We've compiled a list of 13 of our favorite comics and graphic novels that cover the whole spectrum of delightfully harrowing Halloween favorites, from serial killers to eldritch monsters, from the classic to the modern. We've got cannibals, haunted houses, demons, and witches. We've got ghosts and superheroes, vampires and heist crews, cursed towns and conspiracy theories. Body horror? Check. Human sacrifice? Yeah, that too. What more could you ask for?
So kick back, turn down the lights (but not too low, don't strain your eyes) and prepare yourself to be deeply disturbed, or delighted, or both by thirteen spine-tingling horror comics to cap off your spookiest Halloween season.
Severed
What ought to be a charming coming-of-age story about a twelve year old boy finding his mysterious biological father turns into a harrowing tale of monsters and murders in Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft's Severed. Set in 1916, young Jack Garron entrusts his search to a strange man who is, secretly, a monster that feeds on children. Things go just about as well as you could probably imagine.
Ghosted
Joshua Williamson and Goran Sudzuka's Ghosted is part horror story, part heist, focusing on a recently convicted criminal tasked with a very unusual job: to steal a ghost from a supposedly extremely haunted house. Think Ocean's 11, but a whole lot more violent. Also, there are cults. And murder. You know, the works.
Through the Woods
Artist and writer Emily Carroll has been terrifying the internet with her eerie webcomics for years with stories like The Groom and Some Other Animal's Meat. In Through the Woods, she's created and published four original horror stories and collected a fan favorite, His Face All Red, in print for the first time. Come for the haunting, ominous atmospheres, and stay for the supernaturally beautiful art.
Gideon Falls
Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's Gideon Falls is as ominous as they come. Partly about a small town with a secret, partly about an otherworldly, teleporting structure called the Black Barn, this is the comic to turn to if you're looking for looming threats of danger, extra-dimensional gateways, and unreliable narrators. Told across multiple perspectives with the Black Barn's murky influence never too far out of mind, Gideon Falls is one part cosmic horror and one part mystery.
Infidel
A totally unique spin on the tried and true haunted house genre, Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell's Infidel tells the harrowing story of a Muslim woman and her neighbors being terrorized by monstrous entities that feed of xenophobia. With stunning art that evokes equal parts disturbing surrealism and grit, Infidel is as much a bone chilling horror story as it is a brilliantly topical commentary.
Redlands
If Southern Gothic is more your speed, Jordie Bellaire and Vanessa R. Del Rey's Redlands is for you. A brutal, contemporary look at the folktale-tinged world of witch covens, this is the comic to read if you're looking to covens of witches, brutal human sacrifices, and swampy, magic-coated atmosphere.
Uzumaki
A classic horror manga by modern master Junji Ito, Uzumaki is the book for you if the disconcerting, skin crawling world of J-horror is more up your alley. Uzumaki is an anthology-style story about a small town enduring a truly horrifying curse that involves a repeated spiral ("uzumaki" in Japanese) pattern showing up again and again. It's as grotesque as it is beautiful.
Clean Room
If psychological horror is more your speed, Gail Simone and Jon Davis-Hunt's Clean Room is for you. The story of a journalist who uncovers a life threatening secret--otherworldly creatures hiding in plain sight, sneaking onto Earth to kill, maim, and control humanity--that pulls her into a spiraling world of cover ups and deadly secrets. Think X-Files, think They Live but with a considerably darker and more monstrous bent.
The Saga of Swamp Thing
Want something a little more cape-and-cowl leaning? Alan Moore and Stephen Bissette's The Saga of Swamp Thing is a famously beautiful reconstruction of one of DC's most off-the-wall properties, Swamp Thing, a plant-based entity who is connected in one way or another to all green life on Earth. If you like your superheroes with a side of gothic-flavored, monster-based horror, this one's for you. Also, Swamp Thing's getting his own James Wan produced live action show on DC Universe in the next year, so consider this some required reading if you want to prepare.
Nailbiter
Slashers more your style? Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson's Nailbiter is the place to go. The story follows investigators looking into a town where the majority of the country's serial killers originate from, and they enlist the help of a brutal serial killer, obsessed with chewing off the nails of his victims (get it? Like in the title?) to get answers about the town and other murderers. Nailbiter brings a different style of horror to the forefront, forgoing monsters and magic and highlighting the most basic, no-frills fear: people killing other people.
American Vampire
We'd be totally remiss to not include some of your traditional Halloween monsters on this list, but rather than going for your standard issue Draculas and Werewolves, we're going to put something else on the table. Horror legend Stephen King joined comics mainstays Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque for American Vampire, a historical reimagining of the vampire legend as a secret, branching subspecies with unique traits and skills.
Wytches
If you haven't already guessed by now, writer Scott Snyder has a bit of a predisposition towards horror. He and artist Jock teamed up for Wytches, another monster-based splatterfest focusing on a species of cannibalistic creatures known as "wythches" who can grant power to the people who serve them--but, as you could probably guess, that power usually comes at a horrible, horrible price.
Locke & Key
It's hard to really categorize Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's Locke & Key into any one definable horror subgenre. It's got demons, monsters, and a haunted house. It's got magic and mystery and the looming threat of the apocalypse. But most importantly, it's got keys. Centered around a collection of mystical keys forged from demonic iron and told anthology style with "miniseries" story arcs, Locke & Key is a horror epic worthy of every one of its many accolades.
As is tradition at this point, a couple dozen new shows and movies are being added to Netflix at the start of the month. This November sees a lot of movies being added right at the start, with a few TV series and Netflix Originals following in the days after.
For this week, you'll see most of Netflix's newest add-ons going live on November 1. Marvel dominates the first day of the month with three new movies. 2016's Dr. Strange--starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme--is the only one that's a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn't discount the quality of the other two. Planet Hulk--based on the storyline that inspired the events of Thor: Ragnarok--is an animated film that takes place just prior to Marvel's Civil War storyline. In Planet Hulk, the Illuminati are tired of cleaning up after the Hulk, so they trick him into a shuttle that sends him to another planet, Sakaar, where he's forced into competing in gladiator matches. Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, another animated film, is about Ultron killing every member of the Avengers except Iron Man, and the Avengers' children picking up the fight against the killer AI once they grow up.
Most of Netflix's original series and movies come to the streaming service on Friday, November 3. Most notable in the bunch is House of Cards Season 6, which finishes the critically acclaimed series. House of Cards returns without series' star Kevin Spacey, who was removed from the show following sexual abuse allegations. Instead, the new season follows Claire Underwood--who's played by Robin Wright--the President of the United States with an agenda all her own.
The full list of new series, movies, and Originals coming to Netflix this week can be found below. If you're already looking forward to following weeks, you can check out the entire November Netflix schedule too.
Everything Coming To Netflix October 28 To November 3
Avail. 11/1/18
Angela's Christmas-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Bring It On: In It to Win It
Cape Fear
Children of Men
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Cloverfield
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Doctor Strange
Fair Game - Director's Cut
Follow This: Part 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
From Dusk Till Dawn
Good Will Hunting
Jet Li's Fearless
Julie & Julia
Katt Williams: The Pimp Chronicles: Pt. 1
National Lampoon's Animal House
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
Planet Hulk
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Sex and the City: The Movie
Sixteen Candles
Stink!
The English Patient
The Judgement-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Transcendence
Vaya
Avail. 11/2/18
Brainchild-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
House of Cards: Season 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Tricky Dick & The Man in Black-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Holiday Calendar-- NETFLIX FILM
The Other Side of the Wind-- NETFLIX FILM
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
September was the start of the busy fall season for video game releases, but the top grossing game wasn't even released this year. Research company SuperData has released its top-grossing games worldwide for the month, and found that Destiny 2 beat out all of them on consoles. It won out over notable competition like Spider-Man and Fortnite.
Obviously, this wasn't just players spontaneously picking up last year's loot-shooter. Destiny 2 had the Forsaken launch near the beginning of the month, so that likely carried it through. It also has the Eververse store, the cosmetic shop that has been ongoing and isn't comparable to anything offered in Spider-Man. Plus as of the time Forsaken launched, players needed to purchase old DLC to start playing it, which likely helped. Bungie and Activision have since changed that requirement.
Still, beating the competition is no small feat. Spidey broke both internal Sony and industry-wide NPD sales records. Fortnite has been an ongoing massive hit, with momentum continuing from month to month thanks to changing seasons and special events. Fortnite may have done even better in the sales charts, in fact, but Season 6 launched near the end of the month of September and so it didn't have a full month of players re-upping their Battle Passes or purchasing other cosmetic rewards.
Destiny 2 is also on PC, which didn't make the list. Plus Fortnite, which is available just about everywhere, is relatively low on the PC list and didn't make the cut at all on mobile.
Sandwiched between Spider-Man at #2 and Fortnite at #4 is FIFA 19. The soccer franchise is a big annual release for EA Sports, and it includes the popular (and lucrative) Ultimate Team feature. Other top-earners on console for the month include NBA 2K19 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
SuperData Top Grossing Console Games September 2018
Here's a great deal for anyone looking to expand their Xbox One game collection to include a pair of major recent releases. The Ebay seller Antonline (which is a legitimate outfit that often has good deals) is selling brand-new copies of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider as a pair for $70. That's a fantastic deal, considering buying both games separately would normally cost $120. So if you've had your eye on these titles, you might as well get them now and save $50. Stock is limited, so you'll want to hurry. You can grab this deal here.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the newest game from Rockstar. It's a prequel to the previous game, taking place in 1899 as the Van der Linde gang is on the run from the law and committing crimes as they make their way across a vast swath of America. In our Red Dead Redemption 2 review, Kallie Plagge wrote, "Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done."
Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which came out mid-September, continues the story begun in the 2013 series reboot. Here, Lara Croft goes on an adventure to stop a Mayan apocalypse that her tomb raiding set in motion. "Thankfully," Edmond Tran wrote in our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review, "the parts of Tomb Raider that make it really fantastic--uncovering the mystery of ancient ruins, solving impressive challenge tombs, and exploring exotic environments--are still here in Shadow, and they are just as outstanding as they have always been."
Even if you only want to play one of these games, this deal might be worth jumping on, because you can make more than $10 by selling or trading the other one in. Just don't wait too long, because stock could run out at any time.
Sony has officially confirmed the full list of games for its upcoming mini console throwback to the PS1, the PlayStation Classic. The system is set to launch on December 3 and comes pre-loaded with a total of 20 games, as previously announced. The initial reveal consisted of only five games on the list, but we now know everything it will come with.
As revealed on the PlayStation Blog, the list includes a nice mixture of genres and titles that represent the iconic console. These include Battle Arena Toshinden, Metal Gear Solid, Jumping Flash, Syphon Filter, Tekken 3, and more. Take a look at the full list, which looks to be the same across Europe and American territories, below. You can also watch a trailer for the micro console below.
The December 3 release date is significant as it's also the day that the original PlayStation launched in 1994. The new mini version of the PlayStation is 45 percent smaller than the original one. We spotted the PlayStation Classic alongside the original hardware at Paris Games Week and you can see them side-by-side in the pictures below.
Click image to view in full screen
PlayStation Classic Games List
Battle Arena Toshinden
Cool Boarders 2
Destruction Derby
Final Fantasy VII
Grand Theft Auto
Intelligent Qube
Jumping Flash
Metal Gear Solid
Mr Driller
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Rayman
Resident Evil Director's Cut
Revelations: Persona
Ridge Racer Type 4
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Syphon Filter
Tekken 3
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Twisted Metal
Wild Arms
The PlayStation Classic will be available for £90/$99. It will ship with an HDMI cable, USB cable, and two wired controllers. The replicas of the original PS1 controller included do not have the analog sticks introduced in the DualShock. You can use our PS1 Classic pre-order guide to find out more about the PlayStation Classic and see the best places to reserve one.
By Anonymous on Oct 29, 2018 11:03 pm Giant spiders invade Sheffield in the latest episode of Doctor Who Series 11. Adam and Will break down Arachnids in the UK, and take a look at some hidden easter eggs from the show's new season!
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on October 29, 2018, in which 25 winners will be chosen at random and emailed a code for the full game (MSRP: $20).
Enter below:
About the game:
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood is a bundle of the classic titles, but re-formatted to feature modern game elements. Experience two of the greatest games from the Castlevania series as you make your way to the top of Dracula's castle as Richter Belmont - descendant of the famed clan of vampire hunters - in Rondo of Blood, or take the leading role as Dracula's son Alucard in Symphony of the Night. Enjoy the unique world, the epic classical music, and the side-scrolling action in Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, exclusively for the PlayStation4.
Fun facts about Symphony of the Night:
The Jewel Knuckles are a powerful and quick weapon you can normally get in the Outer Wall once Alucard gains Form of Mist, however, you can get it as well as the Mirror Cuirass early. Once you enter the Outer Wall, go down and to the left to fight an Armor Lord. In the room he's guarding, destroy the wall for some food and hold down for about 20 seconds to be transported to the room with the items.
After completing the game, a few New Game bonuses will be unlocked if you enter the name RICHTER, AXEARMOR or X-X!V''Q before starting a new game.
Fun facts about Rondo of Blood:
After defeating a boss, don't think you're safe yet! Bosses have one final desperation attack that can still get you after you take out their HP meter.
The sports entertainment giant WWE held its first-ever all-women PPV on the evening of October 28. This landmark event featured only the women competitors from the company. There are seven matches on the card for the event, which took place at NYCB Live in Uniondale, New York, and you can check out the full results here.
While the show is all said and done now--and you can check out the results here--GameSpot's wrestling buddies, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring had a few opinions about the matches and PPV as a whole. They reviewed every match for the evening, and here were their opening remarks before Evolution started.
Mat Elfring: I am extremely excited for this PPV. The booking of the card is dynamite, with only a couple of weak spots lingering, mainly the Battle Royal. I really wish Smackdown got another bout on the card though. Regardless, it will be great to see Becky Lynch get another PPV win and finally, people who don't watch NXT will get to see how great the Kairi Sane/Shayna Baszler battles have been.
Chris E. Hayner: This is the PPV we've deserved for a while now. It's the PPV the women of WWE deserve. I'm so glad it's finally happening, and the card alone makes it one of the better WWE shows of the year, on paper at least. It would be great if there was more Smackdown representation or the legit Sasha Banks vs. Bayley feud we all want, but what we're getting is still incredible. I also want to point out that WWE has made this event feel extra special by giving it a unique stage design, rather than the repurposing of the Raw and Smackdown sets we get every month. Like Wrestlemania, this is a massive show--it deserves to be treated that way.
Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Alicia Fox & Mickie James
Chris: This went from two singles matches I couldn't wait for to a tag team match I was excited by to another tag team match that was disappointing, thanks to an untimely injury to Alexa Bliss. That said, this match beat my expectations by a long shot. Trish and Lita don't look like they've lost a step in their years away from the ring, and their opponents--Mickie James and Alicia Fox--more than held up their end of the bargain. At least, until they didn't. I spent most of the match thinking how much Fox has improved in her time hanging out with Bliss and James. However, she was too slow in breaking up a pinfall, leading the ref to claim a three-count was only a two.
Outside of that though, this was a hot opener to the show. Would I have preferred Alexa to be competing in the match? Absolutely, she's--for my money--the best heel in all of WWE. But, for the most part, Fox, James, Trish, and Lita worked hard and put on a decent match with one badly blown spot.
6/10
Mat: I'd like to say first that I'm very much about Alicia Fox's recent hat choices. However, they really don't affect the outcome of the match. Anyway, this started out like a "greatest hits" record. Trish and Lita hit their familiar spots, while Mickie and Alicia played the "fall guys" to the heroes of the story. But who didn't enjoy watching Trish and Mickie go at it one more time? Anyways, it--pun intended--evolved from there, and we got a pretty solid match. There wasn't as much ring rust from Lita this go around, which was real nice. There was a rough moment at the end with Alicia mistiming a spot, which should have led the ref counting to three. Regardless, it was a solid way to open up the show, but it would have been even better if Alexa Bliss has not of gotten injured.
6.5/10
Battle Royal
Mat: I'm so happy everyone got an entrance for this, even if they were shortened. The IIconics delivered one of their patented "we're rad, you suck" promos before stepping into the ring. Thank you, Billie and Peyton. However, from there, it was more of the same for a Battle Royal, and much like Battle Royals before, everyone got a fun little spot. Sometimes, things were a bit… less than perfect. For me, one of the highlights was seeing Nia Jax and Tamina team up to toss people around the ring and dominate everyone. While I was heavily pulling for Asuka to win, the outcome was fine and dandy. I waited for Nia to turn heel, like a dope, after her win. Why was I waiting for that though? Maybe I just want Nia and Tamina to beat everyone up, together. Like, how cool would it be if they came out on Raw together and decided to just roll through the entire division, like two Braun Strowmans. That would be so rad. Wait… What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the Battle Royal was fine. Better than I thought it would be.
5.5/10
Chris: This match was stacked, and so much of the joy for me came from the entrances. Seeing Molly, Alundra, Ivory, and the rest make their way to the ring was exciting. Plus, WWE was smart enough to give the IIconics microphones, so they could talk their way to the ring. As for the match itself, it was a battle royal. Some good stuff, a few sloppy spots, a couple of moments where people waited around for something to happen. If you ever doubted Nia was going to win this one, seek help. It was pretty clear, I thought. In the end, a serviceable battle royale that won't be remembered as anywhere near the match of the night--but battle royals never are. Still, it was good to see the likes of Michelle McCool, Ivory, and the rest still being able to deliver--at least on a limited basis like this--in the ring.
5.5/10
Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai (Mae Young Classic 2018 Finals)
Chris: It's rare that we get wrestling matches in WWE that are not WWE-style. WWE tends to spotlight those that have gone through the system and work more mainstream styles of wrestling, rather than indy. That's what this was, though. Noth Toni and Io are now signed to WWE, but they threw out the best they had for this match and it was the exact kind of match I love. Hard-hitting, lots of throws, not based on a silly storyline. I wish WWE would give us this type of match more often, but I'll take whatever I can get.
8.5/10
Mat: This match was a gateway drug to indie wrestling. It felt like something you'd seem more in NJPW or ROH rather than a WWE event. Additionally, this is going to be a bout that's tough to follow, as Storm and Shirai put on one hell of a clinic. Even though the match barely broke the 10-minute mark, it filled up its slot with a ton of amazing spots. Because of how WWE was promoting this match, Storm winning was pretty predictable, but nonetheless, I would love to see more matches paced like this one and featuring a more non-WWE style.
8/10
Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya vs. The Riott Squad
Mat: After riding the high of the Mae Young Classic final, you're going to need a bit of a palate cleanser before moving on to another big match. That's exactly what this match was. You have your fan favorites taking on the villains. Question: Was Natalya in this match? I only remember seeing Bayley and Sasha in the one corner. This 100% felt like it was building up the Riott Squad. They worked really well as a team in this one while Sasha, Bayley, and Natalya were just three people who happened to be in the same corner. The match was also a bit too long for my liking. Plus, Natalya spent nearly half the match laying on the ground, outside of the ring. I would have rather had five more minutes added to the Mae Young Classic final. Now, can Sasha just turn heel already and fight Bayley again?
3/10
Chris: This is as close to a "filler match" as you're going to get on Evolution. Yes, there should be Women's Tag Team Championships on the line. Yes, we should be witnessing an epic Sasha vs. Bayley feud coming to a head. Yes, Liv Morgan has gotten better, and the Riott Squad is fun to watch. Yes, Natalya is… there? She's definitely there, even if she spent most of the match getting knocked down on the outside. Unfortunately, there's nothing about this match that screams must-see. Instead, it feels like a match loaded with people who are being misused. If the crowd reaction to Bayley's entrance doesn't tell you all you need to know about how WWE is dropping the ball with her, nothing will.
3/10
Kairi Sane (c) vs. Shayna Baszler (NXT Championship)
Chris: The thing about Shayna Baszler is I never expected her to be all that good. She arrived in the wake of the Ronda Rousey hype machine and it felt, to me, like WWE was trying to capitalize on that. She's more than proven herself in NXT, though, and did so again tonight on a bigger stage. This match with Kairi Sane was their best yet and was the perfect showcase of what's happening down in NXT for those who aren't watching--seemingly everyone in the live audience. There's something special happening on that show and you're all missing out. Both of these women are going to be amazing additions to the main roster one day.
9/10
Mat: That was one hell of a match. It was obvious from the get go that the audience in attendance doesn't watch NXT as they weren't excited about Sane revealing her NXT Women's Championship from a treasure chest. Oh well, their loss. This match played out near perfectly and was the most entertaining match of the evening, thus far. While I am a huge Sane fan, Baszler stole the spotlight here. She worked Sane's arm the entire match, many times in a very brutal fashion that was hard to watch. Baszler is an intimidating and scary force, and that played out exceptionally well throughout the match. Even though the finish involved outside forces--Baszler's friend kicked Sane--it was still an incredible match.
9/10
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Last Woman Standing Match for the Smackdown Championship)
Mat: This is the first time--in this piece--I get to mention my love for Becky Lynch. There, now that's out of the way. I'm not always the biggest fan of a Last Man (or Woman) Standing matches as they tend to get a bit too ridiculous. And this contest had a bit of a slow start, with a couple of sloppy spots, but then something magical happened: this match got bonkers as hell. Charlotte and Lynch are damned maniacs, hitting each other with chairs, throwing a ton of chairs into the ring, slamming each other onto chairs, and just creating a beautiful, chaotic mess. I thought following the NXT Women's Championship match was going to be new impossible, but somehow, Charlotte and Lynch did the impossible. This was one of the best women's matches in the history of WWE.
9.5/10
Chris: Wow. I don't know what else to say but wow. The feud between Charlotte and Becky has been a bit stunted due to the crowd's inability to boo Becky Lynch, which is a shame. She's really come into her own as a heel and deserves the vitriol. Thanks to this match, though, none of that matters. These two delivered a completely insane bout that was easily the best of the night thus far, which is saying something on a card this great. Everyone in WWE--men and women--could learn something from this match. The fact that these two are still relatively new to the main stage blows my mind because this is the kind of match you'd expect to ring veterans to work hard on. Is it the best women's match in WWE history? No, my vote still goes to Sasha vs. Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. But this gave it a run for its money.
9.5/10
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nikki Bella (Raw Championship)
Chris: It was what it was. This was the exact match I think most of us expected. These two put on a fine match with plenty of shenanigans thanks to Brie Bella, and closed the show with another strong win for Rousey. What's unfortunate is that this was the main event. There were two other title matches that blew it out of the water and deserved that slow. WWE views the Bellas and Rousey as their biggest female stars, though. So there's only so much you can do. That said, I'm ready for Ronda and Nia Jax to go at it again.
6/10
Mat: There was no way Rousey and Nikki Bella were going to top the two previous matches, simply because they're not on the same level as the previous four competitors. The battle between Nikki and Ronda is exactly what you'd expect. Brie jumped in plenty of times to help Nikki out, but in the end, Ronda won. It needs to go that way, so Ronda can face Nia Jax for the title. Anyway, Rousey isn't the most gifted in-ring performer, but she's getting there, and she's fun to watch, and that's all that matters. I'm not expecting her to put on Becky Lynch or Charlotte-level matches. She delivers a good in-ring story here, overcoming the odds, and it's was a fun watch. It shouldn't have been the main event though.
Red Dead Redemption 2 lets you fish, and it's a robust, enjoyable, and rewarding pursuit that's a perfect for the game at large. It's also somewhat involved, so we've put together a guide to help you learn the basics, so you can quickly start to catch fish and have a fun time. This guide also goes into depth on the different types of fish in the game and where to find them, while we've also provided a the map to help you find all 13 of the game's Legendary fish.
Starting off, fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2 is unlocked by playing the Chapter 2 story mission "A Fisher Of Men," in which you teach young Jack Marston to fish. You take little Jack down to the river for a fishing lesson, and this serves as your introduction to the system.
How To Fish:
The first step is to select your Fishing Rod from the Items menu. Next, you must attach bait to it, and this is divided into two categories: Bobber and Lure (more on that later).
Hold LT/L2 to grip the rod and then RT/R2 to cast. How long you hold down RT/R2 will determine how far the cast goes. It might take you a few times to get a feel for it, but it's rewarding to land a cast precisely where you want it. Once you've cast your line out, what happens next depends on the bait you used. With a bobber, all of you have to do is sit and wait to get a bite You can tap RT/R2 to attract a nearby fish (if you're standing close enough to shore you might even see the fish in the water), but do it too much and you'll spook them. With a lure, you have to reel in until you feel a bite. If you see a fish, cast beyond it and reel in the lure so the fish sees it coming by. Be sure to wait until you feel a strong bite before "striking"--with a bobber or a lure--as fish will often nibble a few times before biting down the hook. Once you've landed a fish, the real work begins.
The fish will immediately pull back, and you'll feel your line get tight, with your rod bending in reaction to the tugging. Wait until the fish becomes tired before reeling in; trying to reel as a fish is tugging will cause your line to break. With a fish on the line, push the left stick in the opposite direction the fishing is moving to tire it out faster. You can also click in the right stick and push it in any direction to prevent the fish from taking more line out. However, you must be careful with this approach as you can snap your line very easily. You will also snap your line if a fish pulls away and gets behind a rock or other object.
You reel in by rotating the right stick counter clockwise. You'll want to reel in as fast as possible when the fish grows tired, while also being mindful of how much line you have out, how taut the line is, and where the fish is in the water. Pushing the left stick down as you reel in speeds up the process because it brings the fish directly in towards you. I found it was helpful, if not a little embarrassing, to use my thumb and index finger at the same time to reel in even faster.
The amount of fight a fish puts in is directly related to its size and type. You'll be able to reel in smaller fish such as bluegills, rock bass, and smallmouth bass with relative ease. But catching larger fish, like Sturgeon and Sockeye Salmon, can entail fights that take multiple minutes to complete. If you snap your line, you'll lose your bait or your lure, but don't get discouraged as they are plenty of fish available in Red Dead Redemption 2's numerous lakes, rivers, and swamps.
Bait Types:
Just like in real life, selecting the right bait is critically important if you want to reel in a big one. You can purchase basic bait types like bread, corn, and cheese, or spend more money on worms and crayfish that help you land bigger fish. There are also lures specific to rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as "special" lures that you'll need to catch the biggest fish and the Legendary ones. Here is a rundown of the bait types we've come across so far.
Bobber:
Bread: good for smaller fish
Corn: good for smaller fish.
Cheese: good for smaller fish.
Worms: excellent for medium sized lake fish.
Crayfish: good for larger size fish in deeper parts of rivers and lakes.
Crickets: excellent for attracting medium-sized river fish.
Lure:
River lure: attracts all small and medium size fish in rivers.
Lake lure: attracts larger lake dwelling fish.
Swamp lure: attracts swamp dwelling medium and large size fish
Special River lure: increases your chances of catching medium to large river fish.
Special Lake lure: increases your chances of catching medium to large lake fish.
Special Swamp lure: increases your chances of catching medium to large swap fish.
Bait And Tackle Shops:
The Bait And Tackle shop in Lagras sells everything you need for fishing, including live worms, crayfish, and all lure types. It's the only Bait And Tackle shop we've found so far in the game.
Types Of Fish And What To Use To Catch Them
There are many different types of fish that can be found in Red Dead Redemption 2's lakes, ponds, rivers, and swamps. Here are the ones we've caught so far, as well as the bait type that provided the highest likelihood of reeling them in successfully.
Bluegill -- Cheese
Chain Pickerel -- Corn
Redfin Pickerel -- Bread
Rock Bass -- Cheese or other natural baits
Smallmouth Bass -- Any type of natural bait
Bullhead Catfish -- Cheese or corn
Perch -- Bread
Lake Sturgeon -- Lake lure
Largemouth Bass -- Crayfish
Steelhead Trout -- Worms
Muskie -- Lake lure
Sockeye Salmon -- river lure
When To Fish
The time of day matters if you want to have the best success fishing. Early morning and afternoon are when fish bite the most, due to bugs flying close to the surface. You should also try to fish when it's raining, because the drops on the water make fish believe bugs are around.
Where To Fish And Specific Conditions
To find the fish you're after, you'll have to fish in the right spot. Here's a rundown of the locations where we've found the following fish.
Bluegill -- All lakes and rivers; most active during rain.
Chain Pickerel -- Lakes, rivers, and swamps; most active in sunny weather.
Redfin Pickerel -- Rivers in the south; most active on warm, sunny days.
Rock Bass -- All clear water in the country; most active on sunny days.
Smallmouth Bass -- Northern rivers; most active during rain.
Bullhead Catfish -- Swamps; most active during rain.
Perch -- Rivers and lakes across the country; most active during sunny weather.
Lake Sturgeon -- Southern lakes and swamps; most active during overcast weather.
Largemouth Bass -- All waters in the south; most active during rainy weather.
Steelhead Trout -- Lakes, mostly in the south; most active during rainy weather.
Muskie -- Northern lakes; most active during overcast days.
Sockeye Salmon -- Rivers in the north; most active during overcast weather.
One further note is that fish, particularly bigger ones, loooovvvvve to hang out at the mouths of waterfalls, as the water there is more oxygenated than other areas. Try there if you're struggling.
Legendary Fish:
Head to the shore of Flat Iron Lake in the Heartlands to a place called Gill Landing. Here, you'll meet a stranger named...Gill, who is a world-renowned fisherman, or at least that's what he wants you to believe. He'll hand you a map with the locations of 13 epic-sized fish you'll find throughout the game. Snag them all and report back to Gill for your prize. These are indeed mighty fish, so expect the toughest fishing battles the game has to offer. You will need to use the "special" lures mentioned above to bag these big ones. The best advice I can give is to try to catch them when they're already close to shore, so as to cut down on your reeling time significantly and improve the odds of landing the fish. Here's the map:
Watch Out For Goats
There are unpenned billy goats throughout Lagras that can cause problems while fishing. On multiple occasions, I was fishing near the swamp and a goat smacked me in the rear, breaking my fishing line while I was reeling in. It was frustrating, and I thought it might have been a bug. But it happened three times, so the lesson here is to watch out for goats while fishing in Lagras.
Boats
At a certain point a few hours into the game, you will steal a boat and bring it to camp. At this point you can use it to head further into a lake to go after the bigger fish that tend to live in deeper water. You can also steal boats you find on your journey to fish anywhere you'd like.
No Ice Fishing
Red Dead Redemption 2 has snowy, cold locations with frozen lakes and ponds, and one of the Legendary fish is located in a lake that is partially frozen over. However, there doesn't appear to be any true ice fishing where you drill through the ice and drop a line in. Here's to hoping Red Dead Redemption 2 gets the guaranteed-seller "Ice Fishing Expansion" down the road…
November is almost here, and that means it's almost time to spend the day gorging yourself on turkey, making sure to avoid the family you're forced to hang out with. What better way to avoid forced conversation than sitting around the television, watching Netflix, together? November is almost here, and Netflix has revealed what is coming to its service for the next month, as well as what is leaving the subscription service.
Kicking off the month, Netflix is bringing a slew of movies on Thursday, November 1. If you haven't seen it yet, you'll need to watch From Dusk Till Dawn. The 1996 action/horror film is by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino and follows two criminals on the run who take a family in an RV hostage. They all end up at a strip club in Mexico that's filled with vampires. Also coming on the first of the month is Cape Fear, Marvel's Doctor Strange, and Sixteen Candles.
If Netflix's originals are more up your alley, then you're in luck, as there are 46 movies and series coming in November. Most notable is the return of House of Cards, for Season 6, which will be its final season. This time around, Kevin Spacey won't be involved after sexual abuse allegations came out against the House of Cards star. The final season will follow Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) as the President of the United States, which was revealed in the first trailer.
There are plenty of other original series to get excited about as well. Mystery Science Theater 3000 returns for another season to make fun of some terrible, old movies, coming November 22. Also, She-Ra--He-Man's superpowered cousin--is getting a fun and bubbly reboot on November 16. Along with a new collection of The Great British Baking Show on November 9, you'll have a ton to watch.
The full the list for Netflix is below, and make sure to check out what's coming to Hulu and Amazon for the month of November as well.
Everything coming to Netflix in November
Avail. 11/1/18
Angela's Christmas-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Bring It On: In It to Win It
Cape Fear
Children of Men
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Cloverfield
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Doctor Strange
Fair Game - Director's Cut
Follow This: Part 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
From Dusk Till Dawn
Good Will Hunting
Jet Li's Fearless
Julie & Julia
Katt Williams: The Pimp Chronicles: Pt. 1
National Lampoon's Animal House
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
Planet Hulk
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Sex and the City: The Movie
Sixteen Candles
Stink!
The English Patient
The Judgement-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Transcendence
Vaya
Avail. 11/2/18
Brainchild-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
House of Cards: Season 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Tricky Dick & The Man in Black-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Holiday Calendar-- NETFLIX FILM
The Other Side of the Wind-- NETFLIX FILM
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/3/18
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
Avail. 11/4/18
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Streaming Every Sunday, begins October 28)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/5/18
Homecoming: Season 1
John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/7/18
Into the Forest
Avail. 11/8/18
The Sea of Trees
Avail. 11/9/18
Beat Bugs: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
La Reina del Flow-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Medal of Honor-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Outlaw King-- NETFLIX FILM
Spirit Riding Free: Season 7-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Super Drags-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Great British Baking Show: Collection 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Treehouse Detectives: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Westside-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/12/18
Green Room
Avail. 11/13/18
Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Oh My Ghost-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Warrior-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/15/18
May The Devil Take You-- NETFLIX FILM
The Crew-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 11/16/18
Cam-- NETFLIX FILM
Narcos: Mexico-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ponysitters Club: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Prince of Peoria-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs-- NETFLIX FILM
The Break-Up
The Kominsky Method-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Princess Switch-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 11/18/18
The Pixar Story
Avail. 11/19/18
The Last Kingdom: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/20/18
Kulipari: Dream Walker-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Motown Magic-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sabrina-- NETFLIX FILM
The Final Table-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/21/18
The Tribe-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 11/22/18
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Christmas Chronicles-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 11/23/18
Frontier: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Fugitiva-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sick Note-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sick Note: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
To Build or Not to Build: Season 2
Avail. 11/25/18
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Best Gift Ever
Avail. 11/27/18
Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross & Dave Attel-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 11/29/18
Pocoyo: Season 4
Avail. 11/30/18
1983-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding-- NETFLIX FILM
Baby-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Death by Magic-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
F is for Family: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Happy as Lazzaro-- NETFLIX FILM
Rajma Chawal-- NETFLIX FILM
Spy Kids: Mission Critical: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The World Is Yours-- NETFLIX FILM
Tiempo compartido-- NETFLIX FILM
Leaving Netflix in November
Leaving 11/1/18
Amelie
Crossfire
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions 2
Cruel Intentions 3
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Oculus
Phenomenon
Run to me
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball
Steel Magnolias
The Invasion
The Land Before Time
The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure
The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving
Ubisoft has announced the release schedule for the mid-season update for Rainbow Six Siege. The update was tested on the PC version of the game last week and is set to go live across all platforms this week.
Patch Y3S3.2 has already been deployed on the PC version of Siege. The update goes live on Xbox One and PS4 on October 31. The servers on the PC version of Siege faced about an hour of downtown due to maintenance when the update went live, so we can probably expect the same for the console versions of the game this Halloween. Ubisoft has not revealed the exact timeframe the update will go live on Xbox One and PS4.
The full patch notes for Siege's newest update can be found on the game's main website, but we've also listed the highlights below. The patch balances both Clash and Maestro, as well as two weapons. Most of the update fixes bugs in the game's level design and Operators.
Rainbow Six Siege is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The game is currently in the midst of a limited-time, Halloween-themed event called Mad House. Mad House lasts until October 31 and adds a haunted variation of the House map to Siege. 10 of Siege's Operators--Finka, Jager, Vigil, Thermite, Valkyrie, Pulse, Hibana, Mira, Buck, and Ash--also get exclusive holiday skins that transform them into monsters.
Siege Y3S3.2 Patch Notes
Balancing
Clash
Reduced weapon swapping speed between CCE Shield and Sidearm.
Delay before refilling charge after usage ends increased to 2 seconds, from 1 second.
Attackers regain full mobility after 0.5 seconds, down from 1.5 seconds, after being shocked.
Maestro
ALDA 5.56 recoil aligned with other LMGs.
SMG-11
Reducing recoil to improve handling.
Vector
Reducing recoil to improve handling.
Bugfixes
General
Fixed – Deployable shields placed perpendicular to a window prevent vaulting.
It is now impossible to install deployable shields in front of windows in a way that would block vault or rappel in. Trying to do so will result in deploying the shield forward or backward depending on the player position, in a way that will always leave enough room for vaulting or rappelling in.
Fixed – The operator is invisible when players load into game.
Fixed – Pistols have their reticle misaligned with the center of the screen while shooting.
Fixed – No toggle for Montagne and Pulse special abilities (now comes with toggle).
Fixed – Cannot access Bulletproof Camera by pressing the secondary gadget button while prone.
Fixed – While prone, using melee and standing up will switch the knife animation to shield.
Fixed – The Stun Grenade VFX can be cancelled under certain conditions.
Fixed – The squad leader remains alone in a match after one squad member leaves when the leader starts the match.
Fixed – Latency, micro stutters and graphical issues after playing multiple matches and maps in the same Custom game session.
Fixed – End of round timer does not stop when initiating the defuser plant at the last moment.
Fixed – Red Dot scopes have thickened texture on the lens while ADS.
Level Design
Bank
Fixed – Valkyrie Black Eye can see through the ceiling when placed on in a spot on 2F Bank.
Fixed – Spot in 1F Tellers Office allows Valkyrie's Black Eye to see the corridor and staircase.
Fixed – Spot in 1F Archives allows throwable gadgets to reach 2F Skylight Stairwell.
Clubhouse
Fixed – Attacker drones can see through the ceiling underneath 1F Lobby and Bar.
Consulate
Fixed – Drone has no collision with the terrace edge from West Front Yard.
Hereford Base
Fixed – Ranked Match Action phase lasts for 4 minutes on Hereford Base.
Fixed – Equipping a shield drops the fps by 10–20 on Hereford Base.
Fixed – Unstable FPS in Hereford Base.
Fixed – Maestro's gadget is vulnerable by breaking cosmetic destruction, Small pinstripe carpets across the map.
Fixed – Players can hide under a desk in 1F Prep Area.
Fixed – Defuser cannot be picked up after being dropped between the wall and the ammo box in 1F Garage.
Fixed – Defuser cannot be picked up after being dropped between the wooden planks located in EXT Barnyard.
Fixed – Thatcher's EMP grenade does not turn off the faux volumetric glow from the ceiling lights in EXT Barn.
Fixed – Small gap in 2F bathroom ceiling on Hereford base rework.
House
Fixed – Players can clip inside a wall using a deployable shield at 2F Workshop.
Kafe
Fixed – Players cannot pick up armor plates if the armor bag is deployed on a kettle in 3F Cigar Lounge.
Oregon
Fixed – Operators can get stuck inside a pile of boxes in 1F Office.
Fixed – Player can vault inside the washing machine on Oregon.
Operators
Buck
Fixed – If Buck mounts Tachanka's LMG Turret with the Skeleton Key on and leaves it, no interaction can be made with the turret afterwards.
Clash
Fixed – Clash can instantly go into ADS with her secondary after un–equipping her shield.
Fixed – Clash is not able to use Observation Tools while her CCE shield is extended.
Echo
Fixed – Instead of disappearing when Echo's Yokai hover drone is disabled, the "Jump" button appears greyed out.
Fixed – If a disabled Yokai hover drone is picked up and re–deployed, it will still be in the disabled state when redeployed.
Finka
Fixed – Finka's Spear308's damage falloff over distance is too high.
Maverick
Fixed – Maverick's blowtorch makes no sound on the first use on a wall.
Fixed – Blowtorch SFX persists after Maverick is killed while using it.
Mira
Fixed – Black Mirror can be destroyed from the other side of a reinforced wall.
Fixed – Mira can place her Mirror under another destroyed Black Mirror.
User Experience
Fixed – Clipping issue on Lion's uniforms.
Fixed – Hibana's face appears washed off when equipped with the Yurei headgear.
Fixed – Holding down both gadget buttons and releasing them in a certain order switches away from Pulse's Cardiac Sensor.
Fixed – The Chalkboard uniform for Hibana does not appear properly while in First Person.
Fixed – Blitz's arm is delayed when leaning, causing clipping issues with shield.
Fixed – The observation tool icon is missing from the select spawn location screen for attackers in preparation phase in Ranked.
Charms
Fixed – A second "Gold Lion Chibi" will float next to the weapon it is attached to.
Fixed – Equipping a country flag charm on the SPSMG9 will also apply on Clash's CCE shield.
Fixed – Chibi charms are not properly placed on Clash's CCE Shield in load out.
Fixed – Multiple charms are clipping through Blitz's and Clash's shields.
Fixed – Charms equipped on Clash's shield are not visible in 3rd person view.
Pick And Ban
Fixed – When Joining in Progress during a ban reveal, players will always see the blue smoke.
Fixed – Joining in Progress with previously selected operator does not update teammates blocked operators.
Fixed – During the ready screen, the sizes of the operator's cards are not consistent.
Fixed – The "Change floor" button is missing in the tactical map.
Fixed – The bullet point that indicates the currently voted OP disappears after changing display mode.
Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 release has finally come. The new open-world game is out now on PS4 and Xbox One, though there remains no word on a PC version. New evidence in the game's official companion app suggests a PC release could be in the works, but that remains unconfirmed. If you pick up the game on console, you should first download the day-one update. It isn't required to play, but Rockstar recommends you install it first, as it includes "a number of last minute tweaks, bugs, and fixes." And if you're looking for some help, we've assembled a wide range of guides and tips to help you make the most of the experience, and more cheat codes continued to be discovered. Read on for our full Red Dead 2 review.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game about consequences where you have only the illusion of choice. Yes, there are some decisions to be made, and those decisions will shape your character and the world around you. But some of the most disastrous choices were made for you before the game even begins, leaving you to deal with the fallout. And because it's a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, you also (probably) know how the story ends. All that's left is discovering what happens in between and making the most of it. To that end, you fight against the repetitive nature of missions, frequent moral dilemmas, and the inconvenience of doing what's right. For the most part, the frustration that tension can cause is also what makes the story impactful, and when it all comes together, your effort is not wasted.
At the beginning of Red Dead Redemption 2, the Van der Linde gang is already on the decline we know from the previous game is coming. After a heist gone wrong in Blackwater, they're on the run, down a few members, and on the verge of capture, starvation, and succumbing to a snowstorm. There are familiar faces--Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston chief among them--as well as new ones. As senior member Arthur Morgan, you're in the privileged position of being Dutch Van der Linde's right hand, privy to his machinations and included in the most important outings. Once the gang escapes the storm and settles into a temporary campsite, you're also put in charge of the camp's finances, meaning you pick out all the upgrades and supplies. If Dutch is the center of the gang, Arthur is adjacent to all its vital parts at once, and that gives you a lot of power.
With that power, you're encouraged to do as you see fit and at your own pace. A lengthy series of story missions early on introduces you to some of the ways you can spend your time, including hunting, fishing, horse-rearing, and robbery. There are a lot of systems, and covering the basics takes several hours. While they're not so cleverly disguised as to not feel like tutorials, the actual learning is paced well in its integration with the story, and the missions also acquaint you with the characters and the surrounding area. For example, the fishing "tutorial" has you taking young Jack Marston out for the day, since John is not exactly great at fatherhood. Jack is pure and sweet--and incredibly vulnerable to all the gang's wrongdoings--and the mission is memorable for it.
In addition to the mechanics of various activities, you're also presented with a few elements of semi-realism you need to contend with. Mainly, you need to eat to refill your health, stamina, and Dead Eye ability "cores," which deplete over time. Eating too much or too little results in weight changes and stat debuffs. Eating itself isn't a problem, and neither is maintaining cores in general, but eating enough to maintain an average weight is intrusive; despite experimenting with what and how often I ate, I couldn't get Arthur out of the underweight range, and eating any more frequently would be too time-consuming to justify. You don't have to sleep (though you can to pass time and refill your cores), and surviving hot or cold temperatures comes down to choosing the right outfit from your item wheel, so managing your weight sticks out as superfluous rather than conducive to immersion.
Limited fast travel options are the better-implemented side of Red Dead 2's realism, perhaps counterintuitively. There's next to no fast travel at the beginning and few methods in general, so you have to rely on your horse to get around. It can be slow, but there's no shortage of things to do and see along the way. Chance encounters are plentiful and frequently interesting; you might find a stranger in need of a ride to town or a snake bite victim who needs someone to suck the venom out of their wound. You can stumble upon a grotesque murder scene that sets you entirely off-track, or you can ignore someone in danger and just keep riding. And just as you can decide to rob or kill most anyone, you'll also run into people who will do the same to you. Even the longest rides aren't wasted time, and it's hard not to feel like you're missing something if you do opt for fast travel.
Red Dead Redemption 2's version of America is vast and wide open, stretching from snowy mountains and the Great Plains down to the original game's New Austin in the southwest. Further to the east is the Louisiana-inspired Deep South, which is still feeling the effects of the Civil War after nearly 40 years. There's a distinct shift when traveling from region to region; as grassy hillsides become alligator-filled swamps, Union veterans give way to angry Confederate holdouts, and good intentions and casual racism turn into desperation and outright bigotry. The variety makes the world feel rich, and it both reacts to you and changes independently of your involvement; new buildings will go up as time goes on, and some of the people you talk to will remember you long after you first interacted with them (for better or worse).
Incidental moments as you explore make up a large part of the morality system, in which you gain and lose honor based on your actions. "Good" morals are relative--you're a gang member, after all--but generally, it's more honorable to punch up rather than down. Helping an underdog, even if they're an escaped convict and even if you need to kill some cops or robbers to do it, can net you good guy points. In these situations, it's easier to be noble than a true outlaw. Committing a dishonorable crime is hard to do undetected, even in remote locations, and usually requires you to track down and threaten a witness, run and hide from the law, or pay a bounty down the line. While you'll earn money more quickly doing "bad" things, high honor gets you a pretty discount at shops, and you'll make good money either way through story missions.
In many ways, you're nudged toward playing a "good" Arthur. The gang members he's closest to from the beginning are the more righteous, principled ones who are motivated by loyalty and a desire to help others, while he insults, argues with, and generally reacts negatively to those who are hot-headed and vicious. The most rotten of them is Micah, who's so easy to hate that it's hard not to follow Arthur's lead and take the higher road. Unlocking camp upgrades like one-way fast travel and better supplies also essentially forces you into being honorable; although everyone donates, you have to invest hundreds of dollars yourself if you want to afford anything, and that automatically gets you a ton of honor points whether you like it or not.
One of the best, most understated details in the game is Arthur's journal, in which he recaps big events as well as random people you've met and more mundane, everyday things. He sketches places you go, doodles the plants and animals you find, and writes out thoughts he barely speaks out loud. The journal changes with your level of honor, but at least for a relatively honorable Arthur, the pages are filled with concerns and existential crises--inner turmoil over being either good or evil, for instance--that make you want to see him become a better person.
Like any good prequel, there's an incredible amount of tension in knowing what happens without knowing exactly how.
It's a lot harder to feel like a good guy when doing the main story missions, though. Arthur, along with nearly everyone else, is loyal to the gang first and foremost. This means following Dutch into trouble, busting friends out of jail, and committing a number of robberies in the interest of getting money for the gang. Even if you're trying your hardest to be good, you'll inevitably slaughter entire towns in mandatory story missions--stealth and non-lethal takedowns aren't always an option, and the snappy auto-lock aim makes shootouts a far easier option anyway. The dissonance is frustrating to play through in the moment, but it's incredibly important to Arthur's arc as well as your understanding of the gang as a whole. To say any more would venture into spoiler territory.
That extends to the structure of story missions, which start to get predictable around halfway through the game. It's not that they're boring--the opposite is true, actually, and you see a lot of action from beat to beat. But after a while, a pattern emerges, and it's easy to figure out how any given heist or raid is going to unfold. This too becomes frustrating, partially because you often have no way of significantly affecting the outcome despite any decision-making power you thought you might have had. But your weariness is also Arthur's, and that's crucial. The mid-game drags in service of the narrative, which only becomes apparent much later. There's also enough variety between missions and free-roam exploration to prevent it from dragging to the point of being a chore to play.
Like any good prequel, there's an incredible amount of tension in knowing what happens without knowing exactly how. If you played Red Dead Redemption, you know who survives and as a result who probably won't make it to the end of the game. Even during the slower parts, you're waiting for betrayals and injuries and other events you've only vaguely heard mention of before. You're waiting for characters to reveal their true selves, and watching as everything unravels is riveting and heartbreaking if you know what's to come.
You can still enjoy the story in its own right without that background knowledge, though. Some of Red Dead Redemption 2's best moments have almost no relation to its predecessor. One mission takes you to a women's suffrage rally, and a painful side mission has you facing a woman whose husband you killed and life you ruined. The new characters are among the best, too; Sadie Adler is a personal favorite for reasons I won't spoil. Another, a young black man in the gang named Lenny, mentions how the Southerners treat him a little differently; Arthur says that he hasn't noticed anything weird, to which Lenny replies, "All respect, Mr. Morgan, you wouldn't notice."
Generally, Red Dead 2 tackles pertinent issues of the era with care. Rather than defining any of its characters by the bigotry they may experience, it allows them the room to be well-rounded individuals while still not ignoring that things like racism and sexism exist. One arc focuses squarely on a very serious issue, and here, the lack of real choice in the story's direction--and your resulting involvement in what transpires--will likely make you uncomfortable in a powerful way.
While Red Dead Redemption was mostly focused on John Marston's story, Red Dead 2 is about the entire Van der Linde gang--as a community, as an idea, and as the death rattle of the Wild West. It is about Arthur, too, but as the lens through which you view the gang, his very personal, very messy story supports a larger tale. Some frustrating systems and a predictable mission structure end up serving that story well, though it does take patience to get through them and understand why. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done.
Resident Evil 2 launched on the PS One in 1998, but just like the zombies in the game, it's getting reanimated. A Resident Evil 2 remake is set to launch on January 25, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It will cover much of the same ground as the original, but it will look and play much better and offer a whole new perspective.
The perspective shift unshackles the camera from its formerly fixed positions and pulls it in for an over-the-shoulder-third person view--much like in Resident Evil 4. Even so, many of the survival horror aspects that left the series as it continued remain in place here. For more information, read our Resident Evil 2 hands-on preview.
If you're ready to pre-order a copy of Resident Evil 2 remaster, you'll probably want to know what your options are. We have you covered below, so read on for help deciding where to place your pre-order.
Pre-Order Bonuses
Pre-order Resident Evil 2, and you'll receive two bonus weapons: Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine's signature Samurai Edge handguns.
If you pre-order from the PlayStation Store, you'll get a free Resident Evil 2 PS4 theme.
Resident Evil 2 Standard Edition
The standard edition just comes with the game. Your best deal on a console version is to buy a physical copy from Newegg.
The Deluxe Edition comes with the core game, plus a download voucher for two Leon costumes, three Claire costumes, Samurai Edge - Albert Model, and a classic Resident Evil 2 soundtrack swap. Here's where you can buy Resident Evil 2: Deluxe Edition.
The GameStop-exclusive Collector's Edition comes with everything you get in the Deluxe Edition, plus a 12-inch Leon statue, a collector's art book, and R.P.D. renovation blueprints, all in R.P.D. item box packaging.
Bethesda has released a snazzy new live-action trailer for Fallout 76. Set to the classic Beach Boys song "Wouldn't It Be Nice," the 60-second spot features a lot of fantastic visuals, beginning with a mega-sloth and getting wilder and more over-the-top from there.
The trailer shows a diverse cast of characters coming together, and that's meant to highlight how for the first time in the franchise, Fallout 76 is focusing on online multiplayer. Although it can work as a single-player Fallout experience, it's nonetheless an online game. Watch the video above.
Fallout 76 launches on November 14 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game is not coming to Nintendo Switch because it "wasn't doable," but Bethesda still loves the platform and is considering other games for the console.
The Fallout 76 beta is ongoing in short bursts, with these tests set to soon expand from Xbox One to PS4 and PC. The beta will continue to be available to those who pre-order for periods ranging from 2-8 hours until the full version's release date. If you're participating, you'll be able to carry over your progress.
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