There are many reasons why Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is regarded as a classic. The allure of secret passages and new equipment draws you into a haunted castle filled with odd creatures and dangerous traps. All of it beautifully designed, not to mention backed by an eclectic soundtrack to suit the castle's many moods. You delve into this adventure as the silver-haired Alucard, the sympathetic son of a notorious supernatural villain, with graceful moves and a cool demeanor befitting of a vampiric heartthrob. Each of these pieces neatly click together, forming what many consider to be one of the best video games ever made. Symphony of the Night is the rare game that seems to get everything right, because even when it stumbles in gloriously cheesy ways, our accumulated goodwill turns would-be mockery into celebration.
Konami, apparently, doesn't see things the same way. Its upcoming release of Symphony of the Night on PS4 (as part of the Castlevania Requiem collection) is based on the retooled PSP release that was buried within Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. This version, while still excellent in most respects, tries to improve upon the original PlayStation release (which is also mostly intact on Xbox 360), but in the process eliminates one of the most memorable moments of the entire game.
I'm referring, of course, to the meme-ified exchange between Richter Belmont and Dracula during the prologue.
Richter: Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!
Dracula: It was not by my hand that I'm once again given flesh. I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.
Richter: "Tribute"?! You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.
Richter: Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk! Have at you!
It's campy, over the top, and incredibly memorable. Who among us hasn't been tempted to rhetorically question the essence of humanity, fling a glass of wine across the room, and declare the answer we all know in our hearts to be true? Dracula may have sounded ridiculous, but let's be honest: he's not wrong.
The PSP version, and the upcoming PS4 port, use new voice actors and a new script, with Richter and Dracula's iconic lines rewritten to the following.
Richter: Dracula. Die now, and leave this world! You'll never belong here!
Dracula: Oh but this world invited me. Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute.
Richter: Tribute? You're a thief. You steal men's souls, their freedom...
Dracula: Freedom is always sacrificed to faith, good hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?
Richter: All I'm here for is you. To hell with your heresy! You're nothing but a blight on mankind.
Dracula: Ha! Mankind. A cesspit of hatred and lies. Fight for them, then, and die for their sins!
In the age of Twitter, where the original discussion has been glorified and given a life of its own, the decision to base the re-release on the altered version of Symphony of the Night feels like an odd one. Granted, this is a small piece of a much bigger puzzle; the game is far from ruined. Its reputation, however, is definitely challenged.
When polled, 1,780 respondents on Twitter weighed in on the matter: 33% don't care about the fact that the PSP version is being used, 26% feel that their excitement for the re-release is slightly diminished, and 41% of voters consider it to be a deal breaker.
For as much as I dislike the decision to use the PSP version of Symphony of the Night, I'm not going to pass up the chance to have a fresh copy on a modern console--assuming its emulation is technically sound. I may not, however, be able to shake the little voice in my head reminding me that it's not the definitive version of the game.
Where do you fall on the matter? Am I a crazed fan whose picked a frivolous hill to die on? Let us know in the comments below!
It was 1991 when TV audiences were first introduced to Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), his family, and his group of friends on Boy Meets World. Yet, somehow, the show--which is now streaming on Hulu--remains as socially relevant as ever, while new audiences of teenagers find it and use it as a coping mechanism for a number of problems the younger generation faces.
That's something the cast of the show is very aware of, and something they took time to speak about during a 25th-anniversary reunion panel at New York Comic Con 2018. Savage was joined by co-stars Danielle Fishel (Topanga) and Will Friedle (Eric) to chat with fans and reminisce about their time on the show--and its spin-off Girl Meets World--when the moderator asked about how it is the show still resonates today, even if the '90s fashion doesn't.
"Michael Jacobs, who was our showrunner and is responsible for 99.9% of the show ideas, if not 100% of the show ideas, he's just very socially-minded himself," Fishel explained. "He's got a lot of opinions, and he's got a lot of beliefs about things that he's staunch on."
It just so happens that a lot of those opinions and beliefs are about speaking to younger people about the ideas they face daily, even if the show wasn't always trying to do that. "I wouldn't necessarily say they were orchestrated, but they are things he knows are universal subject matters--no matter the time period, he knows you are going to watch them," she continued. "Even though it was a kids' show, he wrote a show where kids weren't being talked down to. So you really learned a lot in every episode... I think it'll probably be relevant 20 years from now."
Savage added that the cast took the subject matter of the show very seriously. "The actors were so passionate about their characters," he said. "If you're spending 7 years on a series--and now we've been with these characters for 25 years--you become very protective of your character. Especially when we went into Girl Meets World, we had grown up with these characters."
Of course, Friedle made sure to point out how convenient it was that a lot of the issues explored on the show all seemed to happen to one character--Shawn Hunter (Ryder Strong). "I think Michael also liked to find socially relevant issues and then have them happen to Shawn for a half hour," he joked. "Shawn joined a cult, Shawn drinking, Dad-dying Shawn."
Unfortunately, Strong couldn't be there to defend his character's controversial teenage years, but it was clear that even 25 years later this cast still cherishes the work they did. And while there may not be any new episodes of TV set in the Boy Meets World universe airing right now, the messages put forth by the 158 episodes of the original series--and the 72 installments of Girl Meets World--aren't going to be any less relevant in the years to come.
Overwatch's Halloween Terror is coming back next week, and Blizzard has been teasing some of the cool new spooky-themed skins we can expect when the update hits. First it showed Doomfist as a Swamp Monster, and now it's Moira's turn. In a tweet, the company showed off the Legendary skin Banshee Moira. [Update] Blizzard has also shown off the new Enchanted Armor Halloween skin for Pharah. As the name suggest, it's everyone's favorite rocket queen in magically (or demonically) animated knight's armor. Check it out below.
That's the spirit. BOO-P your enemies as ENCHANTED ARMOR PHARAH (Legendary)! Overwatch Halloween Terror begins Oct 9! pic.twitter.com/BB53w57yeV
So far, the skin reveals have been for relatively recent characters, which makes sense given that the original cast has had plenty of time to build up an impressive collection of scary skins over the last two Halloween Terror events. If this trend continues we may see new looks for Brigitte and Wrecking Ball on the way, since both of them are new to the Halloween festivities.
An ominous portent. Haunt down your enemies as BANSHEE MOIRA (Legendary)! Overwatch Halloween Terror begins Oct 9! pic.twitter.com/wqVYQHd64P
Halloween Terror will begin on October 9 and run through October 31. The company is keeping its exact plans under (mummy) wraps for the time being, but we know that it will bring about the usual cache of new skins to collect or purchase with credits. Blizzard usually puts old skins from the prior years' events on sale as well.
The annual event will also continue the story of Junkenstein's Revenge, a special PvE mode. In 2016 you were The Alchemist (Ana), the Gunslinger (McCree), the Archer (Hanzo), and the Soldier (Solder 76). In 2017 the story continued with The Countess (Widowmaker), the Swordsman (Genji), the Monk (Zenyatta), and the Viking (Torbjorn). The announcement included a poem that may give clues as to how the story will continue this year.
The cast of the new Hellboy movie and the character's original creator took the main stage at New York Comic Con 2018 to debut the world's first trailer from the upcoming reboot.
The new Hellboy footage showed off actor David Harbour's new portrayal of the character, with voiceover warning of a "forever war." The trailer begins with Hellboy getting out of the back of a police van and immediately getting shot in the arm--by a cop. "Hey, I'm on your side!" he shouts, immediately setting the humorous tone. At the entrance to what is presumably the BPRD's new secret headquarters, he gets asked for his ID. "Are you serious?" he asks.
Based on the trailer, the new Hellboy looks like something of a mix between an origin story and one that picks up in the middle of the character's saga. "Does it do anything special?" he's asked, referring to his "strong right arm." "Yeah," Hellboy replies. "It smashes things real good."
The trailer ends on the note that he's "mankind's best and only hope," followed by the iconic visual of Hellboy with his flaming crown and sword--alluding to Hellboy's true name, "Anung Un Rama," which translates to "and upon his brow is set a crown of flame."
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola said during the panel preceding the footage that the movie will draw from his most epic Hellboy storyline. "It's such a long, complicated thing, how this stuff comes about, but it's the biggest Hellboy storyline I ever came up with," he said. "The movie does move a bunch of pieces around, but the movie's almost entirely made of pieces of the story Wild Hunt and the books that are bookending it. And then there are bits and pieces of other Hellboy stories that are laced through it...when you have 25 years worth of material, and everyone's saying 'I want to use this' and 'I want to use that,' that's the fun bit, trying to string all those things together and make it work."
Mignola also shared his original vision for Hellboy: "All I ever wanted to do was draw monsters. I finally realized the only way I would get to draw monsters--just monsters--would be to make up my own monster thing."
He said he's always skeptical when the prospect of a new Hellboy movie arises. "I never believe any of this stuff is ever going to happen," he said, adding that he thought the story the series' producers wanted to tackle this time was "a strange place to start." But "we don't want to just redo what we've done before," he said.
David Harbour is taking the role over in this version of Hellboy from Ron Perlman, who played the protagonist in the first two Hellboy live action movies. Mignola said his wife had remarked that Harbour would make a good Hellboy while she and Mignola watched Stranger Things. "Two weeks later I got a call from the producer saying, 'What would you think of David Harbour playing Hellboy?'" Mignola said. "Shout out to my wife for recognizing."
Harbour said he began reading Hellboy comics in his 20s as "an artsy kid in the East Village." He said he's thrilled that Hellboy is using practical effects over CGI, taking a good-natured dig at Marvel by mentioning Infinity War villain Thanos, who was a mostly CGI character portrayed by Josh Brolin. The crowd ate it up, with a loud, collective "Ohhh!" and cries of "shots fired!" "I love Avengers Infinity War!" Harbour later clarified, ensuring it was all taken in good fun.
Other actors took the stage as well. Sasha Lane, who plays Alice Monaghan, said her character "ain't no damsel in distress"--she's a "badass." "She's kidnapped by fairies and talks to dead people, like, f*** with me," she said.
Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Ben Daimio, joked that he originally auditioned for Lane's role, but admitted he took his role after a friend dropped out from the project. He said he's happy when Asian actors are represented in this type of movie.
Milla Jovovich, who plays a character called "Nimue the Blood Queen," even sent a video message from South Africa, where she's shooting her next film. "The script portrays [the Blood Queen] as the villain, which I highly resent," she said. "I mean, she's only trying to be friends with Hellboy, right David? Nah, just kidding, she's trying to kill everyone and everything around her!"
Ultimately, Harbour described exactly how his version of the character Hellboy will be different from Perlman's. "My approach was a little bit more down and dirty, or something, and even a little bit more--my Hellboy feels a little younger, like, he's got hair, which is a big thing," Harbour said. "But he's also got a little more inner turmoil, a little more strife with Bruttenholm, and a little more lost with his place in the universe. And I'm just bringing more of what I bring.
"In that way it just has a completely different feel," he continued. "And in that way, you know, I can enjoy both, and I hope that you can as well, because to me this character deserves a life, and it deserves more movies. I love this character, and I want to see this character grow and change, and also I want to get down to the core of Mike's stuff, which to me is really horror in a certain way--even an existential horror in a certain way--and I think that we achieved some of that in this, while also having a lot of fun."
Hellboy is scheduled to hit theaters April 12, 2019.
The Peter Parker of Insomniac's Spider-Man video game is heading to the Marvel Universe proper, care of a Spider-Man mega crossover event: Spider-Geddon.
Spider-Geddon is building on the concept of the Spider-Verse, a "multiverse" of Spider-Man continuities. It's looking to use the concept to bridge gaps between entire mediums by bringing "every Spider-Man character ever," said Spider-Man group editor Nick Lowe during the Spider-Man comics panel at New York Comic Con, "every Spider-Man, every Spider-Woman, every Spider-Animal. Everything." Everything, including Spider-Men that have never been in the comics before. Insomniac's unique take on Peter Parker, complete with his game-specific "velocity" costume, will be included among the Spider-Men called to action for the fight.
And this is more than just a cameo--PS4 Pete's inclusion is part of his ongoing story in his home universe. During a special video presentation at the panel, writer Christos Gage and Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski explained that Spider-Geddon will be officially taking place for PS4 Pete after the events of the video game, and be part of his continuity.
Spider-Geddon isn't just a one-off event. It's the sequel to 2014's Edge of the Spider-Verse event, which actually introduced the "Spider-Verse" concept--the concept that just so happens to be paving the way for this year's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. For the uninitiated, Into The Spider-Verse is an animated feature film set to debut the big screen versions of all sorts of different Spider-people like Spider-Ham, a cartoon pig with Spider-powers and Peni Parker, a young girl with a Spider-powered mech suit all by delving deep into the spider infested multiverse of the comics and beyond.
What PS4 Peter Parker's inclusion in Spider-Geddon might mean for future downloadable content or adaptations of Insomniac's unique take on the Spider-Man mythos remains to be seen--but fans who enjoyed their time web slinging around New York City in their living room might want to keep an eye on this one. Who knows what stories could be teased out, or which members of the comics-based Spider-Verse may end up making their video game debut?
Continued cross pollination of Spider-properties may be more likely than you think. Christos Gage, who is co-writing the Spider-Geddon event alongside Dan Slott just so happened to be one of the writers on Insomniac's game. The seeds may already be sown.
Spider-Geddon #1 hits shelves on Wednesday, October 10.
By Anonymous on Oct 06, 2018 08:30 pm 10 minutes of new gameplay footage from the latest PC preview build of Darksiders III, played on a NVIDIA GTX 1070.
WWE's PPV, Super Show-Down, has come to a close, and the full results are posted below. The Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia hosted the event, which kicked off on the WWE Network at 7 PM AET, 2 AM PT, 5 AM ET, and 10 AM BST.
The Australian event will have 10 matches over the course of the evening, four of which will be title matches. The main event of the evening will be none other than The Undertaker vs. Triple H, who have had a longstanding rivalry over the course of 20 years in the company. Additionally, Charlotte will get a rematch against Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's Championship and Ronda Rousey joins the Bella Twins to take on the Riott Squad.
There is no Kickoff Show for the event, so the 5 AM ET start time is when the main card will begin. Check out the match card below, as well as the start times for different time zones.
The matches may not happen in the order listed. In case you're not caught up, don't worry; we put the final results in spoiler blocks.
Super Show-Down Match Card
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Super Show-Down Start Times
7 PM AET
10 AM BST
5 AM ET
4 AM C
2 AM PT
Main Card
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
New Day wins by pin at 9:38
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Charlotte wins by DQ at 10:36. Becky Lynch retains the title.
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Cena pins Elias at 10:02.
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
IIconics win by pin at 5:39.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
AJ Styles wins by submission at 23:42.
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
Rousey submits Logan and Morgan at 9:58.
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Buddy Murphy wins by pin at 10:33.
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
Ambrose pins Ziggler at 19:35.
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz (Winner faces WWE Champion)
WWE's next PPV is almost here, and it's headed down under for one that will be very early for North American fans. The wrestling company is based out of the US but is a global brand, so from time to time it will travel overseas for live events. Of late, these international shows have been positioned as major PPVs, starting with The Greatest Royal Rumble back in April. Tomorrow, on Saturday, October 6, WWE is headed to Australia for the Super Show-Down, and it is one packed card. But if you're in North America, prepare to set your alarm earlier than you'd probably care for.
Taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, Super Show-Down will air on the WWE Network at 10 AM BST / 5 AM ET / 2 AM PT. For once, WWE fans in the UK will have a PPV not airing extremely late in the evening.
If you don't have the WWE Network but are interested in watching the show, you can sign up for one month free. This promotion is only available to new subscribers, but you're under no obligation to continue using the service. You can cancel anytime, so technically, you can watch Super Show-Down for free. If you choose to continue using the WWE Network, it costs $10 a month, but you get to livestream all WWE PPVs throughout the year, as well as classic PPVs, TV replays, and original series.
So what can you look forward to at Super Show-Down? Well, for the first time in forever, Roman Reigns isn't the main event. However, Undertaker vs. Triple H is, so that's something different. The match is billed as "last time ever," most likely because Undertaker is getting up there in age and isn't as great in the ring as he used to be.
In addition to that, there are nine more matches on the card, four of which are title matches. However, Ronda Rousey and the Raw Women's Championship are nowhere to be found on the card. But there's still time for another match to be added. Check out everything booked, so far, below.
Super Show-Down Match Card:
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Super Show-Down Start Times
7 PM AET
10 AM BST
5 AM ET
4AM C
2 AM PT
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on the morning of Saturday, October 6 for coverage of the PPV. And next week, we'll have predictions as well as interviews with WWE superstars about the event.
If you live in North America, chances are you won't be watching WWE's Super Show-Down live when it airs this Saturday, October 6, simply because you're going to have to wake up really early to watch it. Why is WWE's next PPV happening so early? Well, it's airing on the WWE Network from the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, and because of the time difference, it will air at 5 AM ET in North America. Yep, that's early, and it's even earlier for people on the west coast--2 AM PT (check out the show times for each time zone below).
Regardless of the start time, this gigantic show from down under will be a big deal, with 10 matches booked as of this writing. Superstars from both Raw and Smackdown will compete. However, there will only be four title matches the entire evening, which is a nice break from the usual "every title on the line" pace WWE has been pulling the past year.
The most promoted match on the card is Undertaker vs. Triple H, which WWE has titled "Last Time Ever." This will more than likely be the main event of the evening and is the main draw for the PPV. Additionally, both the main rivalries from Smackdown, Miz/Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe/AJ Styles, will continue at this event with their own individual matches. Neither of them have any crazy stipulations though.
We'd like to think we know how it's all going to go down this Saturday, so we've made a few predictions as to what will happen at this monumental show. Check out the full match card below and the times the show will start and move forward to see what we think.
Super Show-Down Match Card:
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Super Show-Down Start Times
7 PM AET
10 AM BST
5 AM ET
4 AM C
2 AM PT
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on the morning of Saturday, October 5 for coverage of the PPV.
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy
(Cruiserweight Championship)
Having a cruiserweight match to highlight what these superstars are doing is a no-brainer, and this will be an exciting match. However, I don't see the title changing hands that evening, as it may just be more of a promotion for the 205 Live product more than anything else.
Prediction: Alexander wins
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
This match is a double-edged sword for WWE. On one hand, you have The IIconics, who are from Australia, on a big PPV in their home country for the first time. Then you have Naomi and Asuka, and WWE has done Asuka no favors since breaking her streak. However, considering how over Billie Kay and Payton Royce are right now, I do not see them losing in Australia.
Prediction: The IIconics win
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar
(Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The New Day and The Bar are dominant tag teams in the WWE. The Bar hasn't been as active lately, but this latest push for the tag titles puts them back in the spotlight. While the New Day have been champions on and off for quite a while, this current run hasn't even lasted two months. So while The Bar will become champions again, it won't be at Super Show-Down, as New Day's run needs to last a bit longer so the titles aren't bouncing around.
Prediction: The New Day wins
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
It's looking like the Bryan/Miz feud is going to be a long one, and I couldn't be happier. Their mixed match at Hell in a Cell wasn't the best, and fans want to see these two fight each other one-on-one. Luckily, that's what we're getting at Super Show-Down. I'm giving Daniel Bryan the win, hoping it will enrage The Miz to try and get revenge on his former protege.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan wins
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Yeah, sure, whatever. While Kevin Owens and Elias teaming up has been working, since Owens' return to weekly programming, the addition of John Cena to this match just makes it feel like they're tossing in Cena wherever they can. It feels like it's another attempt to get Bobby Lashley over. Because of all of this, I'm giving Cena/Lashley the win.
Prediction: John Cena & Bobby Lashley win
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
(Smackdown Women's Championship)
It's hard to work heel when the entire world loves you, but Becky Lynch is doing her best. This has been a fantastic storyline between two of WWE's top main event women, and this will be a great match. As you can guess--if you've read any of these before--I always pull for Lynch to win, and that's what I'm doing here, yet again.
Prediction: Becky Lynch wins
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
Much like a lot of matches on this show, WWE is putting in some of its biggest names to draw crowds to the arena. Of course, that means teaming The Bella Twins with Ronda Rousey against Raw's biggest heels in the women's division, the Riott Squad. It's a classic "good vs. bad" match, and because the Raw Women's Champion is a part of this match, we're giving the good guys the win.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins win
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
(WWE Championship)
The feud between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe is intense. Joe has been on a rampage, and it's been mentally breaking down Styles, as the head games are in full effect. Joe will eventually become champion, but this rivalry still has a lot of legs. I don't see a title change coming at Super Show-Down, but it will happen soon, most likely at Crown Jewel or Survivor Series in November, and for that reason, I'm giving the win to Styles.
Prediction: AJ Styles wins
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
Six superstars in a single rivalry is a bit much, but it's working for this stable vs. stable feud. The Shield has had quite a problem on their hands while facing the dominant team of Strowman and company. This will be a powerhouse battle featuring all of Monday night's top superstars. We already know that Reigns and Strowman's feud will continue into November's Crown Jewel PPV, so I'm giving the win to Team Strowman, with the hopes that the Monster Among Men will then demand a title match next month.
Prediction: Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre win
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Closing out the night will be Triple H and Undertaker, bringing closure to a rivalry that fans haven't thought about in years. Again, this match is simply booked to draw people to the gigantic stadium where the event is taking place. Having the Undertaker come back is a huge deal--not as much so for Triple H--so because of that, I'm giving the win to Undertaker.
New York Comic-Con 2018 Day 2 is officially complete and we saw a lot more cosplayers on the show floor. Here is everyone we were able to meet during Day 2. We will continue to keep adding pictures throughout the weekend. Be sure to keep checking back.
There was even more comic book representation on the second day. We ran into a whole new Spider-Squad, this one composed of the best-dressed Spider-People we've ever seen. We also saw a trio of captains--two Captain Americas and one Captain Marvel. The X-men couple Rogue and Bandit were in attendance as well, and we also spied The CW's Green Arrow, Netflix's Matt Murdock and Elektra, Marvel's Dr. Strange, and DC Comic's Joker, Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman.
In terms of video game and movie characters, we teared up a little when we saw Destiny 2's Cayde alive and well, and then we had to crane our necks to take in Transformers' Bumblebee. The newest Dr. Who was also at NYCC, and we also met Avengers: Infinity War's Black Widow and Nier: Automata's 2B and 9S.
Day 2 of NYCC had plenty of trailers too. The new extended look of the upcoming Aquaman is probably our favorite, as it provided our first good look at Black Manta in action and Aquaman donning his comic book gold and green suit. We also saw teases for plenty of Netflix series, including The Dragon Prince Season 2, Daredevil Season 3, and Umbrella Academy. We also got to hear the cast of Starz's American Gods talk about Season 2 and watch the premiere of DC's Titans.
New York Comic-Con 2018 runs from October 4 to October 7. We'll be writing up our impressions of what we see and hear all weekend long.
The fall 2018 anime season has officially begun. As of this week, a bunch of new series and movies have begun airing on Netflix, Amazon, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and HiDive. With all the new anime, we've outlined what we think you need to add to your watch list.
Bloom Into You is a must watch. This love story between two high school girls also addresses the pressures of living with low self-worth and the struggles of understanding asexual love. Despite the heaviness of the story's drama, there are both brief snippets of hilarity and quiet moments of internal resilience that draw you into the changing dynamic between the second-year student council president who can't escape her dead sister's shadow and the young first-year who dreams of falling in love but doesn't feel the emotions that love stories say a young girl should. Bloom Into You is debuting exclusively on HiDive (in both Japanese and English dub) and premiers on October 5. This fall, HiDive is also airing episodes of the English dub of Princess Principal, one of the best anime from 2017.
You should also add Crunchyroll's Goblin Slayer to your queue--especially if you're a fan of Dark Souls. Goblin Slayer is a dark fantasy about an inexperienced priestess, called Priestess, who's saved by a male adventurer named Goblin Slayer after her entire party is gruesomely butchered in front of her. Goblin Slayer is a bloody story that repeatedly offers up scenes where its characters are left with eyes full of despair, but the show is not without its charm. The series begins airing on October 6.
Other anime to look out for are That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and SSSS Gridman. The former launched on October 1, with the original Japanese version on Crunchyroll and the English dub on Funimation. The latter comes out on Funimation on October 6. Slime is an isekai--a story where a normal person is transported to another world--that's about pretty much exactly what the name implies, and Studio Trigger's Gridman is an anime remake of Gridman the Hyper Agent, a series about three kids creating a video game superhero. Golden Kamuy and Netflix's Castlevania also return with second seasons this fall, the former on October 8 and the latter on October 26.
The full list of anime series and movies that have been confirmed to premier this fall on Amazon, Crunchyroll, Funimation, HiDive, and Netflix are listed below. We'll update the list if additional titles are announced.
Fall 2018 Anime Release Date Schedule (U.S.)
Amazon
October 5
Boarding School Juliet
So Many Colors In The Future What A Wonderful World
October 11
Le Cirque de Karakuri
Crunchyroll
October 1
That Time I Go Reincarnated as a Slime
October 3
RErideD: Derrida, who leaps through time
October 4
Zombieland Saga
October 5
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind
October 6
Goblin Slayer
Radiant
Sword Art Online: Alicization
October 7
Ulysses: Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight
October 8
Golden Kamuy (Season 2)
October 12
Senran Kagura Shinovi Master
Funimation
October 1
Space Battleship Tiramisu Zwei (Season 2)
That Time I Go Reincarnated as a Slime
October 6
Ace Attorney (Season 2)
SSSS Gridman
October 8
Golden Kamuy (Season 2)
October 9
Tokyo Ghoul:re (Season 2)
HiDive
October 1
The Girl in Twilight
October 5
Bloom Into You
October 7
Release The Spyce
Netflix
October 3
Violet Evergarden: Special
October 15
The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments
October 26
Castlevania (Season 2)
October 30
Fate/EXTRA Last Encore: Illustrias Geocentrism Theory
The live action Netflix adaptation of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba's original graphic novel series Umbrella Academy has been given an official release date: February 12, 2019.
A "twisted, dysfunctional" take on superheroes, Umbrella Academy centers around the lives of six individuals, part of a group of mysterious kids, part of a group of 43 kids, all born on the same day at the same time of apparently immaculate conception. Each of the children had some sort of superpower, but only seven of them were adopted by a mysterious and wealthy benefactor named Sir Reginald Hargreeves seventeen years later. Hargreeves founds "the Umbrella Academy" where he plans to train and support his new superpowered children.
Fans at New York Comic Con were treated to an exclusive first look trailer showcasing the show's unique and surreal tone. Set to a plucky, instrumental cover of The Turtles' "So Happy Together," the trailer was a collection of clips that established the world of the show with a voice over about the birth of the 43 children, their adoption, and the founding of the Academy. With the world building out of the way, the trailer began hopping around to brief clips of each character in action, building tension after the apparent death of Hargreeves.
The show will kick off in 1989 with the birth of the kids, a setting that's actually unique to the show. The bulk of the graphic novel is set in 1977, in an alternate timeline where John F. Kennedy was never assassinated. Details about the plot and other liberties the show may take are still vague. However, actor Aiden Gallagher (No. 00.06 'The Boy'), a fan of the original books, offered assurance, "I think we do a good job of honoring the comic, but we've got some surprises for you."
Umbrella Academy stars Ellen Page (Vanya Hargreeves aka The White Violin), Tom Hopper (Luther Hargreeves aka Spaceboy), David Castañeda (Diego Hargreeves aka The Kraken), Emmy Raver-Lampman (Allison Hargreeves aka The Rumor), Robert Sheehan (Klaus Hargreeves aka The Seance), Aiden Gallagher (The Boy), Mary J. Blige (Cha-Cha), and Cameron Britton (Hazel).
Bungie has announced that Last Wish, the Raid included in the Forsaken expansion for Destiny 2, will not be getting additional difficulties. Several past Destiny Raids got a Prestige mode after they launched, which made everything much harder.
In a blog post, Bungie wrote, "We wanted to create an experience that offered the truest forms of every encounter from day one, and offered some of the most powerful rewards in the game to anyone who could succeed." This coincides with Bungie's decision to transform the Iron Banner and make the mode more akin to "an arms race." It makes the mode more challenging from the get go, but it pushes low Power level characters to grow stronger.
That's not to say that Raid updates for Forsaken are done. In the same blog post, Bungie further teased a new Raid lair for Black Armory, which is scheduled for this December. If you happen to have an Annual Pass for Destiny 2, you'll be hearing more information about the next lair "real soon."
Bungie has two updates scheduled for Destiny 2 this October. The first starts the Festival of the Lost, a special event we don't know much about. The second one, coming October 30, will hopefully make it easier to earn the Exotic hand cannon Malfeasance. The spawn rate for the Ascendant Primeval Servitor will be increased, and you need an item to drop from them in order to start the quest needed to acquire the gun.
We're giving away 25 Virtual Tickets to BlizzCon 2018 (scroll down to enter below)! The Virtual Ticket is a $50 USD value that unlocks hours of exclusive video programming from Blizzard, including livestreams of everything happening at BlizzCon, from the history-making moments at Opening Ceremony to panels, community events, cosplay contests, and epic closing acts.
The BlizzCon Virtual Ticket also comes with commemorative in-game items for every Blizzard franchise. Blizzard has already released in-game items for ticket holders such as a legendary skin for Sombra in Overwatch. Future items for Diablo III, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm®, StarCraft® II, and World of Warcraft® will be released as they become available between now and BlizzCon.
BlizzCon takes place this November 2-3, but the celebration is already underway with exclusive video content premiering every week at www.blizzcon.com.
To enter for a chance to win a BlizzCon 2018 Virtual Ticket, scroll down below. No purchase necessary. Twenty-five (25) winners will be chosen when the competition ends October 21, 2018, at 11:59PM PT.
While SyFy's new show Nightflyers shares the same creator as the behemoth that is HBO's Game of Thrones, beard enthusiast and lapsed author George RR Martin is really where the similarities between the two shows begin and end. While Game of Thrones trades in fantasy spectacle and high stakes soap opera intrigue, Nightflyers aims directly for horror, and from what we saw at the world premiere screening of the show's first episode during New York Comic Con this week, it looks like it's dipping into the best of both classic and recent sci-fi horror films in its attempt to deliver on its scary premise.
That premise stems from a novella written by GRR Martin in the early 1980s. The year is 2093, and humanity is in trouble. Although settlements seems to have been made within the solar system (or at least on the Moon, according to a quick scene we glimpsed in the pilot episode), Earth desperately needs new resources. On the edge of the solar system, humans detect an alien vessel, but all attempts to communicate with it have been met with silence so far.
Enter the Nightflyer, a huge ship which serves as home for hundreds of crew, and its latest mission: to escort a group of scientists to the alien vessel, who then plan to use a human telepath as a last-ditch attempt to establish a dialogue with the aliens that may hold the key to humanity's survival. Of course, things go awry from the moment the Nightflyer leaves Earth's orbit.
If you think that set-up sounds reminiscent of other trapped-on-a-ship-in-deep-space films like Event Horizon or Sunshine, then you'd be right on the money. Nightflyers, at least from its first episode, looks like it's happy to emulate the best space thrillers of the last 50 years, using familiar tropes and even specific visual imagery to elicit deep reactions. Claustrophobic metal corridors that suddenly become empty and menacing as a character walks through? Nightflyers has it. Creepy hallucinations that set the entire crew on edge? Check? Strange children who may or may not be dead suddenly appearing out of nowhere? For sure. There's even a direct visual nod to one of the most famous jogging scenes in sci-fi history included in this first episode (I'll let you guess which one).
That's not to say, however, that Nightflyers is all reference and no substance. There's enough tension and intrigue in this pilot to make it seem like the 10-episode run of the show will be a worthwhile watch, and there are plenty of mysteries (both with characters and plot) that will leave you wanting to know more. Just why does the ship's captain Roy Eris only ever appear as a hologram? Why does he have cameras installed all over the ship? What is the ultimate goal of lead scientist Karl D'Branin, and why is he keeping secrets from the crew entrusted to transport him to his ultimate goal?
But Nightflyers' best moments in this first episode stem from how the show treats human telepaths. People with psychic abilities in the world of Nightflyers are treated like extremely dangerous criminals, sedated for most of their waking hours and tucked away in remote locations lest they cause havoc on the population. So of course, the fact that one of the strongest telepaths ever is being brought on board sets tensions within the entire crew high, and the show milks it thanks to the creepy performance of actor Sam Strike as the telepath Thale. Thale is being set up as an extremely powerful and perhaps malicious character, although the mysterious events on the Nightflyer may not all be his doing.
10 minutes of new gameplay footage from the latest PC preview build of Darksiders III, played on a NVIDIA GTX 1070.
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