip Bache, who talked about the daunting task of living up to the original, while also expressing their excitement on crafting a new story.
Though this is a sequel, it's also its own unique story. Can you talk about what it was like coming up with something brand new, that retains a similar dynamic, while also not stepping on the toes of the original? It must have been challenging trying to follow up the first game.
Christian Divine: Yeah. Michel Koch [co-director] and Jean-Luc Cano [co-writer], who came up with the original story, they wanted to move forward with this game. We all love Max and Chloe and all the other characters, but we wanna be ambitious and keep moving forward and expand the universe. It's not just those characters. So the exciting thing is just to explore a different kind of relationship, the sibling relationship, which evolves. Education and experience, in a road trip format. We all love this kind of road trip format because it opens you up to all these really cool narrative experiences you can have, and other characters you meet along the way.
We all knew we were gonna do something different and weren't gonna do the same characters, same story. So I think it was not so much a challenge for us in that sense, but it was more of a challenge when it came to the players, because they love those characters so much, to get them to embrace these characters on this journey was the biggest challenge I think in terms of it.
Philip Bache: We also have the same core team from the original, and there's a lot of trust among the different departments [at Dontnod]. But it's a challenge in that we know how much Life is Strange 1 is loved and we're pushing it. For me, I think we're all beating up what we're doing so much more now. So I definitely feel the pressure in the voiceover booth. I can feel the pressure from the team. But we're taking it head on. I do appreciate the challenge. If it was to keep going the same way and we were gonna keep doing that, it's like we can't--but there is a threshold for everyone for a story. For one person it might be like, "Oh, I could have fun with Max and Chloe for 10 years."
To speak on challenges a little more, did you have to come up with a lot of ways to not disrupt one player's view of what the LiS canon was? Since the original had multiple ending, and this game is set years after and some characters from the original will return, did you feel you have to make story choices that wouldn't go against certain decisions fans made?
CD: Right, well--there's no canon to us. There's definitely a canon for the player. The player is the one that determines the outcome. The player is the one that says, "it's bae or bay" [a reference to the defining choice in LiS1]. They decide that and that's what they care about. It's not up to anybody, us to say no. Because it's not canon. Otherwise you'd have one ending only. That would be canon. The point of a choose-your-adventure book or a genuine adventure narrative, is for you to dictate what the outcome is, all based on your choices. So I think you're always gonna have, based on the amount of choices, several different endings. We're gonna have different branches in Life is Strange 2.
PB: You know what's tough about that is it would almost kinda stink for a player in a way to say, yeah you played the game, you made a choice but this one was right or this one was wrong. That kinda takes away everything of what the gameplay and the experience is of Life is Strange. So if I made a choice and then it turned out canon was the other thing, it would kinda stink.
Also, that's a huge challenge for any sequel now, to creatively come up with a story that fits within the universe, while also allowing the player to still have that choice. It's tough but I prefer it that way. Who's to say what other properties under the Life is Strange umbrella will do with some of the story, or what could be considered canon. Also to follow up what I said earlier, there's also still the supernatural element as well. There's still core characters that hopefully you'll fall in love with. But I think a lot of what Life is Strange is about is supernatural, core characters you can really fall in love with. A very grounded story. That's what I loved about the first one.
It's usually challenging to come up with ways to offer a decent balance for those types of stories.
PB: Yeah, but it's also like the groundwork of the story, which is what I want. Then it feels real.
CD: That's actually how you make people believe the supernatural. You create a very similar to that and then you can pull them in. I mean, Stephen King is the master and he became literally popular in the '70s because he was literally creating blue collar supernatural horror and nobody had ever done that before. Nobody had ever said, "What if the washing machine might eat you? What if the beer can has a hole in it and you start getting toxified? What if your dog goes rabid?" It's a very mundane, suburban situations and he pulls in that supernatural element into it. So you buy it based on the setting of it.
You've kept a lot of the game under wraps for a while, and it's already going to be released fairly soon. Can you talk about of the biggest successes you've had with creating the game, while also some of the challenges you had?
CD: Good question; I'd say the biggest challenge of course was writing varied, diverse characters, and make them believable. As a writer, your job is to make these characters that are so different and unique, believable. So that to me is always a challenge. But what I'm proud of the most with this game is that I think we've hit that level of engagement in terms of the characters and their relationships in creating a world that has these social issues that we're gonna deal with, along with elements of the supernatural story. So I feel like we're nailing this particular new world where the player can decide its fate. The acting of the kids are wonderful and the team did a great job directing them. It's hard to direct kids by the way. It's one of the hardest things, literally the hardest thing to do I think is direct kids.
But I'm also proud of the narrative expansion of our game. I am proud of the fact that I really feel like we're pushing narrative boundaries and hopefully creating something new. And it's a wonderful new wave of this. Not just for Life is Strange. It's a wonderful new era of storytelling. So it's fantastic to be part of it and it's great to see storytelling finally reflect and start evolving to the place where it should be. Games are a very young industry when you look at it. It's only 30 years old technically. From palm to digital is only 30 years and now we're at this point we have the technology and now the narration needs to jump up and start matching. The storytelling needs to rise to the technology.
PB: The thing I've been most proud about has been a lot of people don't know that my job exists. A lot of people, it's disregarded. If I did my job correctly, hopefully it stands out. I think I've been lucky, not just with the Life is Strange projects, but with other projects and be able to show that, "Well, if I've been able to do it this many times, hopefully there's something to it for the people who are good at it."
That's been the thing I've been most proud of, is pushing performances in games to mean something. Because a game like this really, I think, it needs it. If it doesn't have it as much as in other games like this, or any other game, then our fans are gonna make that clear. So I've pushed the performances pretty hard with everybody else. That's difficult. But maybe the most difficult is knowing how much people are gonna have a closer eye on Life is Strange 2 because of how much they love Life is Strange 1. We're all pushing ourselves, I think, harder than before.
Religion has played a major part in horror as long as the genre has existed. Many ancient religious concepts play directly into what makes horror movies effective, and it's not surprising that filmmakers tap into these primal scares. From demonic possession and the afterlife to angry gods and vengeful devils, much of what horror fans enjoy is rooted in the world's oldest religions.
This week sees the release of The Nun, the latest movie in the Conjuring universe. The movie's demonic Valak first appeared in The Conjuring 2, and she now has her own terrifying spin-off. But she is hardly the first scary nun to be featured in a horror film. Directors have often used these holy and obedient women, who have dedicated their lives to Catholicism, to explore some scary concepts. From the oppression of the church and religious hysteria to encounters with demonic spirits, there are plenty of opportunities for some scary storytelling, as well as the controversy that helps sell horror.
There was even a briefly-lived sub-genre known as Nunsploitation in the 1970s, that originated (as these things tend do) in Italy but also saw films made in Mexico, France, and Japan. Those movies usually played up the sexual angle, with repressed young women freed from the boundaries of their religion to commit deviant acts with each other. The cycle didn't last long but did produce some memorably sleazy cult favorites, and over the years, we've also enjoyed drug-addicted nuns, gun-toting nuns, and nuns with giant scissors. So with The Nun now in theaters, here's a look at some of the scariest sisters in cinema.
10. Sister Ursula (The Nun, 2005)
This year's The Nun isn't the first movie to carry that title. In 2005, this Spanish shocker featured a evil, twisted nun called Sister Ursula who tormented the poor girls in her care. They end up killing her and body her body in a lake, but inevitably, she returns many years later as a vengeful demon. The movie was produced by Re-Animator producer Brian Yuzna, and while it's not particularly good, it does have its creepy moments, as Sister Ursula uses the power of water to move between walls and kill her victims.
9. Sister Death (Verónica, 2016)
This Spanish chiller is one of the spookiest horror movies of recent years, and while the scares comes mostly from an unknown entity haunting teenager Verónica and young siblings, it does feature a memorably scary nun. Sister Death is the nickname given to one of the sister at Verónica's school--old, strict, and blind, it seems that every kid in the school is afraid of her. Ultimately, Sister Death proves to be a vital ally in Verónica's fight against evil, but she remains of one of the movie's creepiest characters.
8. Possessed Nun (Häxan, 1922)
Häxan was a groundbreaking horror mock-documentary, made back in 1922, that explored the phenomenon of witchcraft across the the centuries. It features what must be the earliest example of a scary nun--a frenzied, possessed woman who ends up being bashed on the head by Satan himself.
7. Sister Flavia (Flavia the Heretic, 1974)
While many of the crazed nuns on this list have been driven insane by religious oppression, in the case of Flavia, she's motivated by good old fashioned revenge. After years or torture and abuse, Flavia returns to the convent to get her bloody vengeance on the men who subjugated --cue plenty of decapitation, mutilation. castration, and impaling. Flavia the Heretic is actually more of a serious-minded historical drama than many of the other movies in the Nunsploitation genre, but this still delivers the unholy goods.
6. Thana (Ms.45, 1981)
Technically, Thana isn't a nun. She's just dressed like one at a Halloween party. But the image of Zoë Tamerlis Lund as the mute, vengeful, gun-carrying sister is one of the defining moments of '80s exploitation cinema. In Abel Ferrara's notorious rape-revenge movie Ms.45, Thana takes her vengeance out onto the streets of New York after suffering a series of assaults and wears a nun's habit for the final scenes. After gunning down a room full of men at the party, she is stabbed by her friend Laurie. Turning to her, she utters her only line in the movie: "Sister."
5. Sister Maria (Satánico Pandemonium, 1975)
Also known by the equally fantastic title of La Sexorcista, this was Mexico's outrageous entry into the Nunsploitation genre. Sister Maria starts the movie as a pure, dedicated follower of Christ but is tempted by Satan (represented here by a naked dude with an apple) and quickly embarks on a mission of evil. Maria is driven by uncontrollable sexual desires but also an urge to murder--frequently in the same scene. Nuns are strangled and farm-boys are stabbed, and in-between acts of sin, Maria wraps herself in barbed wire and orgasmically whips herself. Naughty Maria.
4. Nun With Shears (The Exorcist III, 1990)
This nun only appears on-screen in the third Exorcist movie for a matter of seconds but provides one of the biggest jump scares in horror. A quiet, drawn-out long shot of a nurse doing her rounds on a convent hospital corridor is suddenly punctured by the crash zoom into a hooded nun striding towards her with a giant pair of shears, as the soundtrack shrieks to life. Nightmarish and unforgettable.
3. Sister Gertrude (Killer Nun, 1979)
Perhaps the best known movie in the Nunsploitation cycle, Killer Nun starred '60s icon Anita Ekberg as the depraved Sister Gertrude. Gertrude has returned to the convent after a rushed brain operation, which has left her in a damaged, psychotic state. She takes heroin, torments old people, reads her innocent pupils tales of torture, picks up men at bars, and ultimately turns her hand to murder (or so we think, there is a predictable whodunnit element to the story). Good work Gertrude!
2. Valak (The Nun, 2018)
Valak the latest scary nun to hit screens. Originally introduced as a one of the guises of the demon in The Conjuring 2, Valak also cameoed in last year's Annabelle: Creation before getting her own spin-off movie this year. The Nun explores Valak's origins and director Corin Hardy gets every possible scare that he can out of the ancient, toothy demon as she creeps down dark corridors and terrifies both the characters and the audience.
1. Sister Jeanne (The Devils, 1971)
Ken Russell's classic adaptation of Aldous Huxley's novel remains one of most controversial movies of all time. It's an unforgettable examination of religious hysteria which features an incredible performance from Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne, a hunchbacked, sexually-repressed nun who is secretly in love with Oliver Reed's priest Grandier in 18th century France. The vengeance-crazed Jeanne accuses Grandier of witchcraft, claiming that he has bewitched the entire convent. As hysteria runs rampant through the nuns, Grandier is tortured and burnt alive for these imagined crimes.
By Anonymous on Sep 09, 2018 08:30 pm Tune in as to watch as Cloud 9 takes on Team Liquid live at Oracle Arena for the League of Legends North American Finals.
(Spoilers ahead for both the game and Avengers: Infinity War.) If you're still a little raw after the brutal ending of Avengers: Infinity War, then seeing this suit in action in the PS4-exclusive Spider-Man title may either make you very happy (yay this costume is great and I can pretend everything is OK with Peter Parker) or very, very sad (oh god it just reminds me of that last scene with Tony Stark MY FEELINGS). Either way, the Iron Spider suit stands as one of the most visually striking in the game, and it makes swinging through the skyscrapers of New York just that little bit cooler.
Unsurprisingly, this suit's power mimics the one seen in the movie, and sprouts four mechanical arms from Spidey's back when activated. Within the game, these arms add extra power to Spidey's attacks, allowing you to bust through even the strongest enemies' defenses (including shielded foes and those pesky brutes), as well as hit multiple enemies at once. When you're surrounded and need a quick way to land some hits regardless of the enemy types around you, this suit's Iron Arms power is a lifesaver.
The Iron Spider Suit unlocks about two-thirds of the way into the game, and when looking at the suits list, it's the 17th you'll have access to. The first thing you'll need to do to nab the Iron Spider is reach level 31. After that, you'll need to have four crime tokens accumulated, as well as three base tokens and three challenge ones. Once you have those, then Stark's hopefully-not-final creation for young Peter Parker is yours for the taking.
If you're not a fan of the white spider logo costume you've probably seen Spidey rock in most of the pre-release videos and images of Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4, then never fear. Not only does the game feature more than 20 alternate suits (check out our full list of suits coming soon), but it also features the webslinger's popular Tony Stark-created suit featured in recent big screen films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The Stark Suit--as it's referred to in the game--is actually one of the first ones you'll have access to. That's a huge plus, as not only is this suit one of the most aesthetically awesome costumes Spidey's worn in either the comics or in movies, it also unlocks what is probably one of the most useful powers in the game: Spider-Bro. Initiating Spider-Bro releases a small drone that flies around Spider-Man and zaps enemies with electricity, rendering them temporarily paralyzed and making them easy pickings. The effect lasts for a decent amount of time as well, meaning Spider-Bro can easily become your favorite crowd control move in the entire game.
Unlocking the Stark Suit is pretty straightforward. If you've just started the game and are looking at a mainly empty list of boxes in your suits menu, the Stark Suit is actually eighth on the list. You'll need to be level 10 to get the chance to unlock it, but once you're there, you'll also need a few of the tokens you've likely already been collecting around New York--specifically, one base token, one research token, and three crime tokens.
And the high tech Stark Suit isn't the only one from the Homecoming movie featured in the game. If you recall, the Peter Parker in that movie started his crime fighting wearing a simple red hoodie and blue pants, and that simple homemade suit can also eventually be unlocked and worn in this PS4 Spidey title. This suit doesn't have a specific power that it comes with, and will probably take you a while to achieve, as you'll need to find every backpack hidden throughout the game.
Marvel's Spider-Man is out exclusively for PlayStation 4. Check out of all of our recent coverage around the game, including:
By Anonymous on Sep 09, 2018 03:30 am On the 100th episode of the legendary, yet-to-be bested long play series, Mary Kish and Mike Mahardy venture deeper into Resident Evil 0, show off cosplay, and get in an argument or two.
While they've arrived a day later than usual, thanks to a delay, the latest batch of Fortnite challenges--those for Week 9--are now available in the Battle Royale mode for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, which means new Battle Stars to earn. You should know the drill by now, but if you're new to the game, we'll break down how this works. Challenges are split into two categories, with one selection of them available to all players and the other exclusively to those that have paid for a Battle Pass. All you've got to do is complete the objectives and, in return, you get Battle Stars that unlock new goodies. Here's how to do them, including where to find the Shifty Shafts treasure map.
The treasure map is the week's challenge likely to take the longest--that is, if you do it the hard way and actually find the treasure map, then follow it. The alternative way is to just follow our guide: Since you don't technically need to get the map to complete the challenge, you can skip going to Shifty Shafts and locating the map and instead head to the location it's ultimately pointing you toward. In this case, it's in the mountains just north of Salty Springs and south of Dusty Divot. Once there, you'll spot a little collection of stone pillars where you'll also see the Battle Star. We've put images of the treasure map and the precise location of the Battle Star in the gallery below; you can also watch the video above to see us do it.
Click image to view in full screen
This week's other challenges aren't too tricky. On the free side, you'll need to deal 500 damage with explosive weapons, use an ATK or a Shopping Cart to rack up 150,000 Trick points, and follow the aforementioned Shifty Shafts treasure map.
For those who have paid for the Season 5 Battle Pass side, there are four more challenges to complete. You'll need to search for one chest in Pleasant Park (this is the first stage of the challenge, at which point four further stages will unlock one by one). On top of that, you'll need to visit seven different Stone Heads, take out five players with an assault rifle, and also eliminate three enemies in Tomato Temple. Here's the complete list:
Fortnite Week 9, Season 5 Challenges
Free
Deal damage with Explosive Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Get Trick Points in a Shopping Car or ATK (150,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Shifty Shafts -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
(Stage 1) Search Chests in Pleasant Park (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Developer Epic Games also has rolled out Fortnite's 5.40 update, which introduces the High Stakes event. This new limited-time mode has its own set of challenges to complete. Here's what the High Stakes challenges are and the rewards that you can earn by completing them. The update also adds the Grappler item in, which is used primarily to zip around the environment. You can read the full Fortnite update 5.40 patch notes here.
The new challenges for Season 5, Week 9 of Fortnite are now available. You can see the complete list of them below, and we also have a guide to following the treasure map in Shifty Shafts. That's one of the tougher challenges in the free section, but over in the paid Battle Pass group, there's one challenge in particular that'll require a fair bit of legwork to get done. This one tells you to visit seven different Stone Heads around the map. Here are the locations of where to find them.
If you're a hardcore Fortnite player, you'll probably have a good idea of what to do and where to go, considering that the Stone Heads are always in the same position, and this kind of challenge has popped up previously. However, if you're new to the game and this challenge, we're here to lend a helping hand. Below you'll find a list of all the locations we've spotted the Stone Heads, so simply high tail it between these and you'll be done in no time. You can also watch the video above to see us do it, and follow along.
Fortnite Stone Head Locations
South east of Junk Junction
North of Tomato Temple
North west of Dusty Divot
East of Lonely Lodge
North east of Greasy Grove
South east of Shifty Shafts
West of Lucky Landing
Once you're done with this week's challenges, there's still more to do, as developer Epic Games also has rolled out Fortnite's 5.40 update. This introduces the High Stakes event, which is a new limited-time mode has its own set of challenges to complete. You can read about what the High Stakes challenges are and the rewards that you can earn by completing them. You can read the full Fortnite update 5.40 patch notes here.
If you're still working on challenges from previous weeks, head over to our full Fortnite Season 5 challenge guide to get help with every single challenge in the season thus far.
Fortnite Week 9, Season 5 Challenges
Free
Deal damage with Explosive Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Get Trick Points in a Shopping Car or ATK (150,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Shifty Shafts -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
(Stage 1) Search Chests in Pleasant Park (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
For the first time since the release of Forsaken, Destiny 2's mysterious merchant Xur has arrived. As always, he has a selection of Exotic armor and a weapon for sale, though the offerings are fairly disappointing, particularly if you're a Titan. In a change we first saw last week, you won't find Xur on the map. Here's what Exotics he has for sale and where to find him.
Destiny 2's 2.0 update made some notable changes to Xur, the most significant of which concern where he's located. Not only can you not find him on the map, you'll no longer simply find him wherever the current Flashpoint is happening.
For this weekend's appearance, you can find Xur at the Tower. He's returned to his usual spot, just behind Dead Orbit's area. When you spawn in, turn left and make your way toward the hangar. Go under the Future War Cult area and toward the Dead Orbit section. Just up a set of stairs, next to a landing pad, you'll see Xur hanging out by himself.
In terms of his wares, he now offers a more limited selection of items overall. For consumables, the Three of Coins (now deprecated) is gone; he only has the Five of Swords challenge card. For Exotics, however, he does have one weapon, as well as one piece of armor for each class. Disappointingly, both the weapon and Titan armor--Prometheus Lens and Ashen Wake, respectively--are the same as last week's offering. The Fated engram, which guaranteed you an Exotic you don't already own, is nowhere to be seen.
Here's what's on sale right now and how much it costs:
Young Ahamkara's Spine (Exotic Hunter Gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Nezarec's Sin (Exotic Warlock Helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Ashen Wake (Exotic Titan Gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Again, you'll find that you may want to purchase Exotics you already own, as these versions feature more and different perks than existing versions. These may also be higher Power level than those you already have, which spares you the trouble of spending Masterwork Cores to infuse them.
Destiny 2's new DLC just recently released, and you can see what we think about it in our Forsaken review-in-progress. We also have a Destiny 2 guide with some useful tips you should be aware of.
Back in February, we saw the launch of FFXV Pocket Edition on Android, iOS, and Windows 10 devices. It's a much more condensed, chibi-esque version of the original game that released in 2016.
On consoles, you'll have the exact same experience you did on mobile. The same chibi art style is still there, the battle system will remain mostly automated, and you'll see the same key sequences. It's also still fully voice acted, and you can ride the chocobos and drive the Regalia too.
For those who are curious about FFXV but aren't ready for a serious, hundreds of hours long JRPG commitment, Pocket Edition might be a good fit because it's intended to be a more casual experience than the original title. Consoles will have HD resolution, but Square has not detailed if that resolution will be 1080p or 4k.
FFXV Pocket Edition HD is available now. From now until September 13, you can pick it up for 40 percent off on Xbox One and PS4.
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Tune in as to watch as Cloud 9 takes on Team Liquid live at Oracle Arena for the League of Legends North American Finals.
On the 100th episode of the legendary, yet-to-be bested long play series, Mary Kish and Mike Mahardy venture deeper into Resident Evil 0, show off cosplay, and get in an argument or two.
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