By Dan Auty on Oct 23, 2018 11:19 pm
With Halloween right around the corner, your friends, family, and loved ones might start acting pretty weird. You might even start to wonder whether they're possessed. If you want to avoid getting too paranoid, definitely don't watch any of these movies. The fear of losing control of your mind and body is one of the most potent plot devices in horror movies. Not just going going mad but actually having something else invade you and take control, bidding you to commit terrible acts against your will. The horror blockbuster The Exorcist stunned audiences back in 1973, with the sight of an innocent young girl transformed into a puking, cursing demon against her will. Since then, demonic possession has become a favorite subject for many horror filmmakers. But it's not just demon and devils that can possess the living. There's buildings, ghosts, vehicles, and strange substances, and sometimes, it isn't clear exactly what is invading the victim. Many movies deal with the ambiguity of possession, while others use it as a background to explore deeper themes. Whatever the perpetrator, these 13 films are the scariest possession movies ever made. Just remember: Possession is a fictional phenomenon. Probably.
13. Burnt Offerings (1976)
Burnt Offerings may have been marketed as an The Exorcist copy, but it has a very different tone. It's slow and avoids many of the noisy clichés of other possession movies, instead focusing upon creeping dread and a weird, dreamlike atmosphere. Hellraising acting legend Oliver Reed delivers an intense performance as a man under the grip of something evil in the house he's renting, while Bette Davis plays an old woman who lives in the attic and might have something to do with it. It's takes its time to get there, but the climax absolutely delivers, making this an underrated '70s chiller worth seeking out.
12. Christine (1983)
While Stephen King's novel Christine is ostensibly about a demonic '50s Plymouth Fury, there is plenty of suggestion that the car's evil power actually derives from its former owner Roland LeBay, whose wife and daughter both died in it. John Carpenter's movie adaptation streamlines the plot to make Christine simply an evil car but still has LeBay possess its new owner, high school kid Arnold Cunningham. As the movie progresses, Cunningham transforms from nervous, nerdy teen to a badass, hard-drinking, foul-mouthed ladykiller, as LeBay takes control of his personality, all aided by a knock-out performance from Keith Gordon.
11. Night of the Demons (1988)
Horror in the 1980s was packed with partying teens, and while most ended up being hacked to death by masked maniacs, there were a few variations on the theme. In the very silly but highly entertaining Night of the Demons, a bunch of kids gather to party in--where else--a funeral parlor. Inevitably, they decide to have a seance, summoning an ancient demon who proceeds to take control of these idiotic kids. In this case, the possession is passed along by via physical contact, and these being teenagers in an '80s horror movie, there's plenty of that. Before long, they're all a bunch of slavering, sex-crazed, fanged demons. Party's over!
10. The Last Exorcism (2010)
Part of the found footage craze that followed in the wake of The Blair Witch Project, The Last Exorcism uses its handheld, documentary-style to impressive effect. It's produced by Eli Roth, and like a few films on this list, it plays around with the possibility that its victim is simply disturbed rather than possessed. The movie focuses on a priest who has lost his faith and makes a living by performing fake exorcisms on the mentally ill. This leads him to a girl called Nell, who claims to inhabited by an demonic entity called Abalam. It's a smart shocker that deals with questions of faith and belief, as well delivering some intense and scary scenes.
9. Shock (1977)
Mario Bava is considered to be the godfather of Italian horror, and he is one of the most important directors ever to work in the genre. Bava dabbled in most types of horror over his long career, including a couple of possession movies. There's the post-Exorcist tale Lisa and the Devil (released in the US as House of Exorcism to cash in on the success of The Exorcist), and this final movie. The victim of Shock is a young boy called Marco, who has seemingly been taken over by his dead father, who died in an plane crash. As the movie continues Marco's mum becomes increasingly convinced that Marco is being controlled by her jealous husband from beyond the grave, leaving to all sorts of nightmarish sequences and the uncovering of dark secrets. Like many of the best possession movies, the ambiguity adds to the mystery--is it all in her mind, or is Marco really being controlled by his dead dad?
8. Prince of Darkness (1987)
John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness is one of those horror movies that throws everything into the mix--there's demonic liquids, evil cultists, mind control, scientific mumbo-jumbo, zombies, Alice Cooper, and, of course, possession. In this case, it's a team of scientists who are investigating a mysterious cylinder than contains a strange green liquid. Turns out that the liquid is the essence of Satan himself, and one-by-one, it possesses members of the team, turning them into its murderous minions. Prince of Darkness is a bit of a confusing mess at times, but it's huge fun, and who doesn't love the sight of Alice Cooper impaling a man on a broken bicycle?
7. The Conjuring (2013)
One of the most successful scary movies of recent years, The Conjuring plays out like a horror greatest hits package. But while there might not be anything original going on, and it's skillfully handled by director James Wan. There's some impressive possession scares towards the end, when the spirit of the evil witch Bathsheba takes control of one of the daughters of unlucky homeowners Roger and Carolyn Perron. She is transformed into a screaming, convulsing, biting lunatic, with incredible strength and a desire to bites people's faces off.
6. Possession (1981)
There's no other film quite like Possession. Directed Andrzej Zulawski, this deranged, notorious Berlin-set movie combines arthouse filmmaking with full-on horror and includes a couple of the most unforgettable scene in the genre. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani play a couple whose marriage is imploding; he suspects her of having an affair, which she is, but it's not with anything he (or anyone) could possibly expect. To say any more would spoil the movie's many perverse surprises, but Adjani's wild performance as she becomes by possessed by something truly terrifying must be seen to be believed. Two words: subway scene. If you've seen Possession you'll know exactly what means. And if you haven't--what are you waiting for?
5. Amityville II: The Possession (1981)
1979's The Amityville Horror was a pretty pedestrian haunted house thriller, but the sequel was something very different. Like pretty much every Amityville sequel that has followed (and there have been a lot), it has very little to do with the first movie, instead just using the title and throwing in all manner of unwholesome fun. In this one, Burt Young--best known for playing Rocky's loveable pal Paulie--plays an abusive father who is targeted by something evil living in the basement. Before you know it, the whole family is possessed, with incest and shotgun murder providing the prelude to one of the most insane exorcism sequences in cinema.
4. Session 9 (2001)
One of the most underrated horror movies of the last two decades, Brad Anderson's Session 9 is a seriously unsettling experience. The movie focuses a clean-up crew who are sent into an abandoned mental hospital to sort an asbestos problem, but along the way become obsessed with the past history of its inmates via a series of therapy session recordings that have been left behind. The men get more and more disturbed the longer they spend in there, and the company's boss (Westworld's Peter Mullan) begins acting on some murderous impulses. Like Kubrick's The Shining, it's never entirely clear what has taken control of Mullan's mind, but like Jack Torrance, there is something within the walls of that building that turns a decent family man into an axe-wielding monster.
3. The Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2 (1981/1987)
While Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies are sometimes lumped in with the wave of zombie comedies happening around the same time in the early-to-mid '80s, the series's scary "Deadites" are actually demonically possessed rather than simply undead. In Evil Dead mythology, reading from the passages of the Necronomicon conjures up a Kandarian demon that chases its victims around until it can catch them and possess them. What that means in terms of the movies is Raimi whizzing his camera around, as the "eyes" of the demon chase its victims, until it catches up and takes control of their bodies. It is hapless hero Ash who is frequently tormented by the demons and transformed into a scary white-eyed Deadite, brought brilliantly (and hilariously) to "life" by genre god Bruce Campbell.
2.The Shining (1980)
The themes of possession in Stanley Kubrick's classic Stephen King adaptation take some time emerge. At first, we think we're just watching a writer go slowly insane from the isolation of the remote mountain hotel that he has taken his family to over a long winter. But gradually, it becomes more and more clear that Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is under the control of something more sinister. While King's novel is more overt about the demonic power that controls Torrance, Kubrick's interpretation is more ambiguous about the source of his insanity. Is it the spirit of Charles Grady, a man who also went mad and killed his family years earlier? Or perhaps Delbert Grady, the ghostly butler that Jack encounters in the Overlook. Or maybe the hotel itself? Kubrick doesn't provide any clear answers, but either way, it's one of the scariest movies ever made.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is the granddaddy of possession movies, and many of the elements contained in William Friedkin's masterpiece have become shorthand for the genre. The endless stream of imitators that have followed over the next 40 years may have dulled its more horrific edges, especially for younger viewers who might be more familiar with the rip-offs and copies that the original. But the sheer level of brilliance is undeniable, and it still holds the power to unsettle like nothing else. Few of the possessed performers on this list have inhabited their roles quite like Linda Blair did. From the profanity and spinning heads, to pea-soup vomiting and unmentionable acts with a crucifix, Blair's performance (aided by the unforgettable voice of Mercedes McCambridge) terrified an entire generation of moviegoers.
By Dan Auty on Oct 23, 2018 11:13 pm
For better or worse, a big part of what makes many great horror movies work is the fear of death. Whether it's being stabbed, hacked, turned into a vampire, or eaten by a werewolf, putting sympathetic characters in danger of dying unpleasantly keeps audiences scared and coming back for more. And there's no other type of horror that features more spectacular death scenes that the zombie movie. Ever since George Romero reinvented the zombie film with his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, we've been watching the undead kill and eat the living in increasing gruesome and inventive ways. Some zombie movie death scenes are horrifying, some are hilarious, and others just plain disgusting and weird. But few horror filmmakers working with zombies pass up the opportunity to dispatch the living in memorable ways. So here's 11 of the greatest deaths from the last 50 years of zombie cinema…
11. Dead Snow (2009)
While zombie films can feel extremely familiar, every now and then one appears that throws something new into the mix. The wildly entertaining Dead Snow did this by not only making its zombies reanimated Nazis, it's also set in the snow-covered mountains of Norway. There's a particularly disgusting death about halfway through, when movie nerd Erland is set upon by the undead. First they stick their thumbs in his eyes, before tearing his entire head apart. Director Tommy Wikola seals the deal by cutting to a close-up of poor Erland's brain plopping out onto the floor. Mmmm.
10. Burial Ground (1981)
The worldwide success of Romero's Dawn of the Dead in 1978 inspired dozens of rip-offs and cash-ins, many of which were made in Italy. Burial Ground is hardly remembered as one of the best--frankly, it's terrible--but it does feature what has to be the weirdest, most perverse zombie kill in film history. During the climax, in which the living dead besiege a countryside mansion, a woman is reunited with her son Bark. This "kid" is supposed to be 10, but due to Italian rules about child actors being involved with scenes involving sex and violence, he was actually played a diminutive 25-year-old man. And if that wasn't weird enough, Bark has had a disturbing fixation on his mom throughout the movie. Their happy reunion is cut short when mom decides to start, erm, breast-feeding her son, who we discover is now a zombie. You can probably imagine the rest, although it's honestly best not to.
9. Zombieland (2009)
This is the one death on our list that's actually a human killing another human, but it's so good we had to include it. In the hilarious zombie comedy Zombieland, our band of heroes end up sheltering in a mansion. It turns out the house belongs to none other than comedy legend Bill Murray, playing himself. Ever the joker, Bill decides to scare Jesse Eisenberg's character Columbus by pretending to be a zombie; unfortunately for Bill, Columbus reacts by shooting him through the chest. As he lies dying, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) asks him if he has any regrets. "Garfield, maybe" Murray deadpans, before expiring.
8. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
George Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead is so full of spectacular, inventive gore scenes it's hard to pick a favourite death. But there's one moment that typifies Romero's irreverent, witty approach to horror. At the end of the movie, a gang of marauding bikers loot the mall that our heroes have taken refuge in, letting hundreds of zombies in in the process. One of the bikers is so keen to use the blood pressure testing machine in the mall that he pops a quarter in, despite the fact that his colleagues are starting to be overwhelmed by the living dead. Of course, he doesn't last long either, and with his arm caught in the strap, is torn apart by zombies. Romero's brilliant punchline is to cut back to the severed arm, still in the machine. Blood pressure reading: zero.
7. Dead Alive (1992)
Long before he was bringing the works of JRR Tolkien to the screen with the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Peter Jackson was known for his wild, inventive New Zealand horror comedies. 1992's Dead Alive (aka Braindead) is an outrageous zombie epic that features one of the most outrageously gory final sequences ever filmed. Earlier on there's the glorious scene in which Father McGruder--aka the kung fu priest--delivers the immortal line "I kick arse for the Lord!" and uses his martial arts skills on a couple of ravenous graveyard zombies. Sadly it doesn't end well. He takes a flying leap towards one creature, but misses and ends up impaling himself on the giant stone finger on a headstone, which is helpfully pointing to heaven.
6. Re-Animator (1985)
The 1980s was the decade of the horror comedy, and there are few better than Re-Animator. Stuart Gordon's brilliant adaptation of an HP Lovecraft short story features pitch-black laughs and gallons of gore, as mad doctor Herbert West attempts to bring the dead back to life with the help of his mysterious green fluid. West becomes a victim of his own success, when at the end of the movie, he is strangled by a set of reanimated intestines. OK, to be fair, the disappointing sequel Bride of Re-Animator, released 5 years later, reveals that West somehow survived. But we're counting this one because there's nothing in the original movie to suggest he gets out alive, and frankly, it's a spectacular way to go.
5. Shaun of the Dead (2005)
As the title of Edgar Wright's much-loved zom-rom-com suggests, Shaun of the Dead is a massive homage to the movies of George Romero. The film is packed with easter eggs and references to the great man's films, and the movie's most spectacular death scene is a clear tribute to the groundbreaking gore effects pioneered by Tom Savini in Romero's films. Comedian Dylan Moran plays the movie's "villain," a sneering, unlikable rival to Simon Pegg's hero Shaun, and his death is wonderfully satisfying moment. In true Romero style, he is pulled apart by zombies as he's dragged out of the window of the Winchester pub, his guts, limbs, and head getting passed around by the hungry dead.
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Romero's groundbreaking masterpiece set the template for the modern zombie movie, and invented many of the "rules" that still govern the genre to this day. While much of its violence seems tame by modern standards, it's still a damn scary film, with one particularly shocking moment. Helen Cooper, one of the main characters hiding out in a farmhouse, descends into the basement to discover her eight-year-old daughter Karen eating her husband Harry. As Helen falls to the floor in shock, zombie Karen stops munching on dad, picks up a trowel, and brutally hacks her mom to death.
3. Zombie (1979)
Also known as Zombi 2, Lucio Fulci's Italian shocker was the first of many Italian zombie rip-offs that followed the success of Dawn of the Dead. Fulci's horror movies were renowned for their spectacular gore (as well as their frequently nonsensical plots), and Zombie features one of his most notorious scenes. The movie set on a cursed Caribbean island where the dead are rising from their graves, and includes the moment when a woman is grabbed from the other side of a door by a zombie. In excruciatingly drawn-out style, she is pulled closer and closer to a large wooden splinter sticking out from the broken door, until it eventually enters her eye and impales her brain. Owwwww!
2. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Zack Snyder's 2004 reworking of the Romero classic is one of the best horror remakes to appear over the last couple of decades. It starts with a stunning sequence in which a normal suburban couple are woken one morning by their neighbor's young daughter, who is standing in the doorway of their bedroom. The man gets out of bed and is set upon by the girl, who has become a slavering zombie. His throat is torn out within seconds, and his wife barely makes it out of the house alive. It's one of the best, scariest openings in horror history.
1. Day of the Dead (1985)
Few zombie movies have ever matched the claustrophobic intensity of Romero's Day of the Dead. The movie focuses on a group of scientists who are living in a military bunker with a squad of soldiers, and the slow build-up of simmering tensions finally explodes in the last 30 minutes, as the dead invade the bunker. Perhaps the most iconic death scene in Romero's filmography occurs at the end, when the villainous Captain Rhodes meets his doom. Cornered by vengeful zombie soldier Bub, Rhodes is shot, then torn apart by the living dead. As he watches the lower half of his body dragged off down the corridor, he croaks his final words: "Choke on 'em… choke on 'em..."
By Phil Hornshaw on Oct 23, 2018 10:05 pm
The Haunted Forest is Spooky--and Tricky
There are a few things you're going to want to know to excel in the Haunted Forest.
Destiny 2's big Halloween-themed event, the Festival of the Lost, is live until November 6 and is going to keep players busy this year. While there's the usual crop of special Halloween-themed cosmetic items and masks players can get for their characters, this year also sees the addition of a new special activity called the Haunted Forest. It recasts the Infinite Forest from Destiny 2's Curse of Osiris expansion as a horror-themed spook-zone, where players try to take down as many enemies as they can, as fast as they can, to earn special Festival rewards. That includes Horror Story, a level 600 auto rifle with some extremely solid perks. You'll first unlock access to the Haunted Forest as part of the Festival of the Lost quest line picked up from Amanda Holliday on the Tower. She provides players with their first masks, which they'll need to wear when they venture into the forest. Completing the quest line opens up the forest for entry, accessible from the Tower map. It comes in two varieties: the first includes matchmaking with other players, and the second is locked, allowing players to venture in with their own fireteams or alone. The Haunted Forest seems pretty straightforward at first, but it carries key differences from the Infinite Forest players are used to seeing. It's dark and scary, which make it difficult to navigate, and the Haunted Forest version contains special enemies that don't show up regularly in the Infinite Forest. It also has different requirements for success than usual that can trip up new players. There's also a new, special currency in the Haunted Forest: Fragmented Souls, which can be returned to Holliday to buy more masks and other special rewards. Those include the Festival's level 600 auto rifle, Horror Story. Like other activities, you'll need to complete bounties and get as far as you can in the Haunted Forest to earn it, as well as to complete the special Festival of the Lost Triumphs Bungie has added to the game. Here are 10 tips to help you overcome the terror and maximize your survivability in the Haunted Forest.
It's Not About Speed, It's About Speedy Kills
Don't race through the Haunted Forest; taking down enemies is how you advance
The Haunted Forest differs from the regular Infinite Forest in that your progression isn't about distance covered. You'll often see players sprinting through Strike missions that take place in the Infinite Forest, hoping to reach the far end of the area quickly in order to progress to the Strike's boss. You have the opposite goal in the Haunted Forest--you want to kill as many enemies as you can, as fast as you can. Moving forward through each new area of the forest is just a means of finding new baddies to blast, so try to balance pushing forward and clearing out enemies. Whatever gets you more targets faster is the better plan. When you're trying to gauge how far into the Haunted Forest you've delved, look for the "Branch" number on your screen. Along with the branch you're currently on, you'll find a percentage that shows how many enemies you need to kill to get to the Nightmare, or boss, of that branch. It seems you're responsible for killing 50 enemies per branch to move on to the Nightmare.
Know Which Modifiers Are Messing With You
Each new branch gets its own modifiers, and knowing how they affect you will save your life.
The deeper into the Haunted Forest you get, the more difficult it becomes, specifically because of the modifiers applied to each new branch after the first. Knowing what modifiers you're facing is key to staying alive, because you'll need to change your fighting styles accordingly. You'll see the Glass modifier on Branch 2, which makes you much easier to kill, but comes with faster recovery; Attrition on Branch 3, which means your health and shield won't recharge on their own, but get restored by Light drops from enemies; Grounded on Branch 4, which greatly increases the damage you take while airborne; and Blackout on Branch 5, which disables your radar and makes enemy melee attacks much more deadly. From there the Haunted Forest will start doubling up modifiers to make things even more ridiculous.
Stick With Your Team
You're unlikely to make it far as a lone wolf in the Haunted Forest.
An essential part of surviving the Haunted Forest is staying together, especially in the later levels. Efficiently taking down bad guys is how you advance through the forest, and while it might feel like splitting up is the better way to go about that, it mostly just makes it easy to get overwhelmed. Do your best not to get too far ahead of your team; you're better off supporting each other if you want to get to the really hard branches of the Haunted Forest.
Don't Resurrect Yourself If You Can Avoid It
You can lose a ton of time by resurrecting yourself, rather than letting teammates revive you.
One big reason you'll want to stay with your team: you want them to revive you. As you work through a branch of the Haunted Forest, you'll open more and more areas with enemies in them and physically move deeper into the forest. If you die and resurrect yourself, rather than be revived by a teammate, though, you'll be transported all the way back to the beginning of the area and be forced to walk all the way back to where your team is. That can eat up a ton of critical time, so avoid resurrecting yourself unless you absolutely have to, or if you're early in a branch. Otherwise, you'll probably cost your team the ability to get to one of the later branches for all the time wasted.
You're Free to Resurrect in the Nightmare Arena
Make it to the battle against a Nightmare, though, and you're free to resurrect as often as you need.
Every time you hit 100 percent on a branch, you'll be transported to a special room where you'll face a Nightmare boss, as well as a handful of its minions. This room is always the same no matter what branch you're on, and once you're here, you're free to resurrect yourself without fear of getting sent back to the beginning of a branch. The Nightmare room is also the same for every branch, meaning ammo dropped in previous Nightmare fights will likely still be around in later ones if you need it. Remember that the timer is still running when you fight the Nightmare, so try to focus on the boss and take it down as fast as you can; you get nothing for clearing out the little guys harassing you while you fight.
Keep Your Masks Upgraded
Masks have perks of their own, and you can upgrade them as you advance through the Haunted Forest.
Though the Haunted Forest is only supposedly a 200-Power-Level area, you'll take a significant hit to your Power when you run it, since you'll have to be wearing one of Holliday's Festival of the Lost masks. Those masks do have benefits, though, apart from being hilarious: they get special perks that only apply in the Haunted Forest. You can apply one of three perks to each mask you get, although choose carefully, because they're permanent. Once you've applied a perk, killing Nightmare bosses in the forest will allow you to upgrade them, unlocking better and better benefits. You get a new perk upgrade with every 10 Nightmares killed, so don't forget to apply them.
Beware the Invincible Nightmare!
You're being haunted by the Invincible Nightmare in the Haunted Forest, and it is not very nice.
Stalking the Haunted Forest like a slasher movie villain is the Invincible Nightmare, a towering Hive Knight much like those that keep showing up in the Dreaming City's Ascendant Challenges. Like Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, though, this one can't be killed. It'll just hunt you through the forest, trying to wreck you and your teammates, which is particularly problematic when you're working through branches with Glass and Blackout modifiers. If you see the Nightmare, avoid it at all costs, because you can't do anything against it. Try to keep a lookout for it, too, because it likes to hide motionless in the dark until your team gets close, and it can ravage players in just one or two hits on later branches.
Watch Your Step To Stay Alive
It's easy to wander off a ledge in the Haunted Forest, so move carefully.
This one might go without saying, but it's easy to rush around the Haunted Forest, trying to beat the timer, and forget that it's full of easily missed edges and drop-offs that can kill you. It's especially easy to overlook those drops because the Haunted Forest is largely very dark and spooky. In an activity where death can be a major pain, either because it requires a teammate to help you or because it can cost you a ton of valuable time, it's best to avoid your usual paths through the Haunted Forest that require big jumps or daredevil approaches. In fact, sticking to the clear path through the forest is often a better way to get to enemies more reliably, and to stay close to your team so they can revive you when you do die. Avoid the unnecessary risks of tempting fate over the Haunted Forest's pits.
Don't Panic When the Timer Runs Out, But Play Smarter
When the timer runs out, dying will end your Haunted Forest run--but you can still finish your current branch if you're careful.
Eventually, the 15-minute timer on your Haunted Forest run will expire, with a message that the forest will be collapsing on you. That makes it tempting to rush, but when the timer runs out, you should do the opposite: slow down, take your time, and play smarter. The Haunted Forest lets you stay and complete whatever branch you're currently working on through to the Nightmare at the end, provided your whole team isn't killed. Without the timer, you have no reason to rush and every reason to stay alive, so it's best to change tactics, especially on higher branches where you can get taken out in one shot by the Invincible Nightmare, or even enemies like snipers. Note also that you'll have much longer timers on your self-resurrection ability once the Haunted Forest timer expires--a full 30 seconds.
The Invincible Nightmare's Pit is Scary, But It Won't Cost You Anything
Don't worry if you get trapped in the Invincible Nightmare's pit--even if you meet your fate there, you still get your loot.
This is a spoiler for the best part of the Haunted Forest, so if you want to be surprised, quit reading. If not, know that once the timer has expired and you've died, you'll be zapped to a place where you can claim a chest and collect all the Fractured Souls you've earned for fighting through the forest. Bungie has one more trick up its sleeve, though: a hidden pit beneath the bridge you have to cross to reach the chest, which traps you with the monstrous Invincible Nightmare. It's a funny joke, but don't worry too much if you're panicked that this horror movie twist just cost you your winnings. If you can't open the chest, you'll find them at the Postmaster. There's also a secret exit from the pit hidden toward the ceiling on one of the side walls that will let you avoid becoming another slasher victim.
By Meg Downey on Oct 23, 2018 08:35 pm
Venom has already broken box office records
Venom is now in theaters, and although it may not be officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that doesn't mean it's lacking in comic book shout outs. Eddie's symbiotic alien adventure isn't as crammed full of Easter eggs and nods as his web slinging pals over in the MCU proper, but there are certainly some. So, of course, we're going to count them down. Be advised, Venom spoilers abound here, so proceed with caution. Venom is a totally reimagined origin story for Spidey's obsessive alien enemy, set in Sony's isolated Spider-Man free Spider-Man universe. It focuses on Eddie Brock as an intrepid investigative journalist in San Francisco as he tries to uncover the truth about a shady biochemical firm known as The Life Foundation. Unfortunately, in the process of digging for dirt, Eddie crosses some lines and winds up disgraced, alone, and desperate for a break. Thankfully, one comes in the form of a Life Foundation scientist, Dr. Skirth, who finds herself in a crisis of consciousness over her job's unethical methods. Eddie becomes embroiled in the strange, parasitic world of the Life Foundation's alien pet projects: the symbiotes, tar-like aliens that require a biological host to survive. It doesn't take much effort to start connecting the dots from that point. Eddie winds up saddled with a symbiote named Venom who can engulf him in black goo and puppeteer him around for all sorts of wacky, violent hijinks. Naturally, the Life Foundations' shady motivations become clear and the whole thing culminates in a full on oozified splatterfest as Venom clashes against a fellow symbiote for the fate of humanity. Look, the Venom story is a weird one even in the comics, OK? If you were expecting high stakes moral quandaries, you're looking in the wrong place. That doesn't mean it's not worth seeing--as Venom's box office results clearly show, fans are eating it up. Now read on for all the Easter eggs and references you might have missed.
1. Eddie's New York Past
One of the first things established about Eddie Brock in Venom is that he was, effectively, pushed out of New York City after losing his job at The Daily Globe, which just so happens to be the The Daily Bugle's biggest rival over in the comics. He's currently living and working in San Francisco. This is a directly indirect nod to Eddie's comic book history with the one and only Spider-Man, who he developed a powerful grudge against while working as a photojournalist in NYC. After Eddie bonds with Venom and the two of them set some of their differences with Pete aside by coming to a tenuous agreement and they return to San Francisco to act as the "lethal protector" of the city.
2. Yellow Symbiote
While Venom and Riot may be the only two named symbiotes in the Life Foundation's possession, they're experimenting with one that is distinctly yellow in color. This is a reference to one of the comic book Life Foundation symbiotes called Phage, who set himself apart from his siblings with his bright color and--well, not much else.
3. Blue Symbiote
Like Phage, another original comic book Life Foundation symbiote made a stealthy cameo during the experimentation scenes. The blueish green blob that goes on to kill Dr. Skirth is, we can assume, a nod to Lasher, another one of the original five creatures who Carlton Drake hoped to reverse engineer.
4. She-Venom
During her very brief stint bonded with the symbiote, Anne becomes a female version of Venom known in the comics as--wait for it--She-Venom. She-Venom was introduced in the comics back in 1995 during the awesomely named "Sinner Takes All" arc. She and Venom bond when Anne was fatally shot, which wound up saving Anne's life--though not for long. She eventually killed herself in the comics as a direct result of her life's Venom-related chaos.
5. Carnage
Venom's first post credits scene reveals Woody Harrelson playing a prisoner in a maximum security facility. He never properly introduces himself, but comics fans will clock right away--even before he utters the telling "there's gonna be carnage" line--that he's playing Cletus Kasady, the insane killer who goes on to become Carnage. As one of Venom's most iconic foes, Carnage is a hulking bright red symbiotic beast who has none of the moral qualms Venom does about Eddie's general resistance to killing. As a serial killer and sociopath, Cletus and his symbiote are only interested in spilling as much blood as they can.
6. Eating Brains
Venom's cannibalism is a pretty prominent feature of the film, sometimes as a joke, sometimes as an earnest threat. This isn't a new thing, however, nor is it live action sensationalism--but it's probably a weirder callback than you might expect. The real origin of Venom's brain-eating isn't the comics, but the Venom action figure released in the 1990s shortly after Venom's introduction. The cannibalism eventually did make the leap to comics, but it was always a bit of a non sequitur (why does an alien blob want to do the zombie thing, anyway?) Now, some 20 years later, the brain eating tradition continues in full color on movie screens everywhere.
7. Eyes, Lungs, Pancreas
The line "eyes, lungs, pancreas--so many snacks, so little time!" may be cheesy, but it's also a direct reference to the comics. And not just a reference--that exact dialogue was lifted straight from Amazing Spider-Man #374. Naturally, this was after the whole "eating brains" thing became pretty well established.
8. Spider-Eyes
As you could probably imagine, a blob of black alien goo could basically look like anything at any time, so over in the comics, Venom's humanoid form is based entirely upon his origin in which he spent some time disguised as Peter Parker's black costume. Of course, in the live action universe, Venom hasn't actually met Peter so he has no real reason to riff on the look. That's why he doesn't have a big white Spider-logo on his chest--but there's still one major Spidey shout out in the design, and it's all in the eyes. Venom's eye shape subtly implies a Spider-Man connection--whether or not there really is one.
9. The Life Foundation
Carlton Drake's Life Foundation isn't an arbitrary plot piece for the movie, it's actually one of the biggest comics call-backs Venom has to offer. The Life Foundation has some deep roots in the Marvel Universe, but they're most famous for being the first organization to purposefully create symbiote spawns. They were responsible for the propagation of five Venom "children" named Agony, Scream, Phage, Lasher, and Riot who they then bonded to Life Foundation volunteers to create their very own symbiote task force. Sound familiar? That's because they do basically the exact same thing in Venom with only a few little tweaks to make it work in the movie universe.
10. Eddie the Journalist
Eddie's career as a journalist was anything but an arbitrary choice for the film. Eddie Brock's comic book origin story revolves around his career as a journalist who broke a bad story and, naturally, decided his mistake was all Spider-Man's fault. His career was ruined and he was forced to sink to tabloid levels just to make a living, all while bodybuilding to reduce the stress. The end result was a super jacked, super angry ex-journalist who just so happened to be the perfect host for a vengeful alien symbiote.
11. Carlton Drake
While Jenny Slates' Dr. Skirth isn't actually a direct reference to any comic book character, Riz Ahmed's Carlton Drake definitely is. He was lifted directly from Marvel's pages as the ethically questionable leader of the Life Foundation. His comics counterpart never bonds with the symbiote Riot, so there are certainly some differences, but Carlton's name and corporate role are as true to the source as can be.
12. Down with the Sickness
If any motif, you know, aside from tar-y black goo, is repeated over and over in Venom it's Eddie having to go in and out of medical facilities. He's put through MRI machines, he's sweaty and feverish, he's worried about having a "parasite," he's talking with doctors--you get the idea. While this isn't an explicit reference to any one particular thing, it is potentially a shout-out to Eddie's rather unpleasant history with doctors back in the comics. In the early 2000s, a story called "The Hunger" retconned Eddie's origin story to give him deadly cancer prior to his bonding with Venom. It was the symbiote that kept Eddie alive and rid him of his disease--which sort of plays out on screen. It's just that in the movie, Eddie's not actually sick, Venom is the thing that is both hurting him and saving him.
13. John Jameson
This one is blink-and-you-miss-it, but if you're paying close enough attention to the beginning of Venom, you might catch a name dropped in reference to the catastrophic crash that brings the symbiotes to Earth. One of the scientists in the clean up crew mentions that the craft had been piloted by "Jameson," which, in any other circumstance would probably just be a throwaway line--but not here. The name Jameson is actually a shout-out to comics character John Jameson who, in addition to being the son of J. Jonah Jameson (yes, that J. Jonah Jameson) was also the astronaut famous for bringing the symbiotes to Earth.
14. Meanwhile, in another universe…
The second of Venom's post-credits scenes doesn't actually have much to do with Venom at all. It's a teaser for Sony's other Spider-Man movie, the fully animated Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, which is heading for theaters this fall. Though Eddie and Venom have nothing to do with Miles Morales and his cartoon adventures, the title card does put Venom the movie into an interesting context within Sony's not-actually-shared universe of movies. If the "Spider-Verse" encompasses any and all forms of Spider-Man stories, then Venom is most definitely part of that web somewhere, right? We're not recommending you hold your breath for a Tom Hardy shout-out or cameo in Into The Spider-Verse, but hey, stranger things have happened.
By Dan Auty on Oct 23, 2018 06:10 pm
While John Carpenter's 1978 Halloween didn't invent the slasher genre (1971's Bay of Blood and 1974's Black Christmas came before it), it help make it a commercial force. Along with Friday the 13th, Carpenter's movie set the rules and conventions for what would soon become briefly-lived but extremely profitable sub-genre in the 1980s, with dozens of cheaply made imitations appearing almost weekly. And while Carpenter had very little further involvement in the series, the movie's producers knew that in Michael Myers--aka the Shape---they had a classic horror villain, so the sequels, reboots, and remakes have kept on coming. For all the twists and plot inventions that filmmakers have been throwing at us over the years--from sibling surprises and unwanted backstories to psychic connections and strange cults--the Halloween movies remain popular for one simple reason. We like to see Michael kill people. Few of the directors that followed in Carpenter's wake have his cinematic craft, and the tension and scares of that first film were quickly replaced by violence and gore. But with his expressionless mask, incredible strength, and wide variety of killing tools, Michael remained a perfect bad guy throughout, and even the weaker movies are enlivened by some juicy kills. Forty years later, Michael has returned to the screen for an tenth time, in David Gordon Green's Halloween, which is a direct sequel to the first film. The has some of the nastiest deaths to date, and the movie very much honors the great legacy of Carpenter's original; it's notable that this is the first film for decades that he's had any creative involvement in. So here's The Shape's most brutal kills in the series so far.
18. Halloween Resurrection - Laurie's Last Stand
The worst movie in the entire series, the woeful Halloween: Resurrection offers very little in the way of satisfying kills. In fact, the only death of any note is that of Laurie Strode. Jamie Lee Curtis returned for a short appearance at the start of the film, and engages Michael in a fight to the death on a hospital rooftop. Both Laurie and her brother end up hanging from the roof; Michael stabs her in the back several times and she plummets to the ground.
17. Halloween (1978) - Bye Bye Bob
Poor Bob. All Lynda's likeable boyfriend wants is a post-sex beer on Halloween, but unfortunately Michael is waiting for him in the kitchen. Myers strangles Bob, lifting him clear off the ground, before plunging a knife into him, pinning him to a door. Michael's quizzical turn of the head, as he looks at his victim, is a great touch too.
16. Halloween: H20 - No More Marion
1998's superb reboot, Halloween: H20, is actually much more restrained than any of the later movies, relying more on old-fashioned tension than gore. There's a great death in the scary opening sequence however, when Marion Chambers--Michael's nurse from the original--is attacked while cops investigate the house next door. "In here, goddamn it!" she screams out of the window, just before Michael cuts her throat.
15. Halloween II - Nasty Needle
While the first Halloween is a model of subtlety and restraint, 1981's first sequel was definitely not. With the slasher movie craze in full swing, director Rick Rosenthal and producer Carpenter seriously upped the brutality. Much of the movie takes place in a hospital, where Michael has tracked Laurie. In one scene he grabs a nurse called Janet and in excruciating close-up, inserts a hypodermic needle into her temple.
14. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers - Gardening Time
Halloween 5 sees Michael continue to hunt his niece Jamie, with whom he seems to have developed a weird telepathic connection. One of the earliest kills is a juicy moment when he targets a flashy, mullet-sporting guy named Mike and plunges a gardening claw deep into his forehead.
13. Halloween (1978) - Annie Strangled
It takes a full 55 minutes before the adult Michael starts killing the teenagers of Haddonfield in the original Halloween, as Carpenter wrings every drop of tension out of the movie (and the audience). When Michael does finally strike, it's sudden and shocking. Annie, sitting in her car, is grabbed from the backseat and brutally strangled. Michael seals the deal with his knife and she slumps against the car's horn.
12. Halloween II - Scalpel Lift
Another of Halloween II's hospital-based nurse kills. This one happens towards the end of the movie and is particularly eerie because it happens almost silently and is witnessed by a catatonic Laurie, who just stands here, looking on blankly. Nurse Franco approaches Laurie, but Michael steps out from beyond and stabs her with a scalpel, lifting her clean off the ground and letting her hang there before she falls to the ground.
11. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers - Thumb Head
After the non-Myers movie Halloween III: Season of the Witch failed at the box office, the idea of an ongoing horror anthology series was abandoned, and normal service resumed. The Return of Michael Myers is a surprisingly decent sequel, which gets to the point early on. The seemingly-dead Michael wakes up in an ambulance and kills one of the unlucky paramedics by jamming his thumb right through his forehead. Ow!
10. Halloween (1978) - Prank Call
Lynda's demise is given a blackly funny twist, by having Michael wear a sheet and Bob's glasses to trick her into thinking he's her now-dead boyfriend. With Bob--I mean Michael--just standing there in the doorway, Lynda gets on the phone with Laurie. Unfortunately, the phone cord provides a handy murder weapon, and Myers strangles her mid-conversation.
9. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers - Shotgun Impalement
Michael loves pretending to be other people to trick his victims--he does it in the original movie (when he dresses as Bob) and in Halloween II (when he nearly gets frisky with nurse Janet), and again the fourth movie. This time he kills the cop who is guarding Kelly, and sits down in his chair. When Kelly comes offering him some coffee he rises, wielding the dead cop's shotgun. But his being Michael Myers, he doesn't do anything as old-fashioned as actually shoot her, but instead impales her on the barrel.
8. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers - Forking Spitz
It's a slasher tradition that masked killers love to target horny teenagers, and Halloween 5 ticks that box in gruesome style. The unlucky couple in this case are Sam and Spitz who head to a barn in their Halloween gear for a literal roll in the hay. Unfortunately, Michael is already there and impales Spitz with a pitchfork while he's getting down to business.
7. Halloween (2007) - Judith Dies
Rob Zombie had already made a name for himself for such gritty, violent shockers as The Devil's Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses when he took on the Halloween remake, so it was no surprise that the brutality level is high. While the murder of Judith Myers in Carpenter's original is fleeting, in Zombie's version it's excruciating, as a bloody Judith staggers then crawls down the hallway, young Michael walking purposely behind her.
6. Halloween 6: The Curse Of Michael Myers - Jamie Gets Threshed
Jamie Lloyd was a recurring character across parts 4, 5, and 6; she's daughter of Laurie Strode who becomes a target of her psychotic uncle Michael. Sadly, she doesn't make it past the twenty-minute mark in her third movie. Michael has discovered that Jamie has had her own child, and corners her in a barn, where he picks his niece up and impales her gorily on a corn thresher. "You can't have the baby Michael," she tells him, before he before he turns the machine and lets the spinning knives tear her apart.
5. Halloween 6: The Curse Of Michael Myers - Face Vs Bars
Halloween 6 is not a good film--it was reshot and reedited, and what was released in 1995 is considered by many fans to be one of the worst movies in the series (a subsequent director's cut improved things somewhat). Nevertheless, it does contain some ludicrous moments of over-the-top gore. Towards the end of the movie, Michael catches up with one of the doctors working for the movie's Halloween cult, and slams his face repeatedly through some metal bars. While the original scene is fairly tame, the director's cut delivers the full gory goods, and you see doc's entire head fall to the floor in three bloody chunks.
4. Halloween 2 - Misty Meets Mirror
Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 showed just how far the brutality of a Michael Myers killing spree could be pushed. One of the most shocking scenes--because it combines nudity and extreme violence, always a controversial combination--comes when a dancer called Misty runs into Michael. He's already killed her boss, hanging his mutilated body from a string of fairy lights. He then grabs Misty, and repeatedly smashes her into one of the stripclub's mirrored walls, before dropping her lifeless body to the floor.
3. Halloween 6: The Curse Of Michael Myers - Heading Off
This has to be the silliest death in the entire series, and it was added after reshoots. Nevertheless, it's hugely satisfying. Laurie's uncle John is introduced as an alcoholic, abusive scumbag, making him one of Michael's few victims that is utterly deserving of his demise. And he gets a good one--attacked in his flooded basement, Michael lifts John off the ground and impales him on a fuse box. As the volts surge through his body, John's face starts to blister before his entire head erupts. Sure, it's dumb, but you gotta have an exploding head in there somewhere, right?
2. Halloween 2 - Stab Frenzy
For all their flaws, Rob Zombie's Halloween movies are masterclasses in how to deliver shocking brutality. One of the most agonisingly prolonged kills in the franchise comes near the beginning of Halloween 2, as Michael searches for Laurie in Haddonfield hospital. A poor nurse called Daniels (an early role for Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures star Octavia Spencer) gets in his way. aving been stabbed once, she attempts to crawl away, but Michael quickly catches up to her. It's the savagery of this scene that shocks, combined with the close-ups on Spencer's face as she is knifed over and over and over by Michael.
1. Halloween II - Karen Gets Boiled
As infamous for the creepy build-up as for the brutal payoff, this is another of the notorious Halloween II kills that went far beyond the levels of the original. Nurse Karen is taking a break from her hospital duties and running a hot bath when Michael enters the room behind her. Her lays a hand on her bare shoulder, but believing it to be her Paramedic lover Bud, she starts to stroke and then--ugh--nibble on his hand. As she turns, she sees it's in fact Michael, who proceeds to submerge her in the boiling water repeatedly until her face blisters in gruesome style.
By Array on Oct 23, 2018 05:59 am
Classic Suit (Damaged)
Spider-Man on PS4 is practically every bit the superhero simulator we were hoping for. Insomniac Games nailed the traversal, which effectively means that every moment in the game makes you feel like Spider-Man. The dramatic camera angles, the sense of speed, and the characterization of Spidey are easy qualities to love. The sheer number of unlockables also ensures that you're never far away from a new look or skill to add to your Spider-Man fantasy. In this feature, we are going to take a look at every suit that you can earn while leveling up and completing challenges, as well their relevant reference points and suit powers. We also take a look at all the game's new DLC suits, which we'll be updating with more information on their abilities as soon as they're released. If you're still early in the game, beware: you will be spoiled if you continue through the gallery. That said, you can also check out our beginner guides for the game, including a look at the best skills to prioritize in your unlock tree, and useful tips to keep in mind as you start off. But if you're here for suits and have no interest in our advice, read on. The first suit we're going to look at is the one you wear at the start of the game, the classic Spider-Man suit, although it's quickly in need of repairs after the opening missions. This kicks off the beginning of a series of upgrades, all thanks to your unlikely patron, Otto Octavius.
DLC Suits: Scarlet Spider II, Resilient Suit, Spider-UK
There are some new suits in Spider-Man's first DLC, titled The Heist. The red and black suit is Scarlet Spider II. The Resilient Suit is at the center, which is an original design by Marvel illustrator Gabriele Dell'Otto. Rounding out the trio is the Spider-UK suit from the Spider-Verse.
Advanced Suit
The Advanced Suit is the first new suit that you unlock, and was designed exclusively for the game by Insomniac. Its suit power, Battle Focus, allows you to generate a charge that can be used to either heal yourself or use powerful finishing moves.
Classic Suit (Repaired)
Once you get your Classic Suit back, it comes with the suit power, Web Blossom. Trigger it to watch Spider-Man leap in the air and spray webbing on almost everything in his immediate surroundings.
Noir Suit
This suit, inspired by 2009's Spider-Man Noir comic-book run, looks cool and grants you an effective suit power. With Sound of Silence activated, enemies that become alerted to your presence will refrain from calling backup.
Scarlet Spider Suit
The origins of this particular suit are a bit unusual. It's the suit of Ben Reilly--a mysterious clone of Peter Parker--who at one point fought crime in Manhattan alongside Spider-Man during the events of infamous comic book arc, The Clone Saga. Its suit power, Holo Decoy, spawns figments of Spider-Man as he moves for a short period of time, and enemies that attack them will wind up stunned as a result.
Spider Armor MK II
This black and yellow suit was designed back in 2011 to help protect Spider-Man from gunfire, and that's exactly what it does when you activate the Bullet Proof suit power.
Secret War Suit
This suit is in reference to the 2004 Secret War comics, and its suit power is one of the most effective in the game. Trigger the Arms Race power to emit an EMP blast that stuns every enemy within a short range, freeing yourself from a swarm of bad guys and opening them up to attack.
Stark Suit
This suit made its debut in the 2016 Captain America: Civil War film and has since appeared in subsequent Marvel films: Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War. Its suit power is the Spider-Bro, a mechanical friend that can zap enemies during combat to make them drop their guard.
Negative Suit
The Negative Suit is designed to mimic the game's major villain, Mr. Negative. In addition to its unusual look, its suit power emits a devastating shockwave of negative energy.
Electrically Insulated Suit
This lightly padded suit debuted in issue #425 of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1997 when Spider-Man and the X-Men fought Electro. Activating its Electric Punch suit power charges your fists with electricity and lets you stun enemies on impact.
Spider-Punk Suit
Rock Out to blast enemies with a wave of "righteous sound" with the Spider-Punk's suit power, or simply enjoy his unorthodox superhero costume. Spider-Punk first appeared in comics in 2015, and is the alter ego of an alternate-universe version Hobie Brown aka The Prowler.
Wrestler Suit
Throwing enemies into other enemies is one of the great joys during combat in Spider-Man, and the King of the Ring suit power granted to you by the Wrestler Suit allows you to snag bad guys without having to web them up first. It seems to be the game's version of the wrestling gear Spider-Man wore on the night Uncle Ben was murdered.
Fear Itself Suit
If you just want to punch villains really hard and not bother with a lot of footwork during a fight, using the Fear Itself's suit power, Quad Damage, is the way to go. The suit itself is based on Spider-Man's appearance from the Marvel crossover Fear Itself, which ran in 2011. The outfit has Spider-Man sporting bracelets made from Asgardian uru, the same magical metal used to create Thor's hammer.
Stealth ("Big Time") Suit
This black and green suit gives you a power that, when activated, makes you invisible to non-alerted enemies. This is a popular suit that's appeared in a lot of games since its comic debut in 2010. In the comics, Peter developed the suit using new technology he created from his job at Horizon Labs. It's closely associated by fans with the "Big Time" storylines.
Spider Armor Mk III
If you recall what the previous Spider Armor Mk model did, then it makes perfect sense that this suit takes bullet proofing one step further. Though it won't work for sniper fire, every other incoming bullet will bounce right off of this suit and fire back at the shooter when you activate the Titanium Alloy Plates suit power. In the comics, the Spider Armor Mk III was developed by Peter as a last resort suit to combat the Sinister Six. How fitting given its power and armored appearance.
Spider-Man 2099 Black
Spider-Man 2099 was a popular 1992 comic series that jumped ahead in time and presented a new hero behind the mask, Miguel O'Hara. The Low Gravity suit power associated with it increases your hang-time while activated.
Iron Spider Suit
The Iron Spider suits is one of the coolest in the game. It looks awesome, and comes with a suit power that causes metallic arms to rise from Spider-Man's back and attack nearby enemies. Though the original Iron Spider suit debuted back in 2006, this version was popularized in Avengers: Infinity War.
Velocity Suit
If you have a need for speed, this Velocity Suit's power Blitz will make you spring away from danger faster in combat, and send enemies flying farther than usual based on your momentum. The suit was designed specifically for the game by artist Adi Granov, who is known more famously for his art in the classic Iron Man: Extremis storyline.
Spider Armor Mk IV
This Spider Armor Mk series returns to a sleeker look for the fourth model. Its suit power can generate a temporary forcefield that protects you from all incoming damage. In the comics, the suit was created by Peter for his friend, Hobie Brown, to use in order to impersonate him. There's more to that story, but we'll spare you the details. Comics amirite?
Spirit Spider Suit
And now for something completely different. This out-there suit is based on a 2011 comic that more or less resulted in Peter Parker becoming infused with the power of the damned. This manifests itself when you use the Spirit Fire suit power, which sets enemies ablaze with mysterious blue flames.
Spider-Man 2099 White Suit
The alternate Spider-Man 2099 suit has a very useful suit power, Concussive Blast, that can send enemies flying off of buildings, making them easy one-hit-kill targets. The suit itself is the second one that O'Hara wears and it was designed by Peter during the All-New, All-Different Spider-Man arc.
Vintage Comic Book Suit
This understated suit is still rather impressive given how its rendered with a cel-shaded visual style that makes it pop. As an homage to its roots in classic Spider-Man comics, its suit power causes Spider-Man to release a series of bad jokes and one-liners that are so cringeworthy that they effectively stun nearby enemies.
Last Stand Suit
This leather-clad suit comes late in the game, which is probably for the better given how impactful its suit power can be. Using Unrelenting Fury prevents enemies, even those with shields, from blocking your attacks. This suit is a reference to a short-lived look at an alternate-future Peter Parker that appeared in 2003.
Undies
More Peter Parker than Spider-Man, swinging and kicking around in your underwear is a thing you can do if you need a laugh, but the suit power you get when you unlock this suit is no laughing matter: activate Equalizer to take out enemies with a single blow, but watch out as this punishing rule will also apply to you. Tread lightly, true believer.
Homemade Suit
This kitchy suit comes from Spider-Man: Homecoming and it can be yours if you take the time to find the 55 backpacks scattered across the map. Without a suit power, this one is more for the entertainment value of seeing Spider-Man in a funny outfit that it is a useful addition to your repertoire.
ESU Suit
Completing all of the photography challenges in Spider-Man will net you this collegiate outfit so you can proudly rep Peter Parker's alma mater--its unofficial suit power. You unlock it by nabbing all of the secret photos.
Anti-Ock Suit
This great-looking suit is unique to the game, and offers the very helpful Resupply suit power, which can be used to refill your gadgets when activated.
Dark Suit
The Dark Suit is earned after you complete all of the Black Cat activities in the game, and is a striking red-and-black suit with looks that make up for its lack of a suit power.
By Kallie Plagge on Oct 23, 2018 05:57 am
Best of the Best
Xbox One launched over four years ago, which means over four years of games! As such, it can be hard to decide what to play. From exclusives to the top multi-platform games to indies, there's a lot to choose from--and even though people joke that the Xbox One has no games, that's just not true! We've picked out the best Xbox One games so far. This includes many of the games that received an 8 or higher on GameSpot, and we've prioritized games that were nominated for our Best Xbox One Game list in the years those games released. It also includes Assassin's Creed: Origins, which was one of GameSpot's top Xbox One games of 2017 due to its performance on the Xbox One X. While there are plenty of new games, we haven't included the hundreds of backwards compatible games on Xbox One, which includes many original Xbox and Xbox 360 favorites. Xbox also has a subscription service called which lets you download and play a selection of over 100 games that varies slightly from month to month. For more Xbox One games, see our roundups of the best cheap games on Xbox One, and make sure to check out our gallery of the Xbox One exclusive games confirmed for 2018 as well as the biggest Xbox One games of 2018 for everything coming to the console.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- 8/10
"Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Valkyria Chronicles 4 -- 8/10
"Ultimately, this is a return to form for the Valkyria Chronicles series as a whole. It stays so true to the franchise's first iteration that it'll feel as if almost no time has passed in the decade or so since the original game first came out. In revisiting the concerns and the environments of the first, it makes the most of those parallels and invites comparison in a way that highlights its strengths. Valkyria Chronicles 4 doesn't necessarily tell a new tale, but it doesn't have to; for all of its clichés and expected twists, there's a charm to the game's unwillingness to let up as it drives you and your friends forward at a rapid clip towards its bittersweet end." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition -- 10/10
"From lonely farmhouses through pitched battles with gods in far-flung dimensions, Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the most captivating role-playing games ever made in both its original and Definitive incarnations, with the latter proving that even the most complicated role-players can be ported successfully to gamepad-limited consoles. This immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of recent years, and it remains an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [Read the review] -- Brett Todd
PES 2019 -- 9/10
"For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it's fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red. The lack of licences for top-tier leagues remains a disheartening sticking point, but PES continues to make brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time. It might be lacking off the pitch, but put it on the field against the competition and a famous giant killing wouldn't be all that surprising." [Read the review] -- Richard Wakeling
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Far Cry 5 -- 9/10
"Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Monster Hunter: World -- 8/10
"Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
What Remains of Edith Finch -- 9/10
"Developer Giant Sparrow managed to strike the delicate balance between joy and sorrow in 2012's The Unfinished Swan, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends even the latent sadness of that game, finding the beauty--even sometimes the fun--in what's always fundamentally a tragedy. It's not often that a game's plot slips past the bitterness of grief to finally get to the acceptance, but that's the triumph in What Remains of Edith Finch. Ultimately, if the game has any resemblance of a moral, it's that the bravest, most beautiful thing every one of us does is choose to keep going, despite knowing what's coming." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 9/10
"The New Colossus never lets you forget who and why you're fighting. Nazi brutality is on full display, from the blown-out, irradiated remains of Manhattan to each of the resistance members, who all carry mental scars if not physical ones. You're never given a chance between cutscenes, missions, and even downtime on the U-boat to lose sight of the Reich's cruelty. Wolfenstein's tense gameplay elevates this further by giving you the power to truly resist--and come out of each battle ready for another fight." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Cuphead -- 8/10
"Everything you've heard about Cuphead is true. It is a difficult side-scrolling shooter with relentless boss battles that demand rapid-fire actions and reactions. Think for too long, and you won't stand a chance against the game's toughest enemies. Battles may only last three minutes at most, but they feel far longer when you know that you can only absorb three hits before you have to start from scratch. When you are navigating your way around bullets, smaller enemies, and pitfalls, while simultaneously trying to damage your primary target, toppling Cuphead's imposing bosses is both a monumental and rewarding task." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Assassin's Creed Origins -- 7/10
"Assassin's Creed has undergone many changes in its long and storied history, and Origins feels like the first step in the start of a new journey. It has its fair share of problems, but the vision for its future is one worth pursuing." [read the full review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"On the surface, Stardew Valley is a game about farming, but there are more adventures awaiting curious players beyond cultivating a rich and bountiful garden. From mining and fishing to making friends and falling in love, Stardew Valley's Pelican Town is stuffed with rewarding opportunities. As modern day woes give way to pressing matters on the farm and within your newfound community, Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world. It's a game that tugs at your curiosity as often as it does your heart." [read the full review] -- Mary Kish
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard -- 8/10
"By the end of the campaign, I was ready for the game to be over, but that's okay. RE7 ends just as it starts to outstay its welcome, and after the fact, I felt like I'd survived a truly harrowing journey. The boss fights may be slightly inconsistent and certain sections might drag after a while, but RE7 is still a remarkable success. It has a clear vision and executes it with impressive patience and precision. By returning to horror, Resident Evil has once again become something special." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"Both intensely personal and widely relatable, Night in the Woods doesn't just tell a story--it gracefully captures complex, often unpleasant feelings and experiences. From the quiet melancholy of doing nothing on a rainy day to the emotional vacuum of severe depression, I felt deeply, sometimes too deeply, while wandering through the cartoon-animal version of a small Midwestern town. Its witty writing and character development keep its crushing existential themes grounded, making Night in the Woods one of the most evocative games I've played in a long time." [read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Overwatch -- 9/10
"Overwatch is an exercise in refined chaos. There are multitudes of layers hiding beneath the hectic surface, and they emerge, one after another, the more you play. This is a shooter that knows how to surprise, one that unfolds at a frantic pace, one that takes a handful of great ideas, and combines them into something spectacular." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Battlefield 1 -- 9/10
"EA DICE splendidly interprets the early 20th century as a world in technological transition while humanizing the war's participants through well crafted, albeit fictional, narrative vignettes. Combined with an enthralling multiplayer component, the overall result is the studio's best work since Battlefield: Bad Company 2." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Titanfall 2 -- 9/10
"Titanfall 2 demonstrates a vitality that its predecessor couldn't. Whereas the first Titanfall kept up its breakneck pace throughout the entirety of every match, Titanfall 2 understands that sometimes, dialing things back for a few moments can make the long run much more enjoyable. In many ways, Titanfall 2 feels like the game Respawn should have made in 2013. It's a fantastic sequel. It's a fluid shooter. It's a spectacular game." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Dishonored 2 -- 8/10
"Any time I'm given a choice between stealth and action, I go stealth. I love the hold-your-breath tension of hoping a guard didn't spot you and the hard-earned triumph of executing a perfectly timed plan. Dishonored 2 delivers that sneaky satisfaction, arming you with stealth essentials like hiding bodies, peering through keyholes, and silent takedowns. But it's also an incredible engine for gleeful chaos, one so engrossing and amusing that I kind of accidentally beat the entire campaign raining hilarious, elaborate death on my enemies." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth
Forza Horizon 3 -- 9/10
"With Forza Horizon 3, Turn 10 and Playground Games affirm the series' status as the driving game for everyone. The new emphasis on off-road options isn't at the expense of traditional races, thanks to the sheer volume of activities. All the while, Playground Games' calculated kitchen-sink design philosophy and rich reward system persistently tempt you to explore beyond your comfort zone, whether it's gifting your first Ariel Nomad buggy or reminding you that stunt races can impress thousands of fans. Enhancing your own brand might feel like a strange motivation to hit the road, but pulling off sick e-drifts on a mile-long series of curves makes the PR work worthwhile." [read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion
Inside -- 8/10
"This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo. Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence." [read the full review] -- Alex Newhouse
Dark Souls III -- 8/10
"Dark Souls III is a game of valleys and peaks, down through dungeons and up over castle walls. It's a plummet into places we shouldn't be--an escape from places we don't belong. But of course, we fight our way through the darkness, and find our way out. There are a few stumbles along the way, but in the end, Dark Souls III is well worth the riveting climb." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- 10/10
"Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement. But while the grand clashes are captivating, it is the moments between conflicts, when you drink with the local clans and bask in a trobairitz's song, that are truly inspiring." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Halo 5: Guardians -- 8/10
"Halo 5: Guardians is fueled by new ideas and propelled by some of the boldest changes to this storied franchise yet. Some of these changes fail, but others succeed, and although Halo 5 falters at times, it whisks us through black holes and across war torn tropical islands at a rapid pace. We can only surrender to its velocity." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Rise of the Tomb Raider -- 9/10
"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Ori and the Blind Forest -- 9/10
"It consistently surprises you with new tricks: gravitational divergences, new ways to move through its spaces, and carefully designed levels that require you to think quickly and respond. It is not as snappy as, say, a typical Mario platformer, seeking instead a broader gameplay arc stretching across a single, interconnected world. It's a superb and thematically consistent approach that allows Ori and the Blind Forest to build joy on a bed of heartache, adding a new layer of mechanical complexity with each ray of hope." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain -- 10/10
"There has never been a game in the series with such depth to its gameplay, or so much volume in content. The best elements from the past games are here, and the new open-world gameplay adds more to love on top. When it comes to storytelling, there has never been a Metal Gear game that's so consistent in tone, daring in subject matter, and so captivating in presentation. The Phantom Pain may be a contender for one of the best action games ever made, but is undoubtedly the best Metal Gear game there is." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Fallout 4 -- 9/10
"Fallout 4 is an engrossing game that lures you in with mystery and the promise of adventure. Its wretched wasteland can be captivating, and you never know what odd person or settlement lies around the next bend. Fallout 4 uses its dark world as a canvas for exciting combat and gripping stories, and when you dig deeper into its post-nuclear-apocalypse version of Boston--defending yourself from violent scavengers and using your wits to climb social ladders--you become attached to the new you, and ultimately invested in the fate of your new world." [read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- 8/10
"This is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I'm hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- 9/10
"Inquisition's characters and world recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer's block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition -- 8/10
"Lara herself is so well crafted that I grew attached to her exploits and was sad to say goodbye when the credits rolled. And the exquisite visual design is so breathtaking that I continually found myself staring at the scenery instead of pushing onward. Tomb Raider is a great reinvention of this enduring franchise that made me eager to see where Lara goes in her future." [read the full review] -- Tom McShea
Forza Motorsport 5 -- 9/10
"All of this combined makes Forza Motorsport 5 an outstanding improvement to an already excellent racing franchise. It's far more than just a great racing sim, or a gorgeous showcase for the types of feats the Xbox One hardware is capable of. This is a game built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- 9/10
"There's an incredible scope to what you can do in Black Flag, with a level of harmony between its component parts that encourages you to try it all, and a story that keeps you invested throughout the whole thing. If there was ever any question that Assassin's Creed needed something ambitious to get the series back on track, Black Flag is that game and then some." [read the full review] -- Shaun McInnis
Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- 8/10
"Despite this, Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting." [Read the review] -- Alessandro Fillari, Editor
Forza Horizon 4 -- 8/10
"There's such a diverse range of activities stuffed into every corner of Horizon 4, and meaningful changes contribute to smart driving dynamics and a more consistent sense of achievement. Everything you do in Horizon feels valuable, no matter how big or small--from the basic thrills of speeding a fast car down a gorgeous mountain highway to spending time tinkering with your favorite ride to manage seasonal road conditions to just hanging out with friends and strangers online and goofing off in friendly games. The charm of the Horizon series is as palpable as ever, a winning, all-inclusive recipe that celebrates the joy of driving above all else." [Read the review] -- Edmond Tran
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- 8/10
"Black Ops 4 isn't short on content, and its three main modes are substantial. Multiplayer introduces more tactical mechanics without forcing you into them, and it largely strikes a good balance. Zombies has multiple deep, secret-filled maps to explore, though its returning characters don't hold up and prove distracting. Finally, Blackout pushes Call of Duty in an entirely new direction, making use of aspects from both multiplayer and Zombies for a take on the battle royale genre that stands on its own. Sure, there isn't a traditional single-player campaign, but with the depth and breadth of what is there, Black Ops 4 doesn't need it." [Read the review] -- Kallie Plagge
By Matt Espineli on Oct 23, 2018 05:55 am
Switch Games That You Need To Play
The release of the Nintendo Switch marked the beginning of a new generation for Nintendo. After the lukewarm reception of the Wii U, many were beginning to wonder if the company would be able to survive in today's console market. However, it defied all expectations with its hybrid console/handheld console. Alongside the Switch's release was the universally praised The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, giving it the killer app it needed to quickly rise to the top of console sales charts and dramatically increase Nintendo's revenue. In the year since its launch, there has been no shortage of amazing games coming, from huge first-party games like Mario and Splatoon to indie darlings like Owlboy and Celeste. There's even great third-party games, like Octopath Traveler and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The library only seems to be expanding and improving with every consecutive release. In this feature, we're taking a look back at the best Switch games so far. This includes games that have received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot since the console's release, as well as reviews for new games and updates to reviews of older games that were ported to Switch. Check out our choices for the best games released on the Switch. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months. For an analysis of Nintendo Switch's first year, be sure to read our retrospective feature discussing the console's various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we want to see from the console. The Switch already has hundreds of games, so many that some are bound to fly under our radar. The games covered here are only a small handful of the experiences out there. Which games do you think are some of the Switch's finest? Let us know in the comments below.
Dragon Ball FighterZ -- 9/10
"FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who've never given the series a chance. Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Undertale -- 9/10
"Three years after its initial release on PC, Undertale has found its way to the Nintendo Switch--and of course, the game is every bit as charming, challenging, and harrowing as it was the first time around. Undertale may seem like a straightforward retro-style RPG, but it subverts player expectations every chance it gets, which never gets stale because of clever writing and an evocative chiptune soundtrack. Thankfully, it plays just as well as it does on other platforms without any performance hitches or bugs after putting about four hours into this version. Like its console counterparts, you can fill the screen with an adaptive border that thematically fits with the location you're in (Undertale plays in a 4:3 aspect ratio). Dodging enemy attacks in the bullet hell-style defensive phase in combat works just as well with the Joy-Con analog sticks. Undertale isn't afraid to break convention, and because it does so in a way that's thoughtful and humorous throughout, the result is an emotional rollercoaster that fills us with determination." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham
Into the Breach -- 9/10
"There is so much strategic joy in seeing the potential destruction a swarm of giant monsters is about to unleash on a city, then quickly staging and executing elaborate counter maneuvers to ruin the party. Into The Breach's focus on foresight makes its turn-based encounters an action-packed, risk-free puzzle, and the remarkable diversity of playstyles afforded by unique units keeps each new run interesting. It's a pleasure to see what kind of life-threatening predicaments await for you to creatively resolve in every new turn, every new battle, and every new campaign. Into The Breach is a pristine and pragmatic tactical gem with dynamic conflicts that will inspire you to jump back in again, and again, and again." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran
The Messenger -- 8/10
"The Messenger takes the best parts of the action-platformers it takes influence from and reinterprets them well. With clever writing, well-designed levels, and balanced difficulty curve, the game continuously hooks you with enticing skill-based challenges and satisfying payoffs. Your character might have an immediate imperative to delivering a world-saving scroll, but the journey there is definitely one to savor." [Read the full review] -- Alexander Pan
Dead Cells -- 9/10
"Dead Cells is a fascinating amalgam of several of today's most popular indie genres. It juggles elements of tough-as-nails action games and Metroid-inspired exploration platformers, with the procedurally generated levels and random item allotments found in roguelikes. It's impressive how it all comes together without a hitch, especially given that the persistent character growth found in games like Dark Souls or Metroid squarely conflicts with the randomized resets emblematic of Rogue-inspired games." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
"In a way, the entire collection itself is the museum--an entire series, with all its beauty and its blemishes, on display for its audience to judge and assess years later. Parts of this legacy have aged horribly, but they're still undeniably a piece of Mega Man X history. We've been told that the upcoming Mega Man 11 was greenlit thanks in part to fan interest in the original Mega Man Legacy Collection. If Capcom follows with a proper sequel to Mega Man X, this compilation provides valuable lessons on what the series is, what it isn't, and what it can be when given the chance." [Read the full review] -- Steve Watts
Octopath Traveler -- 8/10
"Despite the lackluster stories that pull you through the world, Octopath thrives on its character progression and the temptations of high-level challenges and rewards. The promise of new jobs, exciting boss fights, and powerful gear will inspire you to poke around every corner, and there are no shortage of discoveries to strive for. And all the while, you're treated to one of the most interesting and effective re-imaginings of a retro aesthetic around. Octopath will likely be a divisive game due to its fractured storytelling, but it's one worth playing despite its lesser qualities. Its high points are simply too good to ignore." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Captain Toad
"Despite a smattering of minor complaints, Captain Toad stands as a pint-sized version of Nintendo's stellar first party pedigree. It's among the best Mario spin-offs around and a delightful iteration on old ideas." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- 8/10
"As long as you're able to play the entire game in docked mode, The New Colossus is the same fantastic game it is on other platforms. It runs well and, despite some minor visual compromises, it still looks pretty good. Handheld mode is unfortunately far less optimized, and the Joy-Cons simply don't feel as good to use as the Pro Controller. If Switch is your only way to play it, The New Colossus is absolutely worth your time--just not on the go." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
West of Loathing -- 8/10
"There are a few minor issues--inventory management on Switch becomes cumbersome as you collect an increasing amount of things, fights with a lot of enemies can obscure some pertinent information, and the stakes sometimes feel a little too low to be completely motivating. But West of Loathing's focus on maintaining a flexible, open-ended nature and lighthearted, humorous feel keeps you engaged in what feels like an imaginative pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons campaign, led by a game master whose only goal is to make sure you're laughing and having a fun time. West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Video Producer
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10
"Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection -- 8/10
"That's more or less the story of the 30th Anniversary Collection. It won't satisfy every specific demand, but it's still a big collection of awesome games and behind-the-scenes content that no Street Fighter fan should miss. Street Fighter is a series worth celebrating and Digital Eclipse has managed to do so in a manner that feels respectful to the series and to the people who keep the spirit of arcade battles alive." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -- 8/10
"Those returning to the fray will likely be a little disappointed as there just isn't enough new content to rouse fresh excitement. For newcomers, though, Hyrule warriors is a delightful, bizarre outing that opens up the Zelda series, taking us places we've been before, just with thousands of monsters and awesome, screen-clearing magical attacks." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Battle Chasers: Nightwar -- 8/10
"Beyond the challenge of combat, Battle Chasers is sustained through the strength of its story, a rollicking tale that takes our heroes literally to hell and back. It's bolstered by some sharp dialogue, gorgeous artwork, and an ensemble that plays extremely well off of each other. Lots of work has gone into Nightwar since its first release, and the balancing improvements make it an easy game to recommend on all platforms." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze -- 9/10
"Tropical Freeze isn't a heavy-hitter from Nintendo in the same way Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey are, but it's a fantastic platformer that's bursting with creativity and expertly designed challenges. It's tuned just right--always tough but rarely frustrating--to ensure that even the most common moments feel great. If you missed out when the game first debuted back in 2014, give it a shot today. It easily stands the test of time." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Bayonetta 2 -- 10/10
"But it's a challenge you'll want to experience again as soon as you put down the controller. Bayonetta 2's combat is so expertly constructed, and its presentation so joyously insane, that you'd have to try so very hard to get bored of it all. In a year filled with the promise of ever more elaborate experiences on all the shiny new hardware, that Bayonetta 2--a homage to classic game design and escapism--should be the most fun I've had playing a game all year is unexpected. But maybe it shouldn't have been. After all, its predecessor still stands as one of the finest games of its genre. To have surpassed that with Bayonetta 2, and to have created a game that will be remembered as an absolute classic, is nothing short of astonishing." [Read the review] -- Mark Walton
Celeste -- 9/10
"It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [Read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer
Dragon Quest Builders -- 8/10
"The excellence of Dragon Quest Builders illustrates the versatility of this 30-year-old franchise as much as it speaks to the engrossing appeal of Minecraft-inspired creation. The story-advancing draw of quests goes hand-in-hand with the depth of a crafting system that cleverly uses monster drops as some of the game's building tools. Whether you want to focus on completing assignments or build with no specific purpose, the game is feature-rich enough to suck up untold hours, even if this happens to be your first Dragon Quest experience." [Read the review] -- Miguel Concepcion, Editor
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim -- 8/10
"The original version of Skyrim is still an immense, engrossing RPG, and the quality, number, and variety of its quests makes it as easy to become lost in its world as ever. With the addition of Zelda-themed gear that's actually useful--and the fact that you can play anywhere--the Switch version of Skyrim is a great excuse to revisit a much-loved RPG." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Golf Story -- 8/10
"It can take a little while for the narrative to ramp up in Golf Story and for you to feel like you've really cultivated the skills of a champion, but based on the sheer scope of what the game delivers, there's likely something for everyone to enjoy whether their shtick is mini-golfing or terrorising delinquents with frisbees. It has successfully captured the trappings of yesteryear's RPGs, and the witticisms and idiosyncrasies of the characters you encounter are a great palate cleanser between rounds. Switch has had a swathe of indies hit its eShop recently, but if you're looking for something that'll give you satisfaction in terms of an interesting story and a rewarding mechanic, then Golf Story is certainly par for the course." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Gorogoa -- 8/10
"Few games take the concept of altering reality to as artistic a level as Gorogoa. This labor of love made chiefly by one developer is a gorgeous and intriguing puzzle game that works because of its stunning art and intelligent puzzle design. Far from a traditional game, Gorogoa is a slow and methodical trip into the surreal." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Kirby Star Allies -- 8/10
"Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- 10/10
"No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It's a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery--which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle -- 9/10
"Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves. It's a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle's unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with. Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- 9/10
"For Mario Kart fans, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might look like more of the same with small Double Dash-inspired tweaks. But thanks to a series of updates both big and almost unseen, it's the version of Mario Kart to get. If you don't own a Wii U or skipped out on Mario Kart 8 the first time around--or even if you've played it before--Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is worth your time. It plays beautifully on Switch in both handheld and docked mode, and its core racing is as exciting as ever. And, most notably, it completely revamps the original's lackluster Battle Mode, rounding out an already great racing game." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Mr. Shifty -- 8/10
"Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor
NBA 2K18 -- 8/10
"NBA 2K18 is a hardcore sports simulation. If you want to get good, you have to put in the work. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to improve your skills no matter how you want to play. And the fact that there's so much to do is a bonus, because on the court, NBA 2K18 is also an amazingly well-crafted experience." [Read the full review] -- Seth Macy
Night in the Woods -- 9/10
"From beginning to end to epilogue, Night in the Woods is ultimately open to individual interpretation. How you relate to it depends on your own experiences and choices, including Mae's dialogue and who you decide to spend time with. Though its charming and angsty story works well on its own merits, it's special because of how it prioritizes conveying emotion over telling a straight narrative." [Read the review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Owlboy -- 9/10
"Owlboy is consistently charming and surprising, and when its final act doubles down on every front, it's bittersweet to see it end. As you relish the outcome of the final battle and watch the closing cutscene, you can't help but reflect on the beginning of your adventure and how far the world and its inhabitants have come. You'll never be able to play Owlboy for the first time again, but the memories of its magic moments stick with you. This is more than a treat for fans of old-school games; Owlboy is a heartfelt experience that will touch anyone with an affinity for great art and storytelling." [Read the review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 Plus -- 8/10
"Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 creates an exciting dynamic where ghosts are still dangerous, but the overall game is more forgiving than the original--and it's more entertaining as a result. Arcade ports tend to be games we play in short bursts--mostly for the nostalgia factor. Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 certainly relies on that nostalgia to a point, but it handles the classic game in a way that plays with expectations to surprise you. It's the same game enhanced in the right directions to be make an old concept fun, innovative, and challenging all over again." [Read the review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Puyo Puyo Tetris -- 8/10
"Overflowing with colorful personality, Puyo Puyo Tetris revels in its weirdness. It provides solid versions of both puzzle games and merges the two in bizarre, frantic ways that adds a fresh dash of style to these long-running series. With an array of game variations spanning single-player, along with on- and offline multiplayer, it's an incredibly meaty package that should satisfy gamers for a long time to come." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile
Rive -- 8/10
"Rive is demanding, but it pushes the kind of near-thoughtless play that shoot-em-ups strive to achieve. When faced with an onslaught of enemies and environmental hazards, you'll have to think fast or die. Rive also doesn't run all that long, but what's here is excellent, top-notch action, and the game delivers some of the most memorable moments in a shoot-em-up in years." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Rocket League -- 9/10
"For people new to the game, they have a lot to look forward to regardless, as it's one of the most fascinating sports games in memory. Nevermind if you don't like soccer or couldn't care less about the growing esports community. Rocket League is a unique game that redefines the concept of what a sports game can be, and Psyonix continues to support it with new content on a regular basis. It's been around for a while, but now that it's on Switch, there's no better time to give it a shot." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Managing Editor
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment -- 8/10
"Specter of Torment is a finely-crafted 2D platformer that is satisfying in all respects. Simply controlling Specter Knight--flying through the air and slicing through enemies--is a joy in itself, and being able to push your ability to control these skills in overcoming the game's cleverly-designed and challenging levels is always an exhilarating feeling. Specter of Torment is a focussed, polished, and satisfyingly challenging game that's well worth experiencing whether or not you've had the pleasure of playing Shovel Knight." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor
Sonic Mania -- 9/10
"Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Splatoon 2 -- 8/10
"At first glance, Splatoon 2 seems very similar to the first game. But all the small changes, and even the bigger ones in single player and League Battles, make for a fresh take on the already unique shooter. If you played a lot of the original, the sequel has enough to keep you coming back, and if you're new to the game, it's a fantastic place to jump in." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor
Stardew Valley -- 9/10
"The sheer number of things to accomplish in Stardew Valley can keep you interested beyond the original three in-game years you need to reach the end of your story--you may just want to start over rather than continue on. You'll work quite hard to gather enough money for your first horse, so that you can quickly move to the mines to get a mineral to complete a bundle at the community center. It's all centered around whatever it is you want to accomplish that day. And that's truly what makes Stardew Valley such a lovely experience, it encourages you to go out and be the best you can be, in whichever task that brings you the most joy. Stardew Valley motivates naturally, with blissful optimism." [Read the full review] -- Mary Kish
SteamWorld Dig 2 -- 9/10
"Every advancement Dig 2 makes to its story and mechanics strengthens your initiative to progress. There's an overwhelming sense of momentum that runs through the adventure; as if developer Image & Form sifted the original in a pan, removing its redundancies while expanding upon what made it so fun to persistently play. In your quest to acquire every upgrade and explore every nook and cranny, there's no shortage of hidden collectables to discover. And with post-game content that unlocks after you unearth every secret, the desire to keep digging intensifies. Dig 2 manages to not only be an exceptional successor, but a great adventure in its own right. Where the first game was a diamond in the rough, Dig 2 is a polished jewel." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor
Super Mario Odyssey -- 10/10
"Odyssey is sustained beyond its major milestones not only through colorful worlds and hidden challenges, but through the sheer joy of controlling Mario, who's never felt more responsive or dynamic in action. Even with everything new that's been introduced, Nintendo's forward-thinking platformer retains the series' classic handcrafted appeal, which is even more impressive when you realize how densely packed each kingdom is. Mario's latest outing is big, bold, and bursting with new ideas, and like Breath of the Wild, is another instance of Nintendo going above and beyond to redefine our expectations. It's a shining example of refined creativity, and another crown jewel for Switch that is without equal." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor
Lumines Remastered -- 8/10
"Lumines is the kind of game that temporarily rewires your brain, splicing together its ability to recognize visual patterns and audible rhythms simultaneously and forcing you to do the hard but delightful work of putting that ability to use. Having that experience so lovingly presented--and on the Switch, having Lumines handheld again for the first time in six years--is an occasion worth celebrating." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark
The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories -- 8/10
"The faltering plot twist doesn't detract from the overall experience. The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere. It is absolutely not for everyone, but as the game reminds us, there is nothing wrong with that." [Read the review] -- David Wildgoose
By Edmond Tran on Oct 23, 2018 05:47 am
Red Dead Redemption 2: All The New Features
A number of GameSpot staff were able to play a near-final build of Red Dead Redemption 2 recently, which releases in a few week's time (October 26) on PS4 and Xbox One. Despite some initial familiarity as a Rockstar game, we discovered a wealth of new features and systems once we scratched the surface. There are a lot of mechanics to tell you about, a lot of stuff that we haven't seen the full scope of, and potentially a lot of things we haven't even seen yet. And that's without diving into Red Dead Online, which largely remains a mystery and won't launch until November (and even then, only as a beta). Rockstar recently released a second gameplay trailer that shows off a few other new features that we didn't get the chance to see first hand, but it's easy to imagine how they might fit into the game based on our experience. We'll continue to update this gallery as Rockstar releases new details up to launch. Please note that due to the limited amount of available media, not all images will be completely representative of the features they're depicting. If you haven't already seen our primary Red Dead Redemption 2 preview covering the story missions we saw, make sure you read: Red Dead Redemption 2: We Played It, Here's Everything We Saw. What do you think of all these new additions? Lets us know in the comments below, and check out all of our coverage through the following links. Red Dead Redemption 2 News And Details
You Can Play The Whole Game In First Person
The entirety of Red Dead Redemption 2 can be played in first-person, much like Grand Theft Auto V when it was released on PS4, Xbox One, and later, PC. Like GTA V, this feels like a much more involved first-person experience than a conventional FPS because your actions feel more weighty, and animations are more confronting. We were trampled by a horse at one point, and it felt awful.
You Can Disable The HUD
The HUD is minimal by default, only showing the mini-map in the bottom left corner, with meters fading in as it becomes necessary. An expanded HUD option shows you a larger minimap, but there's also the option to turn everything off, as well as an option to only have a compass on the screen.
Cinematic Camera Has A New Implementation
If you're familiar with Rockstar open-world games, then you're probably familiar with the cinematic camera mode, which can be triggered while you're driving and activates when you're fast-traveling in a cab. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the cinematic camera will now automatically trigger in certain instances, like the long journey to a mission location, and will frame the journey with a montage of shots that emphasize the landscape and traveling group. You can break out of it at any time, but it's a nice touch, an enjoyable filmic framing of what might have otherwise been a standard journey. As long as you hold X on PS4 or A on Xbox One to keep pace with the pack (like RDR1), you can just sit back and enjoy the naturally-flowing conversation and scenery. This feature can also be triggered manually during gameplay.
You Can Inspect Everything
We spent a lot of time in town exploring stores, where items could be examined and purchased off the shelf individually, or via a catalog at the front counter. Switching to first person, you can make Arthur manipulate the object in his hands as he takes a close look at it. This is also how you'll interact with environmental narrative objects like notes and photographs. You can also inspect your weapons, which is great for appreciating any customizations you've made to them.
There Are A Variety of Business, Activities, and Secret Stores
We spent time in town browsing the gunsmith and general store, sitting down for a bowl of oatmeal and playing some Five Finger Fillet. Rockstar told us that some stores would have more illicit secret businesses in back rooms.
You Can Discover Secret Passages
The latest trailer showed Arthur moving a bookcase to reveal a secret stairwell. Could this be how you get to the aforementioned secret shops, or could it lead to some a secret stash of riches?
Your Weapons Are Visible On Your Person
Drawing on learnings from Max Payne 3, all of the weapons Arthur carries will be visible on his body. You'll be limited to carrying two long guns (or one long gun and one bow), two sidearms, a knife, a lasso, and a bunch of throwables. When we switched weapons in the demo, Arthur would carry his rifle in his left hand while he used his pistol in the other.
There's A Kill Cam That Changes Depending On Your Honor
Visible weapons aren't the only Max Payne 3 DNA in the game--when you take out the final opponent during a gunfight, a kill cam will frame that final blow. This will change depending on Arthur's moral standing: If you've been a naughty cowboy, these kill cams will be gorier. If you've been upstanding and honorable, they'll be framed in a more heroic fashion.
You Can Break Enemy Weapons
Speaking of heroic behavior, if you want to go the more non-lethal route, it's possible to shoot weapons out of enemy hands. Not only that, but you can even shoot directly at their weapons and break them. This seems like a handy technique if you're looking to be an outlaw with a heart of gold as opposed to a straight-up cold-blooded killer.
Dead Eye Has Five Levels Now
Red Dead Redemption's version of bullet time-style slowdown returns in the sequel, and it has more levels to it. We were able to deduce that Level 1 allows for slowdown, Level 2 allows you to paint targets and unleash a barrage of shots, and Level 3 allows you to manually pick your shooting points. However, Rockstar also mentioned that you had the ability to highlight critical hit points with higher levels, which will come in very handy for making clean kills when hunting animals.
You Can Customise Your Guns
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you're able to examine environmental objects in great detail, and you can do the same to your weapons, by clicking the right analog stick from the weapon wheel. That's handy because it lets you admire the customizations you can perform on them at gunsmiths, like personalized engravings and leather wraps.
You Can Craft Weapons
Aside from gun customization, you can craft special kinds of weapons and ammo. For example, you can craft molotovs and split-point bullets. This should make the going easier when caught up in firefights.
Your Guns Can Degrade And Jam
You need to take care of your weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2. You have the option to clean it, which is incredibly important to do regularly because guns can rust and jam due to disrepair and environmental conditions. This one's sure to be a controversial feature, if Far Cry 2, which also featured gun jamming, was anything to go by.
You Can Fire Warning Shots
By having your gun unholstered and holding Up on the d-pad, you can fire warning shots into the air. This is handy for intimidating people, scaring off animals, or generally being a rowdy buffoon while you're riding around.
Shooting Is Not Your Only Option, Try Talking
Aiming at people with your gun holstered will give you access to a contextual menu, which lets you chat to people in the world. You'll often find the option to verbally defuse or agitate situations with other inhabitants in the world, and these interactions seemed quite fluid and natural during our short time with the game. For example, when a carriage rode past us, we had the option to call out to them to stop, greet them in a friendly manner, or antagonize them. We called out to the carriage and were then given the option to hitch a ride among other things, but we took too long to make a decision and the driver rode off. We called out again, and Arthur's dialogue was more unsure and desperate.
You Can Donate Money To Those In Need
About halfway through the second gameplay trailer, we can see Arthur donating money to a beggar on the sidewalk, following a button prompt. Odds are that this will impact Arthur in some way, whether it be related to his reputation stats or a potential quest down the road.
The Eyewitness System Returns
The eyewitness system means that nearby onlookers to a crime can report you to lawmen, and like the first Red Dead Redemption, the effect of eyewitnesses can be mitigated if you manage to catch up with them and either kill or bribe them before they report the crime. In the sequel, however, you have more options. You can speak to them in various temperaments in an attempt to intimidate or convince them not to report you, or you can beat them like a heartless jerk.
Melee Combat Has Been Expanded
We weren't able to get into the mechanical intricacies of this one during our demo, but Rockstar reps mentioned that melee combat had been expanded. We were shown a fistfight where Arthur used grapple moves, blocks, and a variety of different punches to knock out his opponent.
Hunting Is More Realistic, Laborious, And Confronting
The ability to hunt animals and sell their meat and pelts returns, but with a more realistic (and therefore more confronting) presentation. Once you successfully kill an animal, you can skin it. But where Red Dead Redemption's skinning animation didn't focus on the animal, Red Dead Redemption 2's most certainly does. You'll see Arthur pull his knife out, get on his hands and knees, plunge his knife into the poor beast, carve the pelt from its flesh, peel it off the body, and roll it up into a bundle. You'll almost certainly wince the first time you see it. Arthur actually carries the pelt now, and he'll need to store it on his horse to free up his hands. Similarly, to get the meat off a hunted animal, you'll manually have to pick up the bloodied carcass and carry it to a butcher. We had to load a hunted deer on our horse and ride it into the nearest town, where we had the option of getting it chopped up into cookable components or simply selling it whole.
You Can Fish
If the gruesome realities of hunting and cleaning your kill are too much for you to stomach, you can opt to fish instead.
You Can Herd Cattle
Life in the old west isn't all about looting and shooting and running away from bounty hunters. Sometimes you need to take in some fresh air and get to work on some good, old-fashioned chores. Herding cattle could be the relaxing respite from hard livin' we need. After all, what's a cowboy without cows?
Time Is Cruel
Rockstar reps wanted us to know that these meat components had an expiration date--time would eventually take its toll and both the fresh pelt and carcass would start to rot and attract vermin, reducing its value and making us generally unpleasant to be around.
Time To Shave
Time also has an effect on Arthur's hair, which will grow longer over time. Customizing Arthur's haircut and facial hair styling is also dependent on length since you're allowed to cut things shorter, but won't have access to anything that requires more hair--a more realistic take on personal grooming compared to GTA V.
Time To Open
Time will also affect towns over the course of the game. While exploring, we noticed a half-constructed building and were told that these would eventually become new storefronts as days passed.
Stay Clean
NPCs will certainly react to the stink of your rotting deer corpse if you've been around it too long, or just haven't taken a bath in a while. Arthur needs to get clean and change his clothes every once in a while, since townsfolk may refuse to talk or serve him based on his appearance--having a lot of blood on your jacket doesn't attract the best reactions.
You Can Layer Your Clothes
Rockstar reps explained that the game's clothing customization options will be comprehensive--each character will have different sets to coincide with weather conditions, while customizations would allow layering and minor adjustments, like the option to roll up your sleeves or tuck your pants into your boots. It's unclear whether outfits will have perks like RDR1, but we know that the type of clothes you wear will affect Arthur's performance. For example, if you wear a weighty jacket during a hot summer day, your running stamina will take a big hit.
You Get A Camera. Yes, You Can Take Selfies
We started a side quest during our time with Red Dead Redemption 2, and the mission giver handed Arthur a camera. This camera could be used at any time via your inventory, and yes, the first thing we did was take a selfie. These aren't arm-out handheld selfies, though. The mode is titled "self-portrait" and will frame Arthur's whole body as if the camera was set up on a tripod. You'll be able to adjust expressions and poses, too--expect to see a whole bunch of self-portraits depicting Arthur squatting in front of various things.
You Need To Eat
Arthur's core meters are health, stamina, and dead eye, and you'll need to keep him fed with snacks and meals to keep his well-being topped up. If your health or stamina falls below a certain level, Arthur will experience dizziness--he'll have trouble walking, and his vision will be blurry. Arthur can carry snacks on him for a quick boost, but eating meals in town areas and in camp are more effective.
You Can Gain And Lose Weight
Sure, you need to eat. But don't overdo it! Arthur can both lose and gain weight, much like Carl Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Presumably, you'll also lose weight by performing strenuous physical activities like sprinting.
Get Better By Doing
In our demo, we noticed that stamina limit could be raised by running. This suggests a similar progression system to previous Rockstar Games where your skill with something increases the more you perform that action. This manifests itself in a new way via what's known as the Core system. Although health, stamina, and Deadeye meters are separate from the Cores, how they perform depends on the state of a corresponding Core. For instance, the health Core dictates how quickly health regenerates, and likewise for stamina. If you're low on health but the corresponding health Core has been maintained well, the rate at which you generate health will be increased. To keep your individual cores in good shape, you'll need to level up Arthur's strength, grit, dexterity, and instinct attributes. Leveling up Cores is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which reflected the way CJ behaved on the character itself; if you ate too much junk food, you'd gain weight, or if you spent a lot of time sprinting around the city, you'd have better stamina. Similarly, in Red Dead Redemption 2 there are activities that you'll do simply by playing the game which, over time, will improve your Core. Running, for example, once again improves your stamina, while taking damage and then restoring health will build your Health core.
Horses Are Complex Creatures
Your horse will have its own set of health and stamina meters, and like Arthur, you'll need to keep it fed as well. You'll also need to keep it clean and brushed, since it can become less effective, and you can pet your horse, which acts as a mechanism to calm it down after it's been spooked. We were told that bonding with your horse by caring for it and riding it regularly can unlock additional skills and improve responsiveness. During our hands-on, we were able to rear our horse on its hind legs, perform drifts to change direction quickly (apologies to equestrian enthusiasts), and move our horse precisely by performing dressage techniques. You can bond with multiple horses and stable them in different locations around the world, as different breeds will be better suited to certain situations. A Clydesdale warhorse, for example, would be more suitable in a battle than the Tennessee walking horse, which is more of an all-rounder. And yes, they poop.
Your Horse's Saddlebags Hold Everything
Because Arthur can only carry a limited amount of weapons, your horse also acts as your storage. Being in close proximity to your horse will give you access to your entire arsenal, but you'll need to transfer guns onto your person if you decide to stray. You can move your horse without mounting it, thankfully, by grabbing the reins and leading it on foot. This gamut of horse interactions is accessed by Red Dead Redemption 2's new contextual menu, by holding L2 with your gun holstered and aiming at your horse. Also, you can also rob other people's saddlebags. Just make sure no-one is watching.
Side Missions Are Potentially More Involved
The aforementioned side quest was a multi-part mission that we weren't allowed the time to pursue. In it, a biographer fed up with his drunken subject asked Arthur to track down a number of famed gunslingers to ask them about who was the best, with the strong insinuation that we would have to duel them ourselves. We were handed a number of photographs of the targets, each with some handwritten notes on the back. Physically analyzing these notes and photographs was likely the key to narrowing down our search, reminiscent of the Treasure Maps from the first Red Dead Redemption.
Camps Are Complex And Affected By Time
Your camp will not wait for you. We were told that the members of your gang who reside at camp will come and go, and finding out where exactly they've gone from others will be the basis of a number of quests and side quests. We found that the day and night cycle will also affect who you're able to interact with at camp. For example, we looked for our gang's cook to try and fix up some of the deer we had prepared earlier, but he was sleeping, and though we prodded him awake, we didn't feel mean enough to make him cook. The stockpiling of supplies like these is just one of the ways you can affect camp morale. We're told camp morale is an optional mechanic, but keeping this raised can provide Arthur with additional supplies and bonuses.
You Can Dance (If You Want To!)
If you find yourself at camp and the mood strikes you, you can break a leg and dance with your gang. The simple moves in the trailer seems fairly traditional, but we'll put good money on there being sillier options whenever Red Dead Online launches.
Catch A Stage Show
Assuming he isn't too stinky to make it past the ushers, Arthur can kick back and catch a show at the local theater.
Gang Members Can Join You In Free-Roam
Rockstar told us that if available, gang members will offer to join you on free-roam activities, giving you access to the same kind of assistance saw in the story missions, like asking them to go ahead and take out an enemy. You can also spend time talking to gang members at camp, including Read Dead 1 protagonist John Martson, and even butt into conversations midway to add your two cents. Unfortunately, due to the time of day in our demo, we didn't have many of these opportunities to explore.
You Can Swim
Unlike John Marston, it's possible for Arthur to swim. Though, it's worth noting that he isn't all that great at it.
You Have An Instinct Vision Called Eagle Eye
When you're tracking and hunting animals, you can activate what's called the Eagle Eye system. This displays key details in the environment that can help you close in on nearby game. It can also be used to see the scent coming off your body; a handy detail you can use to determine whether or not you should approach animals who might catch onto your presence.
You Can Swap Your Hat
Last, but certainly not least, we noted that while you can easily lose your hat in the midst of a shootout, Arthur can swap his hat for any other hat that just happened to fall off someone else's head by no doing of your own. Because at the end of the day, if you can't wear the hat you want, what is the point of even playing? We'll continue to update this gallery as we discover more things about Red Dead Redemption 2. If you haven't already seen our primary Red Dead Redemption 2 preview covering the story missions we saw, make sure you read Red Dead Redemption 2: We Played It, Here's Everything We Saw.
By Array on Oct 23, 2018 05:40 am
Blackout Basics
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a bit of a different beast from previous games in the series. The classic Call of Duty multiplayer modes return, but the game is far more focused on multiplayer than ever before, shedding the single-player campaign that previous entries have offered. Not only that, but there's a completely new mode called Blackout. Those familiar with battle royale games such as Fortnite and PUBG will feel right at home in this 100-player mode. If you spend most of your time with Call of Duty games, chances are that Blackout will be incredibly foreign to you. After all, it's a much slower-paced affair compared to the more frenetic speed of Call of Duty's standard multiplayer modes. If you want to come out on top in Blackout, you need to ditch many of the strategies and behaviors that once earned you victory in previous games. And even if you are a battle royale veteran, Black Ops 4 still has a wealth of its own unique mechanics and systems that you'll need to get accustomed to. In this feature, we highlight 10 useful tips to know before jumping into Blackout. If you've had a chance to play the beta, you may be familiar with some of what we're about to discuss. Developer Treyarch has added and adjusted a few aspects of the game since, so be sure to read ahead. If all of this talk about Blackout confuses you, be on the lookout for our article that goes over everything you need to know about the mode. You can also read our informative feature that details Black Ops 4 as a whole in all of its modes. For folks more curious about how Blackout compares to Fortnite and PUBG, check out our in-depth comparison feature. Otherwise, be on the lookout for more Black Ops 4 guides in the coming days. In the meantime, how do you feel about Blackout? Got any tips concerning the mode that you don't see here? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.
Stick The Landing
Getting to the ground first is one of the most important things you need to master. You'll start the match in a helicopter that flies across the island. Unlike in other battle royale games, the way to drop down precisely where you want--and quickly--is to trade off between speed and distance. When you exit the helicopter, head straight down. You know you're reaching max speed when your character's arms tuck in. The right side of screen shows both your speed in meters per second and downward facing arrows. You want to hit three down triangles and then start flying up and down in long, wave-shaped movements towards your chosen landing zone.
Landing Zone Tips
Landing in remote places is a huge gamble, but doing so in a small unmarked village can be even worse than a larger area. If a team has landed before you, then you have nowhere to run. Larger areas may attract more players but typically have more buildings to explore. It's also easier to get to a separate building where you can gather equipment. A great example of this is landing at Turbine, where there are several large warehouses. However, certain areas, such as Firing Range and Nuketown Island, attract an especially large number of players. Don't go there unless you're confident in your skills.
Wingsuit Essentials
When you jump out of the helicopter, you'll use your wingsuit to land. You might not know, however, that it can be deployed at any time during a match. It's useful to do so when jumping off tall places, such as the Dam or Lighthouse. This is helpful in making a hasty escape when things go south. You can deploy the wingsuit by running and then holding the jump button.
Zombie Rewards (Be Careful!)
Going to zombie-infested areas, such as Asylum or any of the beams of light on the map, can get you high-level weapons and armor. There is a chance that a super zombie will show up; killing it yields even better rewards. However, the ensuing gunfire will likely draw a lot of attention in the process. Alternatively, if you'd rather avoid engaging with zombies, you can always ambush teams trying to nab weapons and equipment from zombies and steal their stuff instead.
Avoid Buildings In The Final Circle (Unless You Got A Trophy System)
Don't hide in buildings during the final moments of a match when the battle area is at its smallest; you're likely to get killed by grenades, cluster bombs, or any other explosive throwables. Though, if you have the trusty Trophy System, you can just zap any incoming explosive right out of the air. Regardless, it's a good rule of thumb to avoid camping out in buildings during this moment of the match.
Use Vehicles Wisely
Blackout has a good mix of transportation options. There are helicopters, boats, ATVs, and heavy trucks. But be careful; driving these noisy vehicles can give away your location, especially as the map shrinks over the course of the match.
Where To Find Yourself Some Helicopters
Helicopters are incredibly useful if you need to get to a safety zone quickly. There several scattered across the map; you can find them are the Construction Site, Estates, Turbine, Factory, Firing Range, Nuketown Island, and Cargo Docks.
Hellion Salvo Is Your Friend
If players in vehicles are giving you trouble, then seek out the Hellion Salvo rocket launcher, which can lock onto them with ease. If you find yourself about to be on the receiving end of the Hellion Salvo, try to break line of sight as fast as possible or abandon ship.
Support And Scavenge
When playing in a squad, Blackout has plenty of options available for you to help out your team, such as sharing ammo with teammates from the inventory menu. Some actions in the game can even be performed without fully going into your menus. You can use the D-pad to scroll through a downed enemy's inventory, and with a single button press you can equip a weapon attachment from the ground without going into your inventory.
Practice in Solo Training (And Even Standard Multiplayer)
Despite not having a single-player campaign, Black Ops 4 does have a solo training mode with Specialist videos and a brief cinematic story. Doing this will unlock multiplayer characters for Blackout, as well as teach you how to use many of the gadgets that appear as pickups in battle royale. Black Ops 4's standard multiplayer mode also offers some learning opportunities that can benefit you in Blackout, as you can familiarize yourself with weapons and gadgets that fit your playstyle in a more contained combat space.
Using Specialist Weapons In Blackout
As stated, many of the specialist weapons can be found all across the map in Blackout. Here are some pointers on a few that may not easy to understand out the gate. - Recon's Sensor Dart has a huge vertical cone and is best fired into elevated places where it is hard to spot.
- Battery's Cluster Grenade sticks to surfaces and shoots mini bombs straight out from where it lands, like a shotgun blast. It is intended to be used to reach around corners. It's very dangerous to throw a cluster grenade on a wall or at an enemy right in front of you.
- Torque's Razor Wire is meant to be placed under windows Rainbow Six Siege-style to trap vaulting opponents, as opposed to obvious places out in the open. Torque's Barricade can also be found in Blackout and is helpful cover that can be deployed when caught in the open.
By Matt Espineli on Oct 23, 2018 05:39 am
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 is a dedicated multiplayer game--there's no single-player campaign in sight. Classic modes like multiplayer and zombies remain but replacing the single-player campaign this year is none other than Blackout, a battle royale mode where up to 100 players fight to come out on top. Every part of Black Ops 4 is designed to throw you into heated competitive matches against other players. These multiplayer modes may be a tad overwhelming for both returning players and newcomers. After all, the game sort of just throws you into the menu screen without much explanation of each or insight towards what's new. To prepare you for the challenges that lie ahead, we've gathered 17 tips that should help you across all three of Black Ops 4's major multiplayer modes. If you're looking for more guides, be sure to check out feature highlighting Blackout tips you should know before starting, as well as our Blackout character unlock guide. You can also read our informative feature that details Black Ops 4 as a whole in all of its modes. For folks more curious about how Blackout compares to Fortnite and PUBG, check out our in-depth comparison feature. In the meantime, how are you enjoying Black Ops 4? Got any tips that you don't see here? Let us know in the comments below.
Multiplayer: Focus On The Objective! (Unless Team Deathmatch)
For veteran Call of Duty players, sticking to the objective in an objective-focused mode should be obvious. But for newcomers jumping in for the first time, this might not be clear, especially if they haven't played Call of Duty or are more familiar with the series' older entries. Black Ops 4 introduces far more objective-focused modes than ever before, so unless you're playing Team Deathmatch, you want to assist your squadmates in claiming flags in Domination, holding control points in Control, and collecting as many dog tags as you can in Kill Confirmed. You'll naturally earn your team points as you support them in these modes and focus on the objective at hand, so don't get too hung up on your kill count.
Multiplayer: Give Yourself Time To Heal
The biggest change to Black Ops 4 is non-regenerating health. If you want to recover health, you need to use Stim-Shots to recover, which is mapped to L1/LB. It takes a few seconds to administer, so take extra care to pull back or find cover away from your current firefight when in the red. You also can't shoot while using the Stim-Shot, so make sure you're not putting yourself in harm's way by walking around a blind corner or into a wide-open space.
Multiplayer: Be Careful Of The Time To Kill
Speaking of health, Black Ops 4 increases the amount of HP players have, which in turn increases the time to kill. Be sure that you have ample time to kill an opposing player and try not to take unnecessary risks. Take note of their health and avoid sprinting around corners, as this will reduce your ability to aim after spotting them.
Multiplayer: Invest In What You Want
When you first start playing matches, don't be careless with your weapon loadouts. It's essential to decide early on which types of weapons and equipment you want to invest in, as you'll want the stuff you use the most to be at a high level when you inevitably unlock the ability to create your own class. Stick with leveling up weapons that suit your playstyle the most, or else you'll be spending extra hours reconfiguring your loadout on account of your lack of focus. Also, make note of your shortcomings. Once you unlock Create-a-Class and gain access to the Pick 10 system--which allots you a specific amount of points to create a customized loadout--you'll want to start customizing your weapons and equipment further to make up for what you lack in.
Multiplayer: Spend Wisely In Heist Mode
In Heist mode, it's best to save your initial $500 for the second round. When you're spending cash, try to consider whether or not you'll use an item. It's best to save expensive upgrades for later rounds when you've got more cash. To save on spending money in subsequent rounds, be on the lookout for ammo and health pickups scattered across the map. Out of all the possible purchasing options, make sure that you're always buying body armor. With no respawns during each round, the few extra shots of protection it offers can make all the difference.
Blackout: Stick The Landing
Getting to the ground first is one of the most important things you need to master. You'll start the match in a helicopter that flies across the island. Like other battle royale games, the way to drop down precisely where you want--and quickly--is to tradeoff between speed and distance. When you exit the helicopter, head straight down. You know you're reaching max speed when your character's arms tuck in. The right side of screen shows both your speed in meters per second and downward facing arrows. You want to hit three down triangles and then start flying up and down in long, wave-shaped movements towards your chosen landing zone.
Blackout: Landing Zone Tips
Landing in remote places is a huge gamble but doing so in a small unmarked village can be even worse than a larger area. If a team has landed before you, then you have nowhere to run. Larger areas may attract more players but typically have more buildings to explore. It's also easier to an untouched building to loot equipment. A great example of this is landing at Turbine, where there are several large warehouses. However, certain areas, such as Firing Range and Nuketown Island, attract an especially large number of players. Don't go there unless you're confident in your skills.
Blackout: Wingsuit Essentials
When you jump out of the helicopter, you'll use your wingsuit to land. You might not know, however, that it can be deployed at any time during a match. It's useful to do so when jumping off tall places, such as the Dam or Lighthouse. This is helpful in making a hasty escape when things go south. You can deploy the wingsuit by running and then holding the jump button.
Blackout: Avoid Buildings In The Final Circle (Unless You Got A Trophy System)
Don't hide in buildings during the final moments of a match when the battle area is at its smallest; you're likely to get killed by grenades, cluster bombs, or any other explosive throwables. Though, if you have the trusty Trophy System, you can just zap any incoming explosive right out of the air. Regardless, it's a good rule of thumb to avoid camping out in buildings during this moment of the match.
Blackout: Use Vehicles Wisely
Blackout has a good mix of transportation options. There are helicopters, boats, ATVs, and heavy trucks. But be careful; driving these noisy vehicles can give away your location, especially as the map shrinks over the course of the match. Also, you're a prime target for anyone with Hellion Salvo rocket launcher since it also locks onto vehicles. Helicopters are incredibly useful if you need to get to a safety zone quickly. There are several scattered across the map; a few places to find them are the Construction Site, Turbine, Factory, Firing Range, and Cargo Docks.
Blackout: Support And Scavenge
When playing in a squad, Blackout has plenty of options available for you to help out your team, such as sharing ammo with teammates from the inventory menu. Some actions in the game can even be performed without fully going into your menus. You can use the D-pad to scroll through a downed enemy's inventory, and with a single button press you can equip a weapon attachment from the ground without going into your inventory.
Zombies: Keep An Eye Out For Parts
Always be on the lookout for parts, which can be used at workbenches to construct useful weapons and equipment. In IX, these parts build the Acid Trap, the Bull Shield, and the Death of Orion, while in Voyage of Despair, they're used to create the Riot Shield and the Distillation Kit. In Blood of the Dead, the parts create a Special Shield. Unfortunately, parts don't have set locations where you can find them, as they randomly spawn in different areas of the map.
Zombies: Ship Maps in Voyage of Despair
In Voyage of Despair, pay close attention to the ship maps strewn about each area. You can use them to get better acquainted with your surroundings, as well as find specific rooms in the ship.
Zombies: The Sentinel Artifact in Voyage of Despair
Typically, in Zombie mode you often need to flip a switch in order to open up closed-off areas of the map. But in Voyage of Despair, this is facilitated by finding the Sentinel Artifact, which is located on the ship's Poop Deck. Obtaining the Sentinel Artifact also unlocks special portals you can use to warp to different areas of the ship.
Zombies: Where To Find Pack-A-Punches
The Pack-a-Punch is a handy station you can use to increase the power of your weapons. In Voyage of Despair, you can only access it once you've activated four stone altars scattered across the map. You can find these stations in the following locations: - Poop Deck
- Engine Room
- Lower Grand Staircase
- Cargo Hold
The Pack-a-Punch shifts locations from one stone station to the next in Voyage of Despair. But don't worry, if you arrive at the wrong one, you'll be told exactly which stone station is housing the Pack-a-Punch. In IX, the Pack-a-Punch is unlocked by activating gongs to spawn zombie champions that you must defeat. Killing them rewards you their heads, which you take to a circular room in the colosseum's underground sections called The Temple. Sticking the four zombie champion heads to the center altar unlocks the Pack-a-Punch. The gongs are found in the following locations: - Ra Altar room
- Danu Altar room
- Odin Altar room
- Zeus Altar room
The Pack-A-Punch in the Blood of the Dead is unlocked by picking up the Warden's Key and crafting the Spectral Shield. You use the weapon to charge the voltage conductors on the roof of the prison, which unlocks the Pack-a-Punch.
Zombies: Use Red Valves To Drain The Water In Voyage of Despair
When exploring the lower regions of the ship, keep an eye out for red valves. You can use these to drain the water, making it easier to navigate.
Zombies: Workbenches
As stated, workbenches are used to create special weapons and equipment. Regardless of which map you play, always be on the lookout for workbenches. They often lead to the creation of weapons and items that will often lead you to success. IX only has one workbench, which you use to craft the Brazen Bull and is located in The Pit. In Voyage of Despair, there are a total of two workbenches. The Poop Deck workbench is used to create the Riot Shield, a useful defensive item that allows you to defend yourself from both the front and rear. The Engine Room workbench is used to create the Distillation Kit--an item that allows you to craft new ammo types for the incredibly powerful Kraken, which you get after defending and opening the map's special chest. Lastly, the workbenches in Blood of the Dead craft the Spectral Shield; they're located in the Docks and the Cell Block Third Floor.
By Chris Pereira on Oct 23, 2018 03:42 am
Check out the spooky new items available for Halloween
Bungie is making up for skipping last Halloween in a big way. October 2017 came only a month after Destiny 2's release, so the franchise's annual Halloween event, Festival of the Lost, skipped Year One of the new game. For 2018, Bungie is doing more than ever with the event. Most significantly, it's introduced a brand-new activity type (which arguably makes better use of the Infinite Forest than the DLC that added it ever did). But another big highlight is the new gear, masks, and other rewards you can get your hands on. With a new update now available, Festival of the Lost 2018 is underway, and you can see all of the new items in this gallery. A fixture of Festival of the Lost in the original Destiny was the variety of masks you can obtain and wear, and this year is no different. Among those we've already gotten a look at are Petra, Shaxx, and the Traveler, though the best of the bunch might be Cayde's chicken friend. Masks can be obtained by purchasing them with Fragmented Souls. This is a new type of currency earned by completing Festival of the Lost daily bounties offered by Amanda Holliday. Once you complete some initial missions for her, you'll receive the Fighting Lion, an Exotic grenade launcher, and its accompanying catalyst. It's at this point the new Haunted Forest activity opens in full and Holliday becomes a vendor offering bounties, masks, and a gun. We don't yet know if there will be other ways of getting your hands on masks. However, we do know there is a special Bright Engram--the Ephemeral Engram--that you'll receive in addition to the usual Steadfast Engram every time you fill the XP bar (assuming you've reached the level cap). These Engrams will contain a variety of new items, some of which will also be sold for Bright Dust at Eververse during the event. Tess at Eververse will also task you to equip a mask and complete a challenge--these can be seen in the director and include the daily and weekly tasks attached to various planets and activities, such as playing a match in Gambit or completing the Flashpoint. Many of these items are also pictured above--there are Sparrows, ships, Ghosts (including one that looks like a cat), Ghost Projections, emotes, and more. In terms of usable gear, we know there's a new auto rifle called Horror Story that you'll be able to purchase with the aforementioned Fragmented Souls. Better yet, it'll be available at Power level 600. Alongside all of these new items to acquire, there are new activities to take part in. First and foremost is the Haunted Forest, where you'll take on increasingly difficult enemies over the course of a 15-minute run in a modified Infinite Forest. This can be played solo or with a Fireteam of three (with matchmaking available if your friends are too scared to dive in). There's also a murder mystery involving the cryptarch Master Ives; you'll have to find out who killed him over the course of a questline that rewards Powerful gear. Festival of the Lost is now live and runs until November 6. Its debut coincides with the return of Iron Banner, which has been revamped with better rewards and easier bounties to complete. Additionally, a new update--patch 2.0.4--launches today.
By Dan Auty on Oct 23, 2018 03:05 am
One of the biggest staples of the horror movie genre is the plot twist. It's a genre that relies on tension, mystery, and surprises, and how better to shock an audience than by making them question everything they've seen so far? Of course, it's also something that's very hard to get right. Some of the best plot twists in horror are as famous as the movies themselves--films such as Psycho, The Sixth Sense, and Saw are famous for their shocking final revelations. These would be great films even if they didn't deliver a twist, but those final plot revelations add to their effect, making them must-sees for fans of the genre. Of course, for every one of those there are a dozen movies that get it badly wrong, delivering ridiculous, predictable, and laughable twists endings. There's nothing worse than a plot twist that insults the viewers and actually diminishes the movie before. Better a film ends with a normal ending, with the good guys surviving and the villain defeated, than it tries a shocking plot-reversal that totally fails. So here's some of the very best twists in horror. Many of these are final reveals that change everything we thought we knew about the plot and characters. Some of them are more subtle, others come from absolutely nowhere, and there are even those that are very silly, but are so crazy that they work in adding to the fun of watching the movie. Also, it goes without saying that there are big spoilers ahead--we're going to tell you what happens in each of these movies. Let's twist!
21. Carnival Of Souls (1962)
Very little in this classic low budget chiller makes logical sense, and that includes the ending. A woman survives a car accident, in which her vehicle plunges into a deep lake. For the rest of the film she experiences all sorts of strange visions and ghostly apparitions, until we discover--you guessed it--that she died in the lake. By modern standards it's perhaps a bit predictable, but back '62 this sort of twist wasn't nearly so familiar, and the movie's weird, dreamlike atmosphere makes it work.
20. The Orphan (2009)
Some twists are so ridiculous that it seems incredible that the writers didn't abandon them before they ever reached a second draft of the script. The Orphan has such a final reveal, but somehow it adds to the fun of watching this preposterous shocker, especially if you know it in advance. It turns out that the evil killer "child" that we've been watching for two hours is in fact a psychopathic 33-year-old former sex worker born with a rare hormonal disorder that gives her the appearance of a nine-year-old girl. Yes, you read that correctly.
19. The Descent (2005)
Enjoying the twist at the end of Neil Marshall's claustrophobic chiller actually depends on which version you see. The movie should end with the shock of realising that lead character Sarah hasn't escaped from the cave network in which she and her spelunking pals are trapped, hunted by dozens of flesh-eating cave creatures. Instead the happy scene in which she finally emerges into daylight is simply a hallucination, and she remains deep underground, unable to find a way out. Unfortunately, the movie's American distributor decided that was all a bit bleak, so simply ended the film with her "escape", and didn't cut back to the final, horrifying reveal. Boo.
18. High Tension (2003)
One of the more controversial twists on this list, the revelation at the end of Alexandre Aja's French gorefest is either a brilliant subversion of the entire storyline, or a stupid, nonsensical plot point that adds nothing to the movie. Having watched a young woman called Marie attempt to survive against a deranged killer who seems intent on slaughtering everyone she encounters, we find out that it was Marie doing the killing all along. Some fans loved it, many more hated it--but it's undeniably got the movie plenty of attention.
17. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
There are few things creepier in horror than weird kids, and the nightmarish Belgian movie Goodnight Mommy has two of 'em. Twins Elias and Lukas spend their days playing in and around a huge, isolated house, trying to avoid their strict, domineering mother, who is recovering from plastic surgery. The pair become convinced that this woman is not, in fact, their mom, and tie her to the bed and torture her to find out the truth. We eventually discover that the car accident that disfigured her also killed Lukas, and Elias has been playing out a fantasy in his head that his brother is still with him.
16. Angel Heart (1987)
Alan Parker's film is a dark, thrilling mix of film noir and satanic horror with two huge stars (Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro) and a big twist in the final minutes. A private detective called Harry Angel is hired to find a missing man and heads to New Orleans, where a series of brutal murders are taking place. The surprise is that Harry is searching for himself, and that the man who hired him is actually the devil (although, his name--Louis Cypher--is a bit of a giveaway!)
15. Don't Breathe (2016)
This recent home invasion hit contains a double-twist, which leads into one of the most notorious scenes in a horror movie for some time. If you've seen the film, you know the scene! A trio of teen thieves break into the house of an old blind man with the intention of stealing the huge payment he received after his daughter was killed in a car accident. Unfortunately, the man (played by Avatar's Stephen Lang and known only as The Blind Man) is a super-tough former Marine who doesn't need his eyesight to kick their asses. The invaders discover that he has been keeping the woman who accidentally killed his daughter prisoner in his basement. To double down on this, he has impregnated her in order for her to replace the child that she took from him. Inevitably, gets grimmer from there--let's just say a turkey baster is involved. Eeewww.
14. The Mist (2007)
Without doubt the cruellest twist on this list. This Stephen King adaptation ends with main character David and his young son escaping into the dense, terrifying mist in which monsters, madness, and death lurk. Believing that their situation is hopeless and wanting to spare his son a horrifying death, he shoots him. Unfortunately, the mist clears soon after and an army convoy rattles up, blasting monsters and offering sanctuary. This ending didn't feature in King's novella but was added by writer/director Frank Darabont. However, King was a fan, and subsequently described it as "the most shocking ending ever."
13. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Everything about George Romero's zombie classic was shocking for audiences in 1968--the gore, the scares, the stark matter-of-style style, and the ending. The final twist still packs a punch. Having survived the night, holed up in a farmhouse and under siege by zombies, our hero Ben emerges into the daylight, only to be suddenly shot dead by a local posse and tossed onto a pile of corpses. It's an absolute gut-punch, made all the more powerful by the fact that the movie was made at the height of the civil rights movement, and Romero shows us a strong, brave black character killed by an unthinking white mob.
12. The Orphanage (2007)
A decade before he was thrilling audiences with his blockbuster dinosaur sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, J.A. Bayona made his directing debut with this superb Spanish language chiller. The final twist is both clever and deeply tragic. A young boy goes goes missing soon after his family move into a former orphanage, but it turns out the strange sounds that his mom heard afterwards were not ghosts, but the boy himself, who has been accidentally trapped in the cellar during a game.
11. Black Christmas (1974)
While the huge success of 1978's Halloween is frequently credited for launching the slasher movie craze of the early '80s, the earlier Black Christmas deserves some credit too. This seasonal shocker focuses on a house full of female students who are menaced by a unknown killer known as Billy, who has a habit of calling the house phone at night to announce his gruesome intentions. The big twist is that all the calls are coming from within the house itself. Not ever finding out the identity of the killer adds to the chilling ambiguity of this classic.
10. Scream (1996)
Wes Craven's slasher favorite gave '90s horror a much-needed kickstart and ushered in an era of knowing, self-referential horror. Scream's greatest asset is that it still works as a slick, scary slasher movie as well as a deconstruction of the genre, and features a great twist. The set-up is a classic whodunnit as to the identity of the movie's masked, horror movie-quoting killer, but it turns out there are two murderers, each taking turns behind the mask to confuse the cops while they pick off their pals.
9. Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Viewed these days, the twist at the end of the surreal, scary Jacob's Ladder seems like a total cliché--basically, it's all in the main character's head. But back in 1990 it was a genuine surprise, and is helped by the dark, paranoid atmosphere, Adrian Lyne's direction, and Tim Robbins' powerful lead performance. Robbins plays a Vietnam vet who suffers from nightmarish visions and hallucinations, only for us to discover that he is still in 'Nam and these horrific experiences are merely the final visions of a dying man.
8. Seven (1995)
David Fincher's modern masterpiece is one of the darkest, most gripping serial killer movies ever made. The miserable, oppressive tone throughout never once suggests that we're going to get a happy ending, but few audiences were prepared for the gut-punch of its final twist. Mad killer John Doe lures detectives Mills and Somerset out into the desert, with the promise that he will complete his series of murders based on the seven deadly sins. By delivering Mill's pregnant wife's severed head in a box to him, he does just that. Doe is the sin of envy, jealous of Mills' seemingly perfect life, which he had to destroy. And Mills becomes wrath, blowing Doe's brains out in anguished vengeance. Bleak, man.
7. April Fool's Day (1986)
April Fool's Day was released towards the end of the slasher movie craze of the '80s. And for much of the movie it seems like a fairly standard--albeit funny and entertaining--entry. The final twist, however, is quite a radical one, when we discover that none of the gory murders in the preceding 80 minutes are real, and the whole thing has been an elaborate prank on the lead character. To be fair, the clue is in the movie's title, but audiences were so used to generic holiday-themed slashers by that point that it actually works.
6. Les Diaboliques (1955)
Back in 1955 audiences weren't expecting filmmakers to pull the rug from under their feet, and the final revelation of Henri-Georges Clouzot's French masterpiece was a groundbreaking surprise. A woman called Christine plots to kill her abusive husband Michael, with the help of his mistress. The crime seemingly works but in a stunning sequence, Michael emerges alive from the bathtub in which his "body" has been placed. Christine drops dead of a heart attack and the true plot is revealed--Micheal's "murder" was all a hoax, and Christine was the intended victim all along.
5. The Others (2001)
As in The Sixth Sense a couple of years earlier, the clues to the twist at the end of Alejandro Amenábar's gothic classic are actually right there in front of us, making it even more fun on a second viewing. Grace (Nicole Kidman) lives in an old deserted house with her children, and three mysterious staff members, who have randomly turned up for work one day. Increasingly, Grace hears what she thinks are supernatural sounds, leading her (and us) to believe that the house is haunted, and that the three strangers have something to do with it. And while it turns out that the strange trio ARE ghosts, we discover that Grace and her kids are also dead, and they are the ones haunting the house. The sounds they are hearing are from the real world.
4. Saw (2004)
In comparison with the increasingly ridiculous and convoluted sequels that followed, the original Saw is surprisingly simple and straightforward. But that doesn't stop writer/director James Wan and co-writer Leigh Whannell throwing in one of the genre's great twists. Two men are trapped in a dirty, abandoned room for the entire movie by the evil Jigsaw, each chained to the wall with the body of what looks like a former victim on the floor. But in the final revelation, the "corpse" stands up, revealing himself to be none other than Jigsaw himself. Gotcha!
3. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock's classic features one of the all-time great movie twists--it's not Norman Bates' mom committing gruesome acts of murder in the rundown Bates Motel, but Norman himself, dressed up in a dress and wig while mom's bones sit in the attic. Hitchcock knew he had a doozy of a twist, and even appeared in the movie's trailers, imploring audiences not to give away the ending as "it's the only one we have."
2. The Sixth Sense (1999)
You'd be forgiven for thinking M. Night Shyamalan invented the movie twist, given how famous, influential, and parodied the final reveal at the end of his debut movie has been. It's a twist that everyone knows (Bruce Willis's cop character is dead all along) and given how obvious it seems in retrospect, it's amazing that it worked as well as it is did. But it really did, and the gobsmacking surprise of this final twist made the movie one of the 1999's biggest hits and launched the career of one of the modern era's most successful filmmakers.
1. The Wicker Man (1973)
This 1973 British classic delivers one of the most shocking final moments in horror. Mainland cop Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) is investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a remote Scottish island. After discovering that the islanders are part of an ancient cult, he believes that the girl will be offered as a sacrifice to the Pagan gods they worship. But too late he learns that HE is the sacrifice! Poor Neil is imprisoned in a giant Wicker Man, which is slowly engulfed in flames as the islanders dance merrily around it.
By Array on Oct 23, 2018 02:57 am
It's been eight long years, but we're finally returning to the Old West in Red Dead Redemption 2. While the game may have a "2" in the title, it actually serves as both a prequel and companion piece to the original, so what better time to revisit the plot of 2010's excellent Red Dead Redemption? After all, we know for sure that we're going to be seeing a lot of familiar faces in Red Dead Redemption 2. If you haven't finished the original Red Dead Redemption, there are going to be major spoilers in the slides ahead. While it's not required to enjoy Red Dead Redemption 2, knowing the plot of the first game could potentially enhance your enjoyment of the sequel. That said, we highly recommend that you play Red Dead Redemption anyway. Did we not mention that it's excellent? In this feature, we summarize all the major events, starting from protagonist John Marston's first attempt to reason with former ally Bill Williamson, and rolling right into his journey to Mexico and eventually his confrontation against Dutch Van der Linde. Once you're finished reading up on the first game's story, be sure check our our roundup feature compiling all the latest Red Dead Redemption 2 news, trailers, and gameplay footage. The game is adding a bunch of exciting new mechanics, so be sure to check out our in-depth feature showcasing them all. Though, if you're more intrigued about the game's development and some of its major inspirations and influences, you should read our feature discussing how previous Rockstar games, like Bully, Max Payne 3, and L.A. Noire, impacted its mechanics. In the meantime, what's your favorite moment from Red Dead Redemption? And what are you excited about most in the upcoming sequel? Let us know in the comments below.
America In 1911
Red Dead Redemption takes place in 1911, and America is undergoing huge changes. The wild frontiers are being tamed by new technologies and the burgeoning ideals of "civilization", while the outlaws that once roamed free are slowly being snuffed out, one by one. And in Red Dead Redemption, you play as John Marston, a character whose story truly embodied those changing times.
Enter John Marston
After his parents died, John Marston grew up under the care of Dutch Van der Linde: a gang leader who revelled in the cruelty and brutality of the Old West. Marston rode alongside Dutch for years, but he was gravely wounded during a botched robbery, and the gang, who he called family, left him behind to die. This acted as a wake-up call for John, so he took his wife Abigail, their young son Jack, and fellow gang member Uncle (no relation) to set up a ranch where they lived a quiet, honest life for five years. That is, until the Bureau Of Investigation comes knocking. Ordered to clear out the remaining gangs and bring order to the land using any means necessary, its lead agent, Edgar Ross, decides to use John to find the people he needs. Ross has Abigail and Jack kidnapped and held to ransom: They'll be released if John assists the Bureau in tracking down former members of his old gang, starting with Bill Williamson.
Hunting Bill Williamson
John and Bill frequently butted heads while riding together in the gang, so it doesn't take long for their reunion at Fort Mercer to go sour. Despite John pleading with Bill to surrender, Bill has one of his men shoot John instead. Before he can bleed out, John is found by a local rancher: Bonnie MacFarlane.
A Friend In Bonnie
Bonnie pays for a doctor to treat Marston's wounds, and he does odd jobs around the ranch to repay the debt. But Bill Williamson, hearing that John survived his gunshot wound, sends some men to the MacFarlane Ranch to flush him out. John saves the ranch workers, but realizes that he'll need some assistance in tackling the heavily fortified Fort Mercer.
Building A Team
John gets involved with some of New Austin's more… colourful characters. They include snake oil salesman Nigel West Dickens, who points him towards Irish, a drunkard with a hookup to get John access to a Gatling Gun, and Seth, a grave robber slash treasure hunter who has "methods" to sneak into Fort Mercer. John also assists the local US Marshal, Leigh Johnson, and his dimwitted deputies, but in doing so, captures one of Williamson's men. Williamson, in return, kidnaps Bonnie MacFarlane. After rescuing her, the time comes to take the fight to Bill.
Fort Siege
Using West Dickens' armoured stagecoach, Irish's Gatling Gun, the Marshal's men and Seth's distractions, the ragtag gang storms the Fort, only to find that Williamson isn't there. He has fled to Mexico to seek aid from another ex-gang member, Javier Escuella.
Journey to Mexico
Beginning with one of the most iconic moments in modern gaming, the second act of Red Dead Redemption takes us South of the border into Mexico. In order to gain information on Williamson and Escuela's whereabouts, Marston must help Colonel Allende and Captain De Santa of the Mexican Army as they struggle to quash a rebellion lead by the charismatic and amourous "man of the people," Abraham Reyes.
Playing Sides
There's one issue, though; Marston isn't exactly loyal to the Mexican Army. He's there for one reason, and one reason only: to find Bill and Javier. So he ends up playing both sides, teaming up with not only Reyes and his paramour Luisa, but also legendary gunslinger Landon Ricketts. Ricketts, incidentally, would be a perfect character to explore more in RDR2, especially as he was the lone survivor of a massacre in Blackwater in 1899--y'know, the same year the second game is set. A game that starts with an incident in Blackwater.
The End of Bill
Allende cottons on that John isn't necessarily in his corner, and orders his execution. The rebels arrive in the nick of time, and together, they kill Captain De Santa. They storm the Army stronghold of El Presidio and capture Escuela, before killing both Allende and John's mark, Bill Williamson. Sadly, Luisa dies during the attack, not that Reyes noticed. But with John's business in Mexico over, he heads back to America to meet with Edgar Ross and get his family back.
The Hunt For Dutch Van der Linde
Unfortunately, Ross refuses to release John's family until he tracks down and kills Dutch, who's making trouble after forming a new gang. This new gang is made up of young Native Americans, angry at the US Government for taking their land and livelihoods. John works with Yale Professor and cocaine enthusiast Harold MacDougal, who is on sabbatical after some kind of cocaine-related meltdown in which he attacked a man. He's studying the Native Americans, and the Bureau enlisted his help in tracking down Dutch's new gang.
The Final "Duel"
While MacDougal is of some help, John finds a more reliable lead in the form of Nastas, a member of Dutch's gang who's working as an informant for Ross and the Bureau. After a cat and mouse game with Dutch, eventually John tracks down his hideout, and storms the place with the US Army. John confronts Dutch, who realizes the world is changing and that he can't keep fighting it, so chooses to kill himself rather than be captured or killed by John.
Returning Home And False Promises
Believing that his journey is over, John finally goes home, and is reunited with his family. However, Ross doesn't keep his end of the promise. He brings members of the Bureau and the US Army to attack the Marston Ranch. Uncle is shot and killed. John makes sure that Abigail and Jack escape by horseback, before sacrificing himself.
Epilogue: Jack's Revenge
The game's epilogue takes place three years after John's last stand. Abigail has also died, and Jack, now on his own, decides to take his revenge on Ross. He tracks down the now-retired agent, who is living in a cabin near a lake with his wife. Jack confronts Ross and challenges him to a duel.
Looking To The Past In Red Dead Redemption 2
In Red Dead Redemption 2, we'll be getting a closer look at the early years of the Marston family as they rode with Dutch's gang. But will there be other familiar faces we should be looking out for? Well, we don't have long to wait; the game finally launches on October 26. For more Red Dead Redemption, make sure to tune into GameSpot every Friday for Quickdraw, our show all about the wild, wild, west. See you, space cowboy.
By Dan Auty on Oct 23, 2018 02:52 am
The western has had a long and strange history, which has seen it veer from being one of the most popular movie genres, for decades until the 1960s, to one of the least popular in the '80s and '90s. But while audience interest in the Old West has varied, it's an era that has continued to fascinate filmmakers, from the earliest days of cinema to the present day, both in the US and in other countries. This is a genre that allows directors to experiment with conventions, address social and political issues, and introduce other genres into mix--from horror westerns to comedy westerns, via brutal bloodbaths, thrilling action, and haunting introspection. Some of the greatest actors and directors of all time became famous for their work in the western, and there are exceptional examples still made every year. The influence of the western stretches beyond the theater, too--to TV, comic books, and video games. When Red Dead Redemption was released in 2010, it was met with rave reviews and massive sales. This was a game that threw the player into an incredibly immersive version of the old west and Mexico, one that drew heavy influence from western movies. Grizzled hero John Marston was clearly based on Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name, the violence was straight out of Tombstone or a Peckinpah movie, and the grand vistas of the west took their inspiration from the classic movies of John Ford and John Wayne. Red Dead Redemption 2 will finally release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26, and fans can expect an even more detailed, immersive world in which to work, kill, and explore. So to get you get ready for what is sure to be one of the games of the year, here are 15 must-see westerns that show the great breadth of the genre. Let's saddle up and ride into town. If you're keen to learn more about the upcoming open-world western, read our roundup feature compiling all the latest news, gameplay, and trailers. Red Dead Redemption 2 is adding a bunch of exciting new mechanics that are incredibly exciting and intriguing, so be sure to check out our in-depth feature showcasing them all. Though, if you're more intrigued about the game's development and some of its major inspirations and influences, you should read our feature discussing how previous Rockstar games, like Bully, Max Payne 3, and L.A. Noire impacted its mechanics. In the meantime, tell us which western films you love the most in the comments below!
1. The Man With No Name Trilogy (1964/1965/1967)
Dir. Sergio Leone For decades, the Italian film industry was known for churning out its own variation on successful American genres, whether horror, sci-fi, or crime movies. Sergio Leone's classic western trilogy--A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly--kickstarted the spaghetti western cycle that lasted throughout the late-'60s and '70s. It also made a star of Clint Eastwood, who would himself go on to direct several classic westerns. Leone's movies stripped the genre down to its most basic elements, as Eastwood's unnamed bounty hunter navigates a ruthless, immoral West with few words and lots of shooting. All three movies are marked by their violence, dark humour, and stylish direction, with Ennio Morricone delivering a series of iconic, inventive soundtracks.
2. Django (1966)
Dir. Sergio Corbucci If the Man With No Name is the best known of all the spaghetti western heroes, then Django is easily in second place. Unlike Eastwood and Leone's great character, Django has been played by a variety of actors across many films, and to date, there are more than 30 Django movies. But the man most associated with him will always be the Italian icon Franco Nero, who starred in Sergio Corbucci's classic original. Django is a former soldier who find himself caught up in a race war between American soldiers and Mexican bandits a few years after the end of the Civil War. Django is a gritty, thrilling movie with heavy political overtones that was highly controversial at the time for its levels of violence and torture, but now stands as a true cult classic.
3. The Great Silence (1968)
Dir. Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci is best known for Django, but with The Great Silence, he delivered one of the all-time great spaghetti westerns. Set in the snowbound mountains of Utah (although shot in the Italian Dolomites), it features the great French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant as a mute gunslinger who roams the countryside, in pursuit of those he perceives as evil. His main target is Loco, a terrifying killer played by cult favourite Klaus Kinski. The Great Silence is about as pessimistic and cynical as westerns get, with the incredible location photography and intense performances making it a must-see, particularly in the beautiful restored blu-ray that was released earlier this year.
4. The Wild Bunch (1969)
Dir. Sam Peckinpah The late '60s was a watershed time for American cinema, when the depiction of sex and violence in studio movies increased, thrilling younger audiences but also causing considerable controversy amongst older viewers and critics. Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch was a key movie at this time, one which waved farewell to an older era of western cinema. A group of veteran outlaws face the end of the line while they are pursued by their former gang-member turned lawman, and take on a dangerous mission for a corrupt Mexican general. The movie is best known for its incredible, blood-splattered, slow-motion final gun battle, but the whole movie is a masterpiece that is by turns brutally violent and deeply moving.
5. Once Upon A Time In The West (1969)
Dir. Sergio Leone While the Dollars trilogy are Sergio Leone's best known westerns, his true masterpiece is Once Upon A Time In The West. Leone planned to retire from the genre, but an offer from Paramount to direct and the chance to work with screen legend Henry Fonda convinced him otherwise. Fonda plays against type by portraying a ruthless killer, and the movie centers around a land battle over the construction of a railroad. It's a long and often slow film, but utterly engrossing, with a morally ambiguous characters and a dark, pessimistic tone very different to the more cartoonish fun of the Dollars movies.
6. McCabe And Mrs. Miller (1971)
Dir. Robert Altman Robert Altman tackled many genres across his long career, from the war comedy M*A*S*H* to the Hollywood satire The Player and the murder mystery Gosford Park, but his films are unified by his interest in character over story and a determination to do things his own way. McCabe and Mrs. Miller is his brilliant western, in which a gambler called John McCabe (Warren Beatty) sets up a brothel in a small town with the help of drug-addicted English traveller Constance Miller (Julie Christie). It's a strange film, with a loose structure, jarring editing, and disorienting sound design. But it's utterly intoxicating, the amazing photography, hypnotic atmosphere, and a fascinating refusal to play by the rules of the genre making it one of the best westerns of the '70s.
7. High Plains Drifter (1973)
Dir. Clint Eastwood By 1973, Clint Eastwood had already started his directing career, and followed his debut Play Misty for Me with his first western as director. High Plains Drifter is an offbeat movie that took influence from the work of Sergio Leone rather than other American directors, such as John Ford or Howard Hawks. Eastwood again plays an unnamed stranger who is hired to protect a town from some very bad men. But while the material was generic, the movie is not. The eerie tone and atmosphere feels more like a supernatural horror movie than a western, and it's packed with wonderfully surreal touches. It might not be as well known as some of Eastwood's other westerns, but it's up there with the best.
8. Unforgiven (1992)
Dir. Clint Eastwood The script for Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven was written by Blade Runner's David Webb Peoples, and was first given to the director/star back in the early '80s. But knowing that he was not yet old enough to play the role of veteran killer William Munny, Eastwood waited a decade, until he was in his 60s, to direct and star. The result was an all-time classic; a dark, brooding meditation on violence and redemption. The incredible cast includes Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Harris, and the movie went on to win four Oscars. Unforgiven remains one of the most powerful westerns ever made, which strips away the clichés of the genre while also delivering so many of the elements that fans love.
9. Tombstone (1993)
Dir. George P. Cosmatos 1993 was the year of Wyatt Earp, with two movies released within six month of each other, both based on the legendary lawman. Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp is a well crafted and very traditional western--but Tombstone is way more fun. It actually had lots of behind-the-scenes problems, with director George P. Cosmatos brought on to replace original director Kevin Jarre during production. But you wouldn't know it--it's a fast-moving, thrilling action western, with Kurt Russell perfectly cast as Earp, and a stellar supporting cast that includes a scene-stealing Val Kilmer (as Doc Holliday), Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, and Michael Biehn.
10. Dead Man (1995)
Dir: Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch made his name for quirky deadpan indie comedies in the '80s, and in 1995 he tackled his first pure genre movie. Of course, Dead Man is as strange and idiosyncratic as you'd expect from Jarmusch. For a start, it's shot in crisp black-and-white, and while many classic early westerns were obviously in monochrome, it's unusual choice for a modern one. Johnny Depp stars as William Blake, a man from the city who heads west after his parents die and his financée leaves him. This begins a strange trip in which he is accompanied by a Native American called Nobody. Depp spends much of the movie dying from a gunshot wound, and along the way Jarmusch offers a strange, darkly funny, and ultimately very moving film about mortality, technology, and coming to terms with the past. It also features a blistering solo guitar score by Neil Young, which he performed in a single take while watching the movie.
11. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2006)
Dir. Andrew Dominik One of the best westerns of the 21st century, this is an adaptation of the 1983 novel of the same name, with Brad Pitt as legendary outlaw Jesse James and Casey Affleck as fellow bandit Robert Ford. The movie flopped at the box office and there were various behind-the-scenes battles between director Andrew Dominik, who wanted to make a dark, meditation on fame and legend, and the studio who (inevitably) hoped for a faster-paced, more action-packed move. The resulting film definitely favours Dominik's approach more, and this haunting, atmospheric, beautifully-made telling of this famous story lingers in the mind long after the end.
12. True Grit (2010)
Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen The Coen's brothers' previous attempt at remaking a classic movie--2003's The Ladykillers--was one of their worst films, so there was some trepidation about this new adaptation of the John Wayne favourite True Grit. But there was no need to worry. Jeff Bridges takes on the role of "Rooster" Cogburn, a hard-drinking, rule-breaking lawman, who is hired by a 14-year-old girl to find the outlaw who killed her father. The Coens blend their trademark quirky humor with more traditional western conventions in a hugely satisfying way. It's one of their most accessible movies and it turned out to be their biggest box office by far, making $252 million worldwide, a hugely impressive result for any western in 2010.
13. Django Unchained (2012)
Dir. Quentin Tarantino For his first western, Quentin Tarantino borrowed the name of the legendary spaghetti western hero, and delivers a movie that, like Sergio Corbucci's classic Django, uses the western format to address issues of race and prejudice. Jamie Foxx plays a slave who is granted his freedom in return for helping a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) track down a pair of killers. This initial quest soon turns into a search for Django's wife, who is being kept by a cruel landowner, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. As you'd expect from Tarantino, Django Unchained is a movie that skirts constantly around the edges of taste, but for those who can take some of the subject matter, it's hugely entertaining, as it lurches from serious social and historical commentary to over-the-top, blood spurting violence and back again. It also contains some of the most memorable acting in Tarantino's filmography, in particular Foxx's relentless, determined Django and DiCaprio's charming but rage-fuelled slave owner.
14. The Revenant (2015)
Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu The production of Alejandro G. Iñárritu's award-winning western survival movie was beset with problems--including budget overruns and crew members quitting--and when you watch it, it's easy to see why. There are few films that have created such a believably harsh environment for its characters, as we watch a recreation of the story of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman and fur-trapper who made an epic 200-mile journey across a savage landscape to get revenge on the men who left him for dead. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Glass, and the movie is a harrowing, thrilling experience of the type only cinema can deliver.
15. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Dir. Quentin Tarantino Tarantino's second western is a very different movie to Django Unchained, and in many ways is most reminiscent of his classic debut Reservoir Dogs. Set mostly in one night, it places eight strangers in a stagecoach lodge during a blizzard. Things start tense and get worse from there, as bodies start dropping and paranoia start to creep in. This being a Tarantino movie, it's long and talky, but the dialogue is as sharp as ever and the incredible cast--including Tarantino veterans Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen--make it utterly compelling viewing.
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