By Phil Hornshaw on Oct 27, 2018 12:17 am
Get The Right Tool For The Job
Matching the right weapon to the situation will often save your life in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout mode.
It's tough to be ready for all the scenarios you'll see in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's battle royale mode, Blackout. After all, the total unpredictability of how you might encounter other players is part of the draw. Will you catch them out in the open, hiding behind cover as they scope out the area, in perfect position for an easy sniper headshot? Or will you round a corner to discover someone camping in a corner, who's been listening for your arrival? Having the right weapon for the task at hand can mean the difference between getting a kill and getting killed in Blackout, but you can only carry so much. You're afforded two weapons slots, plus inventory space for a host of gadgets, grenades, and perks. More often than not, though, Blackout engagements will come down to a combination of skill, luck of the draw, and having a weapon you know and trust in your holster. You can't always have the perfect gun for the job, but you can try to plan for what's likely, adjust based on your own playstyle preferences, and try to be prepared. If you expect to be up close and personal inside structures, close-range weapons such as SMGs and shotguns are super-effective. Likewise, you can get away with some long-range engagements with the right rifles and optics, even if you're not much of a sniper or marksman. But Blackout is full of weapons options, and when you've got time to have your pick, it can be tough to choose which guns to grab and which to leave behind. Here's a smattering of guns we've come to enjoy for different types of scenarios that might help you make some informed choices.
For Close Encounters: Spitfire SMG
The Spitfire is a great SMG to keep handy when you're clearing interiors and fighting at close ranges.
The Spitfire brings death to your enemies in a hail of bullets, especially at close range. Among Blackout's SMGs, it has the highest rate of fire, so it's great for those interior engagements when you might be a bit panicked and spraying ammo through a doorway after unexpectedly encountering a player. Up close in general, the Spitfire is a great choice: its recoil is low and manageable, so it's deadly aiming down the sites or firing from the hip in an emergency. The Spitfire's accuracy suffers quite a bit as range increases, so you don't want to use it in situations where your opponent is too far off, but in those early-game or late-game close encounters, or if you're spending a lot of time indoors, it's a great option--especially if you can slap a suppressor on it.
For Close Encounters: Spitfire SMG
The Spitfire's high rate of fire makes it great for close-quarters battles.
The Spitfire sprays death on your enemies in a hail of bullets, especially at close range. Among Blackout's SMGs, it has the highest rate of fire, so it's great for those interior engagements when you might be a bit panicked and spraying ammo through a doorway after unexpectedly encountering a player. Up close in general, the Spitfire is a great choice: its recoil is low and manageable, so it's deadly aiming down the sites or firing from the hip in an emergency. The Spitfire's accuracy suffers quite a bit as range increases, so you don't want to use it in situations where your opponent is too far off, but in those early-game or late-game close encounters, or if you're spending a lot of time indoors, it's a great option--especially if you can slap a suppressor on it.
For More Close Encounters: SG12 Shotgun
Unload powerful shotgun blasts in a hurry with the SG12.
The shotguns of Blackout can be something of a tough sell. Both the SG12 and MOG 12-gauges fire fairly slowly compared to other guns, and while they do massive damage, they rely on your ability to hit a (definitely moving, possibly flailing) target with most or all of the blast. The thing is, the shotguns are extremely deadly close up. The MOG packs more of a punch, but sacrifices in the areas of both ammo count (it loads four shells at a time) and firing speed (you have to cock it) as compared to the SG12. The upshot of the SG12 is that it packs six shells and is semi-automatic--you can't hold the trigger down to fire it, but you can tap it for a very fast firing rate. That allows you to dump a ton of damage on a player in a short span of time, often killing them before they can even really react, and making up for only half-connecting with your initial salvo. If you know you're likely to face people at very close ranges, the SG12 is a reliable tool for your arsenal.
For All-Around Reliability: ICR-7 Assault Rifle
The ICR is a versatile weapon you can use in a variety of situations.
The ICR-7 is the kind of gun that gets things done. It's not best-in-class for anything in particular, but it's a reliable, low-recoil assault rifle you can use in a ton of situations effectively--if you're going to be stuck with something, it's a good gun to be stuck with. The ICR fires 5.57 bullets, so you shouldn't have trouble keeping it stocked with ammo, and it's a good choice at both close and mid-range. It can also be made extra effective with just about any attachments you find, especially optics or an extended barrel. The ICR probably won't be your favorite gun, but it will be one you can rely on to get you out of a few scrapes.
For Tactical Takedowns: ABR 223 Burst Rifle
The ABR's burst fire means you're at a disadvantage close up, but it's great for those mid-range engagements where aim beats magazine size.
In lots of Blackout situations, playing smart trumps twitch reaction, and for those moments, the ABR 223 is often the superior choice. The rifle fires three-round bursts, rather than the usual stream of bullets from other, more standard assault rifles. That means you less damage from blasting away at enemies, but the gun automatically stops you from spraying ammo all over the place. The added precision of controlled bursts means that in mid-range battles, you're more likely to actually hit what you're aiming at, and the controlled recoil of the burst can help you connect body and headshots. The ABR's burst fire isn't great in scenarios where you're either very close to your enemy or very far away, but in those mid-range engagements and places where you can find good cover, its accuracy and tendency for headshots can make the difference.
For Out-Lasting At Mid-Range: Maddox RFB Assault Rifle
The Maddox's large magazine and high fire rate make it a devastating assault rifle.
Blackout offers a lot of assault rifle options, between fully automatic guns and burst-fire options like the ARB and Swordfish, so the designation of "best assault rifle" really comes down to personal preference. That said, lots of players have chosen the Maddox as their go-to AR, and for good reason. The Maddox is great for the mid-range encounters you're likely to have in most any Blackout match, and it can dish out the punishment: It has both the fastest fire rate of any AR, and a magazine to help you keep the rounds flying. Our experience with the Maddox is that it often is victorious thanks to just having more bullets than the other guy, allowing you to get in a few extra hits when you'd normally have to reload. Throw an extended magazine on there and some range attachments like scopes and an extended barrel, and the Maddox becomes a killing machine.
For Long-Distance Calls: Paladin HB50 Sniper Rifle
If you've got the skills to use it, you won't find a more powerful sniper rifle than the Paladin.
Just about any sniper rifle is better than no sniper rifle in Blackout, especially if you're sneaky and cautious. The Paladin is a favorite because it deals a ton of damage. Two body hits from the Paladin should do the job, and a clean headshot will take another player down in one. Its bolt action means Paladin fires slowly, so it requires some definitive sniper skills, but it compensates with damage and less bullet drop than other rifles, which should make aiming a bit easier. If you can sit tight and catch players unawares, the Paladin will serve you well--especially if you can build your skills so you only need a couple of shots.
For When You've Absolutely, Positively Got To Kill Everybody In The Room: Titan LMG
When you need overwhelming firepower, the Titan is the right choice.
You probably won't come across the Titan super often, but when you do, it can be pretty exciting. The gun is a full-auto monster, kicking out the high damage of an LMG with the class's biggest magazine to go with it. The Titan is a bit unwieldy, but it's great in two scenarios: closer ranges and tight interior encounters where you can just pour punishment on anyone unlucky enough to be there, and suppressing fire at longer ranges. The Titan is reliably powerful and lets you dump a ton of ammo on a target, which makes it a great weapon to carry around with a squad, where other players can pack weapons that might be more effective at longer ranges. When you want to knock out a lot of people fast, accept no substitutes.
For When Something Just Needs To Blow Up: Hellion Salvo Rocket Launcher
It's a rocket launcher, and it's pretty awesome.
Right now, Blackout only has the one rocket launcher. That said, it's a rocket launcher. It turns regular objects into piles of flaming twisted metal. The Helion is specifically designed as an anti-vehicle weapon, and it'll lock onto vehicles like helicopters and trucks if you've got the time to really line up a shot. Trashing a squad's means of getting around is fun, especially while they're inside it. You can also use rockets to flush enemies out of cover, or just give somebody a surprise in the final circle they definitely won't expect. As goes without saying, hit someone with a rocket, or get the explosion close enough to them, and they're done.
By Chris E. Hayner on Oct 26, 2018 11:40 pm
A movie franchise doesn't last 40 years without being great. However, it also doesn't last 40 years without at least a few duds mixed in. If ever you needed proof of that, look no further than the Halloween films. Some entries in the franchise that follow the psychotic killer Michael Myers are wonderful, others… not so much. After all, for every Laurie Strode, there's a Busta Rhymes, ready to roundhouse kick Michael because, evidently, the rapper is also secretly a ninja. With Halloween headed back to theaters, I undertook the insane task of rewatching all 10 of the original films, including Rob Zombie's two remakes, to give them a definitive ranking. The new movie is even included for good measure, giving you the opportunity to see just where each entry in the Halloween franchise ranks, as far as quality is concerned. If you're looking for even more Halloween content, make sure to check out our review of the new film, as well as an explanation of why it's ignoring all of the sequels, regardless of their quality. Additionally, you should definitely take a look at what star Jamie Lee Curtis has to say about the unsung hero on the franchise, producer and co-writer Debra Hill.
11. Halloween: Resurrection
It's the movie that killed a franchise, in a way. Halloween: Resurrection was the last stand of the original Michael Myers until the 2018 film. This movie is trash and should be regarded as such. When a Halloween movie resorts to having Michael Myers battling Kung Fu master Busta Rhymes, it's time to call it a day and move on. There are a couple moments that might make you think there's something to this film--its focus on young people hunting for fame, or the rising obsession with reality TV, for instance--but this is just a brainless end of a once-great franchise. Trick or treat, mother f***er, indeed.
10. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
There's no way around this. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is bad. It's not just bad, it's awful. It's not Busta Rhymes awful, but it did make a jump to the supernatural realm by linking Michael's inability to be killed to a cult that wants to control him. Guess how well that goes? By this point, it was overwhelmingly clear that the Halloween franchise was running on fumes. This is a film so convoluted that, if not for Myers, it would make no sense that it's set in the Halloween franchise. It makes it easy to see why the next movie retconned all of its events, along with two other films.
9. Halloween II (2009)
If Rob Zombie knows how to make anything, it's a Rob Zombie movie. His second Halloween, which picks up two years after the first, introduced the idea of Michael having visions of his mother telling him he has to kill Laurie to reunite the Myers family once and for all. In doing so, the movie is loaded with even more grisly murders and the same dark and dirty look of the first film. It also gave Laurie the same hallucinations Michael was having, right down to their mother appearing with a white horse. Whether that means she's simply having the same psychotic visions she is or if something supernatural is at play, who knows? The film ends with Michael dead and Laurie in a psychiatric hospital, continuing to have visions of her mother. Rob Zombie doesn't do happy endings, even if we've suffered through a truly disturbing movie that has none of the fun of a Halloween movie anywhere in sight.
8. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
One of the biggest sins of Halloween 5 was completely disregarding the twist at the end of the fourth movie, in which Jamie becomes a killer herself after surviving the attacks of her deranged uncle Michael Myers. Instead, Revenge picks up a year later after Jamie has become mute and committed to a psychiatric hospital following everything that happened in the first film. She did, however, somehow gain a psychic link with Michael. This film was the first sign, really, that the franchise was running out of steam. By 1989, the slasher subgenre was starting to dwindle, and Halloween was going with it. Granted, Michael never went to space or Manhattan like his Friday the 13th counterpart Jason Voorhees, but Revenge is just an uninspired film that doesn't really breathe any new life into the series.
7. Halloween (2007)
What is there to say about Rob Zombie's Halloween reboot? It did the only thing nobody really asked for in giving Michael Myers a lengthy backstory, explaining how he became the unstoppable killer--an abusive family, bullies, and a generally awful life for a child. This humanized Michael in a way no other movie in the franchise had, which ruins a lot of the mystique surrounding him. Still, it included some creative kills and interesting moments--as well as a young boy's obsession with masks--and turned them into a movie that was so vicious that it was often hard to watch. And if you're keeping track, Zombie also worked in the plot of Michael and Laurie being siblings, first introduced in the original Halloween II.
6. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
There's a lot to love about H20. The most important thing being the return of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. However, it's also the first Halloween movie to arrive after Scream changed the game and reignited the slasher subgenre's popularity. This movie features a young and popular cast--Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett, and LL Cool J--all appear and a song by Creed pops up during the end credits. This is an incredibly late-'90s movie. It's the return of Laurie, though, essentially erasing Halloween 4-6, that makes H20 interesting. In a way, it's a template for what the 2018 film is doing, showing the world what became of Laurie after the events of the first film. Now she's an alcoholic living under an assumed identity, waiting for the day Michael comes back. Unfortunately, outside of Curtis, there's nothing truly remarkable about the movie. It's a fairly by-the-numbers slasher film that fixed a lot of the issues in previous franchise entries, but without bringing enough to the table that was new.
5. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
After the world was less than impressed with a Halloween movie featuring no Michael Myers--in Season of the Witch--it's hard to blame anyone for resurrecting the character. Unfortunately, the one thing working against the film was a complete lack of Jamie Lee Curtis returning as Laurie Strode. Instead, Halloween 4 introduced a little girl named Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), who was the daughter of a now-dead Laurie that had been adopted. It essentially kicked off a Halloween tale for a new generation, 10 years after the first film. And, honestly, it's not bad. Michael hunting a child as the last link to his family is an interesting hook and the movie manages to have some creative kills and truly scary moments. It was also the last bit of good Halloweens before things for bad for nearly a decade.
4. Halloween II (1981)
Halloween II is an interesting film. While it was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, it sometimes feels like a sequel to their movie is the last thing either of them were interested in. It's an angrier movie than the first Halloween and relies on a lot of the over-the-top gore, making it feel very out of step with the original. Halloween II also introduced an element that could go on to play a role in the nine films that followed--Laurie is Michael's sister. Still, even though it's far more extreme in tone than the original, Halloween II feels truer to the first movie than any of the sequels that followed. That's likely due, in no small part, to Hill and Carpenter's involvement. That said, the movie seemingly blows Michael up at the end, killing him once and for all. Given how uninterested the pair were in doing a sequel, it makes sense that they'd want to finally dispatch him before a potential third Michael Myers movie was ordered--not that any of his deaths ever stopped him.
3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch is the true oddity. It's the only film that doesn't feature Michael Myers--outside of a commercial for the original Halloween seen on a TV--and instead follows the incredibly realistic story of a novelty mask company using mystic powers from Stonehenge to create masks that kill the children who wear them on Halloween. Alright, it's an admittedly weird movie. It's the right kind of weird, though, as producers John Carpenter and Debra Hill attempted to create something entirely new with the Halloween franchise, shifting it into more of an anthology series. Instead of a slasher like its predecessors, Season of the Witch relies on science fiction elements--yes, there are robots--and other horror elements for its scares, creating something entirely new. Without Michael Myers, though, audiences simply didn't care, which is a major disappointment. Season of the Witch is a great horror film and easily one of the Halloween franchises best entries.
2. Halloween (2018)
Don't ask us how, but they actually did it. Resurrecting a long-dead franchise should be impossible, but the new Halloween did it so well that it's actually the second best entry of the bunch. It achieves that by simply ignoring all of the bad that came in the litany of Halloween films over the years. In the new Halloween, Michael never fought Busta Rhymes, Laurie was never his sister, the thorn mark doesn't exist, and Laurie never had a kid named Jamie--or John for that matter. This film returns the franchise to what it was, a psychopathic killer on the loose that leaves nobody safe. That is, of course, until he crosses paths with Laurie one more time, 40 years after they first met, and setting them up for quite a showdown. The new Halloween is everything so many of us wished any of the seven original sequels would be. It's scary, true to the original film, and forwards the story in a realistic way--at least, realistic by Halloween standards. After all, while Freddy Krueger hunts his prey in the dream world and Jason Voorhees just might be an immortal who can also teleport, Michael was based in reality at first. He was simply a psychopath with a knife, and that's what the new film makes him once again.
1. Halloween (1978)
Honestly, the original Halloween gave birth to the slasher craze. It wasn't the first film in the subgenre, but it was the one that launched a million knockoffs and copycats. None of them though, not even the subsequent Halloween films, were able to match it. It introduced Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as a realistic teenage girl fighting against the randomness and chaos that was her attacker Michael Myers. While the movies that followed muddied that idea by deciding Michael was Laurie's sister, what makes this movie so scary is they have no connection. Michael is simply a psychopath whose goal is to kill, and Laurie is in his way. The 1978 installment of Halloween isn't just the gold standard of the franchise, it's the gold standard of slasher cinema as a whole.
By Edmond Tran on Oct 26, 2018 10:49 pm
Red Dead Redemption 2 Guide: How To Make Money
As a wise man once said: "cash rules everything around me," and if Arthur Morgan had lived to see 1994 as a hip hop fan, he'd probably agree. The keys to progression in Red Dead Redemption 2 don't lie in experience or skill points, but cold hard cash. It's a rich man's world, and if you have a good amount of money, you can use it to buy better guns and equipment, feed yourself, groom your horse, buy new duds, customize the hell out of everything you own, and give you and your campmates a more comfortable way of living, among other things. But it ain't easy. The Van Der Linde gang begin the game in a poor financial position, and for a long time you'll find yourself doing tasks for little to no reward, and feel like you're getting nowhere. But don't fret, there are plenty of avenues to make some bread in Red Dead 2. Here are all the ways we've discovered so far. It's spoiler free, and you don't even have to be a jerk all the time. It's possible a cheat or glitch will emerge to provide an even easier way to get cash, but at this point, you'll just have to work for it. GameSpot's Red Dead Redemption 2 review is also now live. In it Kallie Plagge says the game is "is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done." Read the review for her detailed appraisal of the game.
Loot Every Corpse
Have you played a video game in the past five years? Then this should be a no-brainer: loot everybody you see. You'll find ammo and consumable items which are always helpful, but you'll also often find a small amount of cash and valuable items which you can later sell. The act of looting is a bit more labored in Red Dead Redemption 2, but don't worry--after huge battles, Arthur will get the chance to comb the battlefield for spare change, and here's a tip--keep holding down the loot button and Arthur will automatically move on to a nearby body as soon as he's done. Also be sure to loot interior locations with cabinets and drawers (you can use Arthur's hunting sense with L3 + R3 to highlight lootable items), as well as the saddlebags of any remaining horses.
Rob People And Stores
If you have no hesitations about being a badder-than-average cowboy, you can easily rob people on the street at gunpoint and ask them to hand over whatever they have. You can do the same to shopkeepers and get access to the cash register and any illicit business they may or may not be hiding in the building. Just be aware that these kinds of situations don't always go down well, depending on who you deal with--you need to be prepared for the consequences if a job goes south.
Rob Trains
If robbing a lot of people in a short amount of time is something that appeals to you, then keep an eye out for any trains that might be nearby. There's some effort involved in actually getting on there and dispatching any guards, but after that, you basically have whole carriages full of people just handing things over. Just make sure to cover your face and know when to peace out.
Rob Stagecoaches
Stagecoaches can also be pretty profitable, and they're a little easier to get under control. There are a number of ways to get one to stop with either by using your moxie or your muscle and once you've got things under control you can break into the lockbox at the rear of the carriage by either using a lockpick or just shooting the lock. Later in the game, you'll get access to characters who can give you hot tips on where to intercept particularly lucrative stagecoaches.
Fence Your Looted Valuables
Alright, so you know all those rings, jewelry bags, buckles, gems, and pocket watches you've picked up? That stuff is no good to you, so sell it! Well, maybe keep just one pocket watch. You can either donate these items via the donation box to have it go straight to the gang's communal funds, or you can find a fence later in the game (there aren't any near the starting towns) to have that money go straight into your pocket.
Fence Stagecoaches and Horses
As you progress through the story, Arthur and friends will meet characters who will take any stolen stagecoaches or horses you've come into possession of and give you a bit of cash for them. This is a bit of a drag, since you have to physically bring them back and the take isn't amazing, but worth considering if it's only a short detour. You can still sell horses at regular stables, but you won't get as much from them. You can also break in wild horses and sell them to a stable--you'll also get more for it depending on your bond with it.
Hunt Animals, Then Sell Them.
When you're living on the road and off the land, hunting and fishing is a part of life. Animals have a number of uses--you can skin them and use their pelts in crafting, cook their meat for sustenance, and donate their carcasses and meat to Pearson back at camp to keep the camps food supplies up. But if your own supplies are well-stocked, you can also sell all animals and fishes to the butchers you find in towns. The selling price is based on the hunt quality, and the return is not great, but if you're already on your way into town a quick stop to hunt a boar is a good way to make few bucks for your next meal.
Hunt Down Bounties
Alright, time to be a goody-goody. Optional wanted bounties will occasionally pop up during the game--you'll typically find posters in a town's Sherrif's office. You'll get a reasonable amount of money for hunting down these criminals and bringing them in, and it's usually worth doing them to get those extra little bits of storytelling.
Upgrade Dutch's Tent In Camp
One of the first upgrades you can request for your camp is to improve Dutch's tent. This will supposedly encourage gang members to be more proactive in contributing to camp funds, but honestly, the difference is almost negligible.
Always Help Venom And Bear Trap Victims
Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of little encounters to discover while exploring the open world. One of these encounters involves snakes, and the other involves bear traps. If you ever stumble across someone like this asking for help, do something! They won't give you anything immediately, but some time later, you'll run into them hanging out in front of a store. They'll recognize you, and offer to let you buy almost any one item from the store they're at and put it on their tab. This could mean anything from a free gun to a new hat, and potentially save you a couple hundred dollars.
Help People For Information
Help people in other types of random encounters, and they'll often give you tips on where to find more avenues for money, like homesteads ripe for robbery. So yeah, it pays not to be a jerk sometimes. Well, until you need to be a jerk and rob someone's house. But they're mostly bad people, honest.
Play Some Minigames
I'm no good at poker. But if you are, then it can be a pleasant way to earn a bit of easy cash. Red Dead Redemption features games like poker, blackjack, dominos, and five-finger fillet, all of which can be played for money.
Do Missions
By far the most lucrative way to make money in Red Dead Redemption 2 is to just play the game--do the story missions, do the side missions, do the stranger quests. Some of them will only get you a small cash reward, some of them won't reward you at all, sure. But some of them will involve the activities mentioned, like stagecoach holdups and home robberies, and are more lucrative. Some of the major story missions will see you walking away with thousands of dollars. On top of that, missions will occasionally give you new guns and items, saving you a bit of money if you can just hold out a little longer before buying that sweet bolt-action rifle. So if you're low on cash, don't get too down in the dumps--there are a lot of avenues to make money no matter what kinds of activities you enjoy doing in Red Dead Redemption 2, so just follow your heart, and the rewards will come.
By Chris E. Hayner on Oct 26, 2018 09:54 pm
Now that Netflix has unleashed Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on us mere mortals, introducing a wild witching world, it's clear that this is a unique take on horror. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has taken everything he learned from making Riverdale--and his horror comics set in the Archie universe--to construct a timeless world that's as haunting as it is campy. Of course, Aguirre-Sacasa and the Chilling Adventures team didn't do it alone. Everywhere you look on the series, there are nods to iconic horror films. In fact, the first episode opens with a discussion about George Romero's zombie films between Sabrina Spellman and her friends. What you might not have noticed, though, is all of the visual tributes to the horror world. During a visit to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina set, GameSpot and a few other outlets were lucky enough to take a tour with production designer Lisa Soper. While walking around, Soper pointed out several nods that are easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for, from hidden posters to outright replicas of set pieces from a number of films. Check out all of the photos we took on the tour, including one where the set from a popular horror TV show is actually reconfigured to create something new for Chilling Adventures. Then let us know what we missed! With so much horror history for the show to draw from, there's no telling where else the Chilling Adventures team hid a special homage to another film or TV show. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is streaming on Netflix now.
1. Original art by Clive Barker
As GameSpot previously reported, one of the biggest homages to the horror genre in Chilling Adventures isn't to any specific movie, but rather to the master of horror himself, Clive Barker. The halls of the Academy of Unseen Arts are adorned with a variety of original paintings by Barker. In all, the production has borrowed over 150 pieces from the director of Hellraiser, allowing a number of combinations to make each room in the academy feel unique.
2. Tiles from the Cotton house in Hellraiser
As one way of thanking Barker for his contributions, there are a number of Hellraiser Easter eggs scattered throughout the series--with many of them appearing in the home of Madam Satan (Michelle Gomez). In fact, they start as soon as you walk in. The tiles in the entryway of her home is a recreation of the tiles seen in the Cotton House in Hellraiser.
3. Wallpaper from the Cotton house in Hellraiser
Additionally, the wallpaper in Madam Satan's house was inspired by wallpaper seen in Hellraiser.
4. Stained glass inspired by Hellraiser
Even the stained glass windows in the main room of Madam Satan's home are a shoutout to Hellraiser. In the film, a very similar window is featured in the front door of the Cotton house and throughout the abode.
5. Doors from Suspiria
In the Academy of Unseen Arts, there is a massive nod to Suspiria, the Dario Argento classic horror film, in Father Blackwood's office. The doors to the room, while not exact replicas, were made to heavily resemble a pair of doors featured in Suspiria.
6. Accent table designed like Hellraiser puzzle cube
Meanwhile, Blackwood's office also includes another homage to Hellraiser. An accent table in the room is designed to resemble the puzzle cube from Barker's film.
7. The Spellman house is is inspired by the House of Seven Gables
The design of Sabrina's home itself is a reference to the gothic novel The House of Seven Gables--as well as the actual House of Seven Gables in Salem. Soper pointed out the red door, in particular, which is made to look like the original, but with a "Sabrina edge."
8. Stained glass ceiling inspired by Suspiria
The ceiling of the Spellman Mortuary sitting room might look a bit familiar. The massive stained glass piece is a replica of one that was crashed through in Suspiria. Hopefully, Chilling Adventures is a bit more careful with it than Suspiria was.8. Stained glass ceiling inspired by Suspiria
9. Baby Venus flytrap inspired by Little Shop of Horrors
Feed me, Seymour! In the Spellman greenhouse, there is one particular plant that should catch some eyes. Among the various flowers and greenery is a baby Venus flytrap, designed to look like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.
10. Haxan poster and art inspired by Friday the 13th
In addition to set pieces that look like they were pulled from a variety of films, there are also a number of horror movie posters scattered around Chilling Adventures--especially in Sabrina's room. One that pops up in a few places is for Haxan, a 1922 silent film. In this particular shot, you can also see a piece of Sabrina's original artwork, which looks a lot like Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise. According to Soper, Sabrina has a habit of drawing haunting images on top of the photos in her room.
11. Village of the Damned poster
Sabrina's room also includes a poster from the 1960 version of Village of the Damned.
12. Wait Until Dark poster
One last horror poster in Sabrina's room is for the 1967 film Wait Until Dark, which stars Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin.
13. Wood reclaimed from the set of Bates Motel
It's not just replicas and posters shown in Chilling Adventures. The attic bedroom of Sabrina's cousin Ambrose is made of wood reclaimed from the set of Bates Motel, which--like Chilling Adventures--filmed in Vancouver, Canada. There's something creepy about Ambrose having a room made out of the remains of Norman Bates' home.
14. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? poster
In his room, Ambrose pays tribute to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford with a poster of the 1962 thriller Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
15. One Exciting Night poster
Like Sabrina, he also has a poster for a classic silent film. DW Griffith's One Exciting Night is featured on a poster.
16. Fearless Vampire Killers poster
One last poster in his room is for Fearless Vampire Killers, the Roman Polanski horror film that starred Sharon Tate.
By Tamoor Hussain on Oct 26, 2018 09:32 pm
The release of Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 is here, and the open-world game is jam-packed with things you can do, as you can read in our Red Dead 2 review. You'll be able to sink loads of hours into exploring the vast American wilderness and enjoying the beautiful environments it presents, hunting animals to provide for your friends and family, or robbing trains to--well, provide for your friends and family in a less wholesome way. For the most part, Red Dead Redemption 2 explains the majority of the gameplay systems that you'll be interacting with across all these hours. However, since it's so big, some of the information can be doled out over the course of multiple hours. This is a smart decision that means players aren't overwhelmed from the outset, but you may find yourself asking questions that the game isn't ready to answer yet. So, to help you hit the ground running we've put together a number of tips that that'll help you get along better earlier in the game. These should serve as a primer to jumping into the world of Red Dead Redemption 2, so we've included a bunch of some of smaller things that, once we realised them, made for smoother play sessions. Alongside those, there's information that the game tells you, but perhaps doesn't stress upon as much as it should. Crucially, this is all spoiler free, so you're in no danger of hearing about that moment where [REDACTED]. For more Red Dead Redemption 2 tips we've got spoiler-free guides on how the morality and honor systems work, the best way to make money, and some information on how weapon customization functions. If you're planning to spend a bunch of time fishing, we've got a guide for that too. Make sure to also watch Quickdraw, our weekly Red Dead Redemption 2 video series. In the first episode we looked at previous Rockstar games that have influenced RDR 2. The second episode, meanwhile, is a story recap of the original Red Dead Redemption.
Fit As A Fiddle
Red Dead Redemption 2 gets surprisingly in-depth with information on the health and well being of its main character, Arthur Morgan. And to really make the most of these you should head into the "Player" menu in the pause screen and select "Arthur." You'll be presented with information cards that clue you into the state of your Health, Stamina, and Dead Eye cores, which dictate how quickly each of these attributes regenerates. To guarantee you're operating at peak performance you need to maintain your Cores by eating, resting, and generally keeping Arthur in good shape. You'll also get information on the actual numerical percentage of how much core you have remaining. Temperature and weight impact stats for health and stamina respectively, so if you're layering up in the heat or walking around in the chillier parts of the world as if it's a warm summer's day, you'll see Arthur's health drain faster. Similarly, if your Arthur is thick with two Cs, stamina will take a hit but your health will be boosted slightly. However, if he's on the thinner side, health will be impacted negatively, but your stamina will improve a bit. All outlaws are beautiful in our eyes, but if you have a specific playstyle in mind it's important to watch your weight and manage it to suit you.
Mapped Shortcut
This is a very small quality of life improvement that has a big impact. You'll spend a whole lot of time going into and out of the map in Red Dead Redemption 2. Its world is vast and although there are key locations that you'll travel to, along with waypoints to guide you there, the game also cultivates a wanderlust. Sometimes, this may mean going out into the wild west to hunt, and if you're looking for a specific animals you'll need to head to particular spots. Other times you may just want to trot around to see what strange situations and scenarios present themselves to you. Initially, getting the map up can seem like a two-step process: pressing the start button to bring up the pause menu, then selecting the map option. However, you can expedite this by instead holding the start button down, which will take you straight to the map. This is a common thing in modern open-world games but it isn't explicitly mentioned so it can be an easy to miss detail.
Circle of Life
Hunting is a crucial part of Red Dead Redemption 2. It brings in resources for you and the rest of your gang to survive off, but also lets you build a deeper connection with the world around you through study and observation. When you come across an animal to hunt, don't just go all Yosemite Sam on it. Instead, be more Elmer Fudd and take it slow. Be sure to use the study prompt as you'll get an entry in the "Animals" section of the Compendium that tells you a little more about it. This includes details on how they behave, the best weapons to use to bring them down cleanly (and thus increase their value), and what they can be used for. Early in Red Dead Redemption 2 you're taken out on a hunt and given a runthrough of how it works. It's all fairly simple, but there are two main tricks that help considerably. The first is masking your own scent. Press in the analogue sticks to activate Eagle Eye and you'll see an aura emanating off you--that's your own body funk, don't be ashamed, you're a rough and ready outlaw living off the land and farting into the winds whenever it suits you--this is the good life. You'll need to make sure those wisps of B.O. aren't being carried towards the animal, as they're super judgemental about odors and will bolt. If you're out on a tricky hunt we recommend heading to a vendor first, as they'll usually sell you an item to mask your smell, or you can craft one. Also hit the baths regularly; there's a limit to how much you can smell like sun baked horse poop. The other tip is to attract the attention of an animal locking on to them and then pressing square (on PS4) or X (on Xbox One). This causes the animal to raise its head and leaves it in the perfect position to be brought down cleanly. We recommend trying to use a bow as often as possible when hunting, as it's quieter and better for getting clean kills. Don't forget to give your pelts to Pearson back at the camp, or one of the Trappers that appears. They will hold on to them them for you to come back and use for crafting later.
Hop The Fence
At a certain point in the game you'll complete a mission and meet a Fence. No, we're not talking about a wooden partition typically used to enclose outside areas and made of posts connected by either boards, rails, or wires, we're talking about the criminal variety of Fence. These folk will buy stolen goods from you, which is handy if you've just five-finger discounted a carriage or horses. However, they'll also more than happily take small ticket items off your hands, so if you're the robbing and heisting type, Fences will be your best buddies. However, if you're fresh off committing a crime and have a bounty on you, you'll need to first pay off this off at the Post Office, as Fences won't chat to you otherwise.
Pistols At Dawn
The basics of shooting in Red Dead Redemption 2 are familiar, simple, and intuitive. However, your gun has more uses than filling folks with lead. In fact, it can also be used to get what you want out of a person without killing them. The thundering clap of gunfire has a way of persuading people to be more compliant, so if you take out your gun, hold the aim button, and then press up on the directional pad, Arthur will point his gun into the air. When you fire, you may find people a little more deterred from acting out. While many will usually comply for fear of losing their lives, others may ignore you. You can usually tell whether it's going to work based on the other person's demeanour. The cowardly types tend to stop dead in their tracks, but if you're robbing someone and they have a defiant attitude, you may be out of luck. Nevertheless, it's worth a shot into the sky. For those after a gun-focused tip that's useful in combat, hit the square or X button while aiming to execute a dolphin dive. The game has a cover system to keep you safe when the bullets are flying, but the dive is a handy way of minimizing risk when moving point to point.
Wicky Wicky Wild Wild West
For those who enjoy exploring the nooks and crannies of far-off virtual lands, Red Dead Redemption 2 provides plenty to uncover. One of the most immersive ways to experience it all is to turn off the in-game map and rely on your own sense of direction and navigational skills to get around. If you hold down on the directional pad and opt for turning off the minimap, characters that you ride with will be more forthcoming with directions, which makes for a more natural--and authentic--form of discovery. If you find yourself struggling, however, you can always just tap down again to briefly bring up the map to get your bearings. While you're out and about, keep your eyes peeled for smoke in the sky; where there's smoke, there's usually a (camp)fire, and this more often than not will either lead to a side-mission or a memorable random encounter. Similarly, listen for things happening in your environment, as you may hear someone shouting for help or beckoning you to come over as you pass by. Sometimes it's easier to just use public transport to get where you need to, and to make use of fast travel you can hop on a taxi coach or a train. These are usually only available in towns, but if you upgrade Dutch's quarters in the camp, you can then also purchase a map for Arthur that allows him to return to certain previously visited locations.
Gimmie The Loot, Gimmie The Loot
Money makes the world go round, and you'll need to keep a constant influx of cash to get by. While exploring the world and doing missions, it's common to come upon abandoned camps with lots of items up for picking. Sometimes you'll have to walk up to individual items and snatch them up, but you may also stumble upon a bunch of goodies in close proximity to each other. In these situations, simply hold down the loot button and Arthur will pocket the valuables as smoothly as one of Fagin's boys. One of the most consistent sources of cash and goods is the bodies of your fallen enemies. Naturally, you'll be taking out a whole lot of people, and you should make it a point of stripping them of their valuables while you're at it. As with the previous game, enemies you've killed are marked on the map with a small 'x', so once battles have subsided, ensure you head over to all the corpses and recover your spoils.
Horseplay
As the saying that we just made up this second goes, "A cowboy is only as good as the horse he or she rides in on," so you'll want to spend time strengthening your bond with your noble steed. The easiest way to deepen your bond with your horse is through positive reinforcement. When you're moving at a *checks Google* "two-beat trot," press in the left analogue stick and Arthur will tell his horse how much he values it and how it's the bestest and bravest. From our experience, the cooldown on this is around 14 seconds, so you could min-max wholesome horse compliments to build your bond quicker. As your bond grows, your horse's health and stamina will improve, you'll be able to whistle for it from further away, and it'll come to you even if you're in combat. It'll also cross deeper water and rougher terrain, and if someone tries to steal it, they'll have a much harder time. Other abilities such as rearing, skid turning or stopping, and even dressage also become available. There's also some tricks to riding a horse properly, as well as best practices. If you tap the X or A buttons in time with your horse's gallops you'll reduce the rate at which it uses stamina, which means you can run faster for longer. Make sure to also give it regular breaks and feed it often. As the other saying we just made up goes, "A healthy horse is the wind beneath a gunslinger's feet." When you're riding long distances you also have the option to use the cinematic camera. If you set a waypoint on the map and there's a direct line along a defined route there, then switch to the cinematic camera, your horse will stay true and all you've got to do is hold the run button down.
The Right To Bear Arms
Red Dead Redemption 2 has a diverse range of weaponry available for you to implement in your cowboying ways. For quite a few hours you'll find yourself limited to the basics: six-shooters, rifles, and shotguns--and the more basic versions of them at that. If you're the kind of person who finds themselves frequently staring down the barrel of a gun with another poor soul in your crosshairs, you may be tempted to save up some cash to try and get new, more powerful weapons. If that's what you want to do, go ahead; it's the wild west and you're an outlaw so be the master of your own destiny and all that. However, if you want to save yourself a bit of cash and get your hands on some powerful weaponry, spend time focusing on doing the main story missions. Unsurprisingly, the game is very generous in giving you useful rewards when completing these missions, so if you follow the critical path you'll get showered with new guns, items, and equipment. Resisting the urge to ride out into the wild lands of America with nothing but a gun and your horse to make a name for yourself may be difficult, but stick with the gang for a bit in the early game and it'll be worth your while in the long run.
Wish You Were Here
Finally, here's a quick tip that will keep FOMO at bay. Make sure to do the missions that appear as white icons around your camp. These are usually activities that you undertake alongside other members of the Van der Linde gang, and provide some nice characterization moments. These will disappear after a while, either because they're time sensitive or because narrative advancements wipe them away. If one of these pops up, make sure to prioritize them over the yellow, core missions. Those will always be there, waiting for you.
By Dan Auty on Oct 26, 2018 09:03 pm
So far 2018 has been a mix of huge hits, critical smashes, and inevitably, a few disappointments. Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, and Mission Impossible: Fallout have smashed records, and while Solo: A Star Wars Story proved to be a commercial disappointment, there's still plenty of excitement for next year's Episode IX, which is now in production.
We're now into the final two months of 2018, and there's still plenty to look forward to. There DC's Aquaman and the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, the return of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider's Web, and latest Fantastic Beasts movie. Stepbrothers stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly reunite for Holmes & Watson, there's the big awards-season movie such as Widows and If Beale Street Could Talk, plus a lot of seasonal fair, including a new version of The Grinch and the return of Mary Poppins. So here's what you can look forward to over the rest of the year...
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Disney's series of live-action fairy tale adaptations has proved to be box office gold over the past few years, and this is the studio's latest offering. While the title might not be as recognisable as The Jungle Book or Beauty and the Beast, expect it to make serious money this fall. It's based on the classic 19th century fairytale and stars Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman, with Mackenzie Foy in the lead role as Clara, a young girl who is pulled into a mysterious, magical world on Christmas Eve. Release date: November 2
Bohemian Rhapsody
This biopic of Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been in development for many years, with various directors and stars attached to the project. Even when the cameras started rolling the problems didn't stop--director Bryan Singer was fired by the studio during production, to be replaced by British filmmaker Dexter Fletcher. But the movie is now finished and set for release in November. Mr. Robot star Remi Malek takes on the role of the iconic frontman, and it charts the rise of the band through the '70s to their world-conquering success in the '80s. It's produced by the band, and the trailer suggests that it might be more a celebration of the music than a look at the darker side of Mercury's life. But it looks like an absolute must-see for Queen fans. Release date: November 2
Bodied
Directed by acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn and produced by Eminem, this rap-battle satire has picked up rave reviews at a variety of festival screenings over the past year. It focuses on a graduate student who is writing a thesis on the world of competitive rapping and decides to start entering some of these verbally-bruising contests himself. There are obvious similarities to the Eminem-starring 8 Mile, but Kahn's movie is reportedly more interested in addressing issues of race, prejudice, and cultural appropriation. If you've seen Kahn's lavish Taylor Swift videos or his previous movie, the insane horror comedy Detention, you'll know that he's got an incredible visual style. Combined with a killer soundtrack, it makes Bodied one of the fall's must-see movies. Release date: November 2
Suspiria
David Gordon Green's upcoming Halloween reboot/sequel isn't the only late-70s horror classic getting a remake from an acclaimed director in 2018. Dario Argento's supernatural masterpiece Suspiria has been updated by Luca Guadagnino, the Italian filmmaker behind last year's Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name. This is a tale of a ballet school run by ancient, evil witches, and it stars Dakota Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz as students who uncover the school's dark secrets. Argento's original movie is noted for its incredible visual style and thunderous soundtrack; Radiohead's Thom Yorke is providing the score for the remake, and hopefully Guadagnino will deliver something just as stylish. Release date: November 2
Overlord
There were rumours earlier this year that this JJ Abrams-produced World War II horror film would form the next part of the Cloverfield universe. After all, 10 Cloverfield Lane and this year's The Cloverfield Paradox started life as unconnected movies with different titles before being rewritten to form part of Abrams' loose sci-fi series, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had the same thing in mind for Overlord. Abrams has subsequently denied this is the case, and the first trailer revealed last week certainly seems to point to this being a standalone movie. Either way, it looks like a suitably scary movie in which a squad of US soldiers are forced to parachute into occupied France, where they encounter a group of Nazis performing some terrifying experiments. Release date: November 9
The Grinch
The classic Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Saved Christmas was adapted into a hit Jim Carrey movie 18 years ago, and a new animated version hits the screen in November. Doctor Strange and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch will provide the voice of the Holiday-hating title character, and the first trailer arrived last week. The movie was actually meant to be released last year, but the trailer is colourful and fun and the movie will hopefully be worth the wait. Release date: November 9
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Although David Fincher's 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo was a commercial disappointment, the lead character, Lisbeth Salander, is returning to the screen. The Girl in the Spider's Web is based on the first Salander novel written by another author (Larson died in 2004), and stars The Crown's Claire Foy as the iconic hacker, taking over from Rooney Mara. Despite the change of actress, the movie is set to be a similarly dark tale of crime and revenge. Salander is described as "the girl who hurts men who hurt women," and the recent first trailer gives us a brutal taste of what to expect when it arrives in November. Release date: November 9
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Harry Potter series might have finished in 2011, but the wider movie universe goes from strength to strength. The success of 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them led to the announcement of a further four movies, the first of which arrives in November. Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander, with Jude Law as the young Dumbledore, who enlists the help of Newt to help defeat the dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). David Yates directs once more, from a screenplay by Potter creator JK Rowling. Release date: November 16
Instant Family
Mark Wahlberg was last seen running, jumping, and shooting people in the action thriller Mile 22, but his next movie is a lot more light-hearted. It's a comedy in which he and Rose Byrne (Insidious, Bridesmaids) play a couple who decide to foster three siblings, with predictably chaotic results. The movie reunites Wahlberg with his Transformers: The Last Knight co-star Isabela Moner, who will next be seen playing Dora the Explorer. Release date: November 16
Widows
Ocean's Eight isn't the only high-profile heist movie coming our way in 2018. Widows is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and is written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. The movies focuses on four women whose husbands are killed in a failed heist, who then decide to finish the job themselves. It's based on a British TV show of the same name from the 1980s, and the star-studded cast includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, and Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya. Films like 12 Years and Shame proved that McQueen can deliver prestigious, acclaimed dramas, so hopes are high that he is equally adept at making edgy crime thrillers. Release date: November 18
Creed 2
While most thought that the legendary movie boxer Rocky Balboa had finally hung up his gloves, the 2015 spin-off Creed not only gave the character one of his finest movies, it paved the way for director Ryan Coogler to get the job of directing Marvel's wildly successful Black Panther. Coogler won't be back for the sequel, but star Michael B. Jordan is, once again playing the son of the original movies' Apollo Creed. Rocky creator and star Sylvester Stallone is back too, as both co-star and co-writer. Steven Caple Jr. directs this time, and it's rumoured that Creed 2 will bring back another iconic character from the original series--Rocky IV's Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
Release date: November 21
Robin Hood
Ridley Scott's 2010 version of the the Robin Hood myth wasn't a critical or commercial success, but that hasn't stopped yet another version of the story heading to screens in 2018. This time we have a younger Robin, with Kingsman star Taron Egerton in the lead role. The cast also includes Jamie Foxx as Little John and Rogue One's Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and it's directed by TV director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror). The first trailer is suitably action-packed, but we'll find out in November if this Hood is any good. Release date: November 21
Ralph Breaks the Internet
The 2012 animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph was a critical and commercial hit, and the sequel arrives in November. It focuses on the arcade game villain-turned-hero of the title, who this time enters the internet after the arcade his game lives in goes online. John C. Reilly is the voice of Ralph, with Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Taraji P. Henson, and James Corden also part of the voice cast. Release date: November 21
If Beale Street Could Talk
It was always going to be hard for director Barry Jenkins to follow his acclaimed, Oscar-winning drama Moonlight, but If Beale Street Could Talk looks like he might have made something just as good. Based on the classic novel by James Baldwin, the film is set in Harlem of the early '70s, and focuses on a pregnant woman who must race against time to free her wrongly-imprisoned boyfriend from jail. The fantastic first trailer was recently released, and the movie looks every bit as powerful and stylish as Moonlight. Expect lots of awards buzz for this one. Release date: November 30
Mortal Engines
While Peter Jackson's first post-Hobbit directorial effort is yet to be revealed, he is heavily involved with this upcoming sci-fi adventure. Jackson produces and co-writes alongside his regular collaborator Fran Walsh, while Christian Rivers--who has worked with Jackson since his early horror days--makes his directorial debut. Mortal Engines is an adaptation of the first of four YA novels written by Philip Reeve and is set in a post apocalyptic steampunk world where motorised cities-on-wheels are at war with one another. As you'd expect from Jackson, it all looks truly spectacular, and if the storytelling matches the level of visual invention, it should make a lavish treat this Christmas. Release date: December 14
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily one of our most anticipated films of the year. Produced by Lord and Miller of The Lego Movie fame, and starring Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Spider-Verse will take us into the, well, spider-verse. That means Spider-folks from various parallel universes will make appearances, from Spider-Man Noir (played by Nicholas Cage) to Spider-Ham, a cartoon pig in a Spider-Man outfit, voiced by comedian John Mulaney. It's not just the humorous cameos we're looking forward to, though, as Into the Spider-Verse overall looks like one of the coolest Spider-Man movies ever made. Release date: December 14
The Mule
Clint Eastwood might be 87 years old, but his output as a director shows no sign of slowing. We've already had one movie from him this year--the drama The 15:17 to Paris--and The Mule will be with us before Christmas. It's another true-life tale, in which Eastwood plays Leo Sharp, who was the world's oldest drug courier, responsible for moving millions of dollars of cocaine across the border for a Mexican cartel. The cast also includes Bradley Cooper as the DEA agent on his trail, plus Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick: Chapter 2) and Michael Peña (Ant-Man). Release date: December 14
Mary Poppins Returns
In what must be one of the longest gaps between an original movie and its sequel, the follow-up to the 1964 family classic Mary Poppins arrives just in time for Christmas. Set in 1935, 25 years after the first movie, it sees the much-loved magical nanny return to London for another adventure. Emily Blunt takes over from Julie Andrews in the title role, while the cast also includes Colin Firth, Emily Mortimer, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep. There's also a role for Dick Van Dyke, who co-starred with Andrews in the original. It might have been 54 since the original movie, but the perennial popularity of that Disney classic ensures that the sequel is a guaranteed hit. Release date: December 19
Aquaman
The DC universe has had a bumpy ride so far, with only Wonder Woman connecting with both audiences and critics. But there's every reason to be hopeful that Aquaman could do the same. Director James Wan is a skilled genre operator, whether delivering crowd-pleasing horror (Saw, The Conjuring) or blockbuster action (Furious 7), and there's a killer cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Defoe, Nicole Kidman, and '80s action icon Dolph Lungren, plus Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera. Wan recently debunked the rumour that the film would be overstuffed with multiple villains, and promises an "emotional and powerful" origin movie. Release date: December 21
Bumblebee
The future of the Transformers franchise might be uncertain, but we're definitely getting at least one more movie. The spin-off Bumblebee arrives in December and will focus on the earlier adventures of the much-loved yellow VW Autobot. It's set in California in the 1980s and stars Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as a young woman who finds Bumblebee in a trash heap. WWE star John Cena also features in the cast, and the recent trailer suggests that this is going to be a more family-orientated movie than the main Transformers series. It's directed by Travis Knight, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated animated movie Kubo And The Two Strings. Release date: December 21
Holmes & Watson
The stories of Sherlock Holmes have been adapted for the screen many, many times over the decades, but we can guarantee that no previous version will be as funny as Holmes & Watson. This comedic take on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stars Will Ferrell as Holmes and John C. Reilly as Dr Watson, with Ralph Fiennes as the evil Moriarty. Ferrell has been been attached to the project for a decade--and it was actually filmed nearly two years ago--but it finally reaches the screen in December. Step Brothers stars Ferrell and Reilly are a great double-act and the recent trailer suggests a wild and silly period romp. Release date: December 21
By Dan Auty on Oct 26, 2018 02:28 pm
The western has had a long and strange history, which has seen it change 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 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 Red Dead 2 review. 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.
By Array on Oct 26, 2018 02:25 pm
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's most ambitious game to date. With nearly 20 years of experience and almost 30 games under its belt, it's clear that the studio is pulling from its strong history in order to make its biggest game to date. Eight Rockstar studios around the globe are putting bits and pieces of eight different games into Red Dead Redemption 2. The physical health mechanics from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas appear in Red Dead Redemption 2, for example, and they're expanded to affect your character's own personal hygiene. RDR2's weapon handling emulates Max Payne 3 by only allowing your character to carry as many guns as they can physically hold with their hands and available holsters. Heck, even the NPC interaction from Bully is present, although with improvements that allow you to respond to characters in a variety of ways depending on what's going on. With so many past elements showing up in the upcoming open-world adventure, it seems like the game is a true culmination of everything Rockstar has learned. In this gallery, we detail eight of Rockstar's biggest games from the last 15 years and what they contribute to Red Dead Redemption 2. RDR2 releases on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. Pre-orders are available now at a number of in-store and online retailers, and there's some extra content tied to specific platforms and timed exclusive DLC. If you're curious about all the new features in the game, check out our round-up of everything we know, including the game's most surprising details. What do you find the most intriguing about the way Red Dead Redemption 2 takes elements from past Rockstar games? Let us know in the comments below.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004): Physical Health
In 2004, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the biggest game that Rockstar had ever shipped. Alongside a sprawling map with three distinct cities, San Andreas allowed you to morph CJs body as you played. For example, if you gorged on Meat Stacks at Burger Shot, CJ would start to get plump. Conversely if you ate healthily and hit the gym every now and then, CJ would get buff. An in-shape CJ would garner more respect and have greater sex appeal while a chubbier CJ would have less luck with the ladies. As unique as this mechanic was at the time, Rockstar has not revisited it in any subsequent games until now. Like CJ, Arthur Morgan will change and evolve depending on how you play. His beard and hair will grow over time if you don't get him a trim. You can even make him look sharp by slicking his hair back. If you overindulge, Arthur will put on some weight, and even deride himself when he catches his reflection in mirrors. And if he doesn't clean himself every now and then, Arthur will start to get stanky. NPCs and gang members respond to Arthur differently depending on his hygiene and personal upkeep, even take him aside to suggest that he wash himself.
The Warriors (2005): Melee Combat
The Warriors was a notable contribution to Rockstar's output mostly due to its overall quality as a licensed game based on a film. It wonderfully worked in the style of its source material into its small sandbox world. Not only that, but it expanded upon the story of the film, giving its characters more background. However, The Warriors' most notable quality was its melee combat, which was modeled after classic 2D beat-em-ups. While this would be later expanded in Bully, it was in The Warriors that we saw Rockstar's first attempt at melee combat. Subsequent Rockstar games dabbled in melee, but none really went for it in the way The Warriors and Bully did. Red Dead Redemption 2 seems to be bringing melee back, giving Morgan the ability to duke it out with enemies by punching, kicking, and even stunning and throwing them. There's some pretty gnarly sound effects accompanying each blow, bringing it more in line with the level of violence seen in The Warriors.
Bully (2006): NPC Interaction
Compared to Rockstar's previous open world games, Bully was rather unique. It was a much more intimate experience: Bullworth Academy was far smaller than a city, there were no guns, and if you were a good student you'd be spending a lot of time in class. But the scope, no matter how narrow it was compared to GTA, was the right fit: Bully became an influential addition to Rockstar's catalogue in its own right. One of Bully's more interesting parts was the way you interacted with NPCs. You could greet them either positively or negatively. You could talk your way out of trouble, and even apologize to someone you injured. While it wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been, it did allow you to respond to social situations in unique ways. Rockstar briefly revisited this mechanic in Red Dead Redemption where a tap of a button allowed John to tip his cowboy hat to those around him. But now Rockstar is expanding this mechanic in Red Dead Redemption 2. If you target an NPC without your gun equipped, you're given a handful of options for social interactions. You can greet, threaten, or rob an NPC. Depending on how they respond to Arthur, he can continue the conversation or just walk away. Based on the first several hours, this adds another layer of complexity to the world. NPCs feature a wider range of attitudes toward you--they aren't all either simply docile or shooting at you. You can diffuse encounters in ways you see fit.
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008): Sense Of Place
Grand Theft Auto IV was a bit of a departure from previous entries in the franchise. Many of the features from San Andreas and Bully had disappeared, and the over-the-top tone was replaced with a more realistic one. Gone were the jetpacks and planes of San Andreas and the '80s nostalgic decadence of Vice City. And while some players lamented the loss of this wackiness, Rockstar replaced it with something just as important: A strong sense of place. Liberty City felt alive. You could follow NPCs going about their business and Niko could just hang out and befriend key characters. Since GTA IV, Rockstar has opted--for the most part--to create more grounded and realistic experiences that offer a stronger warmth and presence. GTA IV's vision of a more realistic take on the open-world genre can be seen in nearly all of Rockstar's subsequent games and is pushed much further than before in Red Dead Redemption 2.
L.A. Noire (2011): Environmental Interaction
L.A. Noire was an unusual game for Rockstar and its developer Team Bondi. Combat was put on the backburner in favor of a slower-paced experience that asked you to carefully explore crime scenes, gather evidence, and question witnesses. If you weren't thorough, you could completely botch a case, the perp would get away, and yet, the story would continue. Not everyone loved it, but to this day, there are still very few games like it. One of L.A. Noire's key mechanics is the ability to examine and manipulate objects found in the environment in order to piece together how the crime went down. L.A. Noire wasn't the first game to do this, and it certainly won't be the last, but it's the only Rockstar game to date that allowed you to interact with the environment to this extent. Red Dead Redemption 2 aims to do something similar. While you may not be solving cases, Arthur Morgan can pick up certain objects in the environment and examine them as you would in L.A. Noire. Instead of exploring the wild frontier you might find yourself holed up in a house examining pictures and notes left by the previous residents. You can even inspect your weapons and shop items.
Max Payne 3 (2012): Shooting And Weapon Management
Max Payne 3 is a bold game. While we wouldn't call it realistic--you hang from a helicopter and shoot rockets out of the sky during an early section of the game--its mechanics made it feel like one of Rockstar's most grounded experiences to date. If Max takes a bullet to the head, he goes down immediately, even on the easiest difficulty. But what stands out is how the game handled weapon management. Max could only carry as many guns as he had hands and holsters. This meant that if you were using a pistol and had a rifle, Max would carry the rifle in his other hand. If you decided to dual wield handguns, Max would toss his rifle on the ground. Even the reload animations were different depending on what weapons Max was using. These mechanics are returning in Red Dead Redemption 2. Every weapon Arthur carries appears on his body. This means you can only take a few weapons with you into a firefight. The rest of your firearms are stored in your saddlebag. Weapon management isn't the only thing the game borrows from Max Payne 3. At the end of a firefight in Max Payne, you would be treated to a gruesome slow motion kill cam. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll be happy to know that this feature is returning in Red Dead Redemption 2 and it will change based on your morale. If you're a good cowboy, the killcams will look more heroic--but if you are villainous, it will be gorier.
Grand Theft Auto V (2013): Practice Skills And First-Person View
To no one's surprise, Red Dead Redemption 2 expands on many of Grand Theft Auto V's mechanics. A notable example is stat building. As you played GTA V, Trevor, Michael, and Franklin's stats would increase in logical ways. If they swam a lot, their lung capacity would increase, if they drove everywhere, their driving skill would increase, and so on. Red Dead Redemption 2 takes a similar approach with Arthur's skills. The more he runs, the better his stamina gets, and the more he shoots, the more his sharpshooting increases. GTA V was also the first Rockstar game--unless you count Midnight Club--to support a first-person camera. It offered a radically different feel to GTA and it's returning for Red Dead Redemption 2. If you want, you can play the whole game in first person from the very beginning. It even allows you to tweak the first person camera settings to your liking. But remember, just because you can't see Arthur, it doesn't mean he shouldn't bath every now and then.
Grand Theft Auto Online (2013-Present): Multiplayer Scope And Variety
Grand Theft Auto Online is a different beast from Rockstar's various games. While plenty of its games support multiplayer, GTA Online is far bigger and far deeper than anything the studio had released previously. It's built off the openworld structure of Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer. Players can purchase property, build out their garages with exotic supercars, and even start their own businesses. And of course, it has plenty of cooperative and competitive missions and gametypes to participate in. To this day, Rockstar still releases free updates for GTA Online and it continues to be a massive source of income for the studio. We don't know much about Red Dead Redemption 2's online component yet, but it sounds like it will be building off of GTA Online. You will once again be able to explore a massive world as a cowboy or cowgirl and partake in various missions and competitive game modes. Unlike GTA Online, the slower pace of Red Dead Redemption 2 might elevate the more intimate moments that arise. Despite this, it sounds like fans of GTA Online should feel comfortable with Red Dead Online. Though, it's worth noting that, like GTA Online, it won't be available until a few weeks after Red Dead Redemption 2 launches.
By Array on Oct 26, 2018 02:24 pm
After nearly ten years, we're finally returning to Rockstar's take on 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. That means there's never been a better to time to revisit the plot of 2010's excellent Red Dead Redemption. After all, you'll see many familiar faces in Red Dead Redemption 2, so it's a good opportunity to refresh yourself on the happenings with John Marston, Dutch, Bill Williamson, and all the rest. 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 to check out our Red Dead 2 review. 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 Matt Espineli on Oct 26, 2018 02:22 pm
Like the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2 has a ton of outfits. Instead of fulfilling certain conditions to unlock them, you can now walk into any of the general shops scattered throughout the world and purchase an outfit from their catalog. While you grab a certain outfit set as a whole, you can also purchase their parts to mix-n'-match the pieces you like best. Another new mechanic relating to clothing is the introduction of managing your temperature. There are varying climates in Red Dead Redemption 2's world, so you'll have to outfit yourself with the appropriate attire--or else Arthur's health will be affected. If the weather is hot, you'll need wear light clothes in order to prevent your Health Core from draining; the same occurs during colder climates where you need to wear heavier jackets to withstand the intense climate conditions. There's a wealth of clothes you can purchase and even craft throughout your journey. If you're curious about all the different sets you can get and where you can find them, then you're in the right place. We've gathered together every outfit we've found so far, their locations, what you need to craft them, and details on the weather conditions they can worn in. We'll be adding to this guide in the coming days with even more outfits and details, so be sure to check back often. Red Dead Redemption 2 is out on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. For our full thoughts on how Rockstar's latest open-world adventure turned out, read our RDR 2 review. Though, if you've never played the original Red Dead Redemption and are curious if you're going to be able to jump into this sequel with no problems, be sure to read our feature answering that question. On the guide front, check out our feature offering beginner's tips you should know, as well as our money guide. We've also got articles detailing how long the game is and how gun customization works. But before you jump into all that, tell us which outfits you think are the coolest! Go ahead and voice your opinions in the comments below.
Brawler's Outfit
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Grizzlies Outlaw
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates:
The Gunslinger
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Innocent
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection
The Pursuer
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Rebel
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates:
The Ruffian
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Summer Gunslinger
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Winter Gunslinger
Location: Included in your initial outfit selection Wearable Climates:
The Chevalier
Location: Rhodes General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Corson
Location: Rhodes General Store, Saint Denis Tailor, Strawberry General Store, Velntine General Store, Wallace Station General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Earl
Location: Rhodes General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Gambler
Location: Rhodes General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Heartlands
Location: Rhodes General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Bretagne
Location: Saint Denis Tailor Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Deauville
Location: Saint Denis Tailor Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Saint Denis
Location: Saint Denis Tailor Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Bear Hunter
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Bear Hat ($40): Legendary Bear Pelt x 1
- Legendary Bear Coat ($28): Legendary Bear Pelt x 1, Perfect Bison Pelt x 1
- Legendary Bar Roper ($34): Legendary Bear Pelt x 1, Perfect Bull Hide x 1
- Boar Riding Gloves ($15): Perfect Boar Pelt x 1, Perfect Rabbit Pelt x 2
Wearable Climates:
The Beast of Prey
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Cougar Flop Hat ($19): Legendary Cougar Pelt x 1, Turkey Feather x 2
- Legendary Cougar And Wolf Vest ($42): Legendary Cougar Pelt x 1, Legendary Wolf Pelt x 1
- Legendary Wolf Batwing Chaps ($34): Legendary Wolf Pelt x 1, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Bull Fowler Boots ($29): Perfect Boar Pelt x 1, Perfect Bull Hide x 2
- Legendary Cougar Riding Gloves ($20): Legendary Cougar Pelt x 1, Perfect Boar Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Bounty Hunter
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Plantation Slouch Hat ($15): Perfect Bison Pelt x 1
- Beaver Hunting Jacket ($21): Perfect Cow Hide x 1, Perfect Beaver Pelt x 1
- Sheepskin Vest ($20): Perfect Sheep Hide x 1
- Pronghorn Half Chaps ($7): Perfect Pronghorn Hide x 1
- Buck Riding Gloves ($5): Perfect Buck Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Bronco Buster
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Elk Flop Hat ($12): Perfect Elk Pelt x 1
- Coyote Scout Jacket ($20): Perfect Ox Hide x 1, Perfect Coyote Pelt x 1
- Huntsman Vest ($25): Perfect Sheep Hide x 1, Perfect Deer Pelt x 1
- Boar Fringed Shotgun Chaps ($25): Perfect Boar Pelt x 2
- Pigskin Rifleman Gloves ($8): Perfect Pig Hide x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Rattler
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Ram Sombrero ($10): Perfect Ram Hide x 1
- Outdoorsmen Vest ($22): Perfect Pronghorn Hide x 1
- Javelina Half Chaps ($18): Perfect Collared Peccary Pig Pelt x 1, Perfect Snake Skin x 1
- Iguana Range Gloves ($27): Perfect Collared Peccary Pig Pelt x 1, Perfect Iguana Skin x 2
Wearable Climates:
The Death Roll
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Alligator Gambler's Hat ($22): Legendary Alligator Skin x 1, Perfect Snake Skin x 2
- Legendary Panther Cloak ($45): Legendary Alligator Skin x 1
- Legendary Alligator Fowlers ($35): Legendary Alligator Skin x 1
- Legendary Panther Ranger Gloves ($30): Legendary Panther Pelt x 1, Perfect Gila Monster Skin x 2
Wearable Climates:
The Desperado
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Beaver Drifter Hat ($20): Perfect Beaver Pelt x 2
- Wolf Coat ($25): Perfect Ram Hide x 1, Perfect Wolf Pelt x 1
- Billy Vest ($32): Perfect Armadillo Skin x 2, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Boar & Bull Fowler Boots ($31): Perfect Ox Hide x 1, Perfect Boar Pelt x 1
- Winter Calvary Gloves ($25): Perfect Rabbit Pelt x 1, Perfect Muskrat Pelt x 2
Wearable Climates:
The Dreamcatcher
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Beaver Flop Hat ($22): Legendary Beaver Pelt x 1, Legendary Boar Pelt, Cardinal Feather x 1
- Legendary Bison Vest ($30): Legendary Tatanka Bison Pelt x 1
- Legendary Bison Batwing Chaps ($32): Legendary Tatanka Bison Pelt x 1
- Legendary Boar & Bison Fowlers ($37): Legendary Boar Pelt x 1, Legendary Tatanka Bison Pelt x 1
- Legendary Beaver Calvary Gloves ($18): Legendary Beaver Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Ghost Bison
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary White Bison Hat ($45): Legendary White Bison Pelt x 1
- Legendary White Bison Coat ($29): Legendary White Bison Pelt x 1
- Option 1 - Legendary Elk Half Chaps ($16): Legendary Elk Pelt x 1, Perfect Sheep Hide x 1
- Option 2 - Legendary Elk Moccasins ($30): Legendary Elf Pelt x 1, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Legendary Elk Range Gloves ($13): Legendary Elk Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Huntsman
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Coyote Mountain Hat ($23): Legendary Coyote Pelt x 1
- Legendary Pronghorn Coat ($35): Legendary Pronghorn Hide x 1, Perfect Moose Pelt x 1
- Option 1 - Legendary Coyote Half Chaps ($20): Legendary Coyote Pelt x 1, Perfect Fox Pelt x 2
- Option 2 - Worksman's Pride Boots ($28): Perfect Cow Hide x 1, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Legendary Pronghorn Range Gloves ($17): Legendary Pronghorn Hide x 1, Perfect Muskrat Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Marauder
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Muskrat Calvary Hat ($15): Perfect Rabbit Pelt x 4, Perfect Muskrat Pelt x 1
- Principal Vest ($18): Perfect Cow Hide x 1, Perfect Dear Pelt x 1
- Bull Fringed Shotgun Chaps ($18): Perfect Bull Hide x 1
- Smoke Skin Calvary Gloves ($26): Perfect Boar Pelt x 1, Perfect Snake Skin x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Mountain Man
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Grenadier Hat ($24): Perfect Muskrat Pelt x 1, Perfect Beaver Pelt x 1
- Ram Shotgun Coat ($45): Perfect Ram Hide x 1
- Country Vest ($25): Perfect Buck Pelt x 1, Perfect Beaver Pelt x 1
- Elk Riding Gloves ($12): Perfect Elk Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Night Wrangler
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Coyote Gambler's Hat ($16): Perfect Coyote Pelt x 2
- Cougar Cutaway Coat ($39): Perfect Cougar Pelt x 2, Perfect Black Bear Pelt x 1
- Wilderness Vest ($28): Perfect Wolf Pelt x 1, Perfect Panther Pelt x 1
- Moose Half Chaps ($10): Perfect Moose Pelt x 1
- Badger Rifleman Gloves ($10): Perfect Badger Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Stalker
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Legendary Ram Hat ($17): Legendary Ram Hide x 1
- Legendary Moose Hunting Jacket ($24): Legendary Moose Pelt x 1, Perfect Wolf Pelt x 1
- Legendary Ram Batwing Chaps ($33): Legendary Ram Hide x 1
- Legendary Moose Moccasins ($22): Legendary Moose Pelt x 1, Perfect Cow Hide x 1
- Legendary Ram Rifleman Gloves ($12): Legendary Ram Hide x 1, Perfect Boar Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Trophy Buck
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Raccoon Mountain Hat ($21): Perfect Raccoon Pelt x 1, Perfect Beaver Pelt x 1, Hawk Feather x 2
- Legendary Buck Vest ($26): Legendary Buck Pelt x 1, Legendary Ram Hide x 1
- Legendary Fox Moccasins ($40): Perfect Elf Pelt x 1, Legendary Fox Pelt x 1
- Legendary Buck & Fox Range Gloves ($28): Legendary Buck Pelt x 1, Legendary Fox Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Wrangler
Location: Saint Denis Trapper Components: - Goat Flop Hat ($12): Perfect Pronghorn Hide x 1, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Trapper's Cloak ($32): Perfect Sheep Hide x 1
- No Man's Vest ($27): Perfect Panther Pelt x 1, Perfect Goat Hide x 1
- Two Toned Moccasins ($15): Perfect Buck Pelt x 1
- Moose Range Gloves ($22): Perfect Moose Pelt x 1
Wearable Climates:
The Cumberland
Location: Strawberry General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Dolton
Location: Strawberry General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Faulkton
Location: Strawberry General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Millesani
Location: Strawberry General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Clairmont
Location: Valentine General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Dewberry Creek
Location: Valentine General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Valentine
Location: Valentine General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Vaquero
Location: Valentine General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Calumet
Location: Wallace Station General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Drover
Location: Wallace Station General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Estate Boss
Location: Wallace Station General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
The Roscoe
Location: Wallace Station General Store Wearable Climates: - Average Weather
- Hot Weather
By Alessandro Fillari on Oct 26, 2018 02:21 pm
The Wild, Wild West
Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily the most dynamic open world adventure that Rockstar has made to date. Featuring a number of sophisticated systems, including countless NPC characters to interact with, there are all sorts of encounters that await you in the game's expansive wild west setting. However, with a game of this scale, there are bound to be features that aren't stated clearly. We've come up with a list of details that Red Dead Redemption 2 keeps somewhat hidden from players, which we found from our time experimenting with the many mechanics at work. Though much of overarching gameplay pillars are explained in the abstract during the game's tutorials and relevant missions, there always seems to be a bit more information that's set aside for later. And more often than not, you're bound to uncover these details when you least expect it. We've got much more info and coverage on Red Dead Redemption 2 in the works. In the meantime, be sure to check out our full review on Rockstar's biggest open world game to date, along with guides on how to make money and the best tips for new players. GameSpot is also currently running a new weekly series called QuickDraw, which highlights the series' impact on gaming, while also showing off just how in-depth Red Dead Redemption 2 gets.
Savor The Story
While the main story in Red Dead Redemption 2 has many exciting and heartfelt moments, we recommend indulging in as much of the side content and activities as you can before tackling the next major event. Over the course of the game, you'll see changes to the gang's camp, and several characters, including Charles, Lenny, and Javier, will have some missions for you to handle. These side-quests show up as white markers on your map--with the main missions showing up as yellow--and can lead to great rewards or interesting encounters for you to take part in. Unfortunately, several of these diversions are only available for a limited time, so make sure to do them as soon as you can. Some of the game's most heartfelt and humorous events can come from these missions, which you'll miss out on if you focus on the story. So take some time away from the main plot and chat with your comrades--you'll be glad you did.
Look To The Skies
When you're exploring the wilderness, you'll likely see smoke trails from campfire at a distance. These serve as an indicator for points of interests in the area, so heading to the source can open up unique encounters with the game's many strangers and traveling vagabonds. Most often the lone individuals you can find are friendly, even giving you supplies and tips on some locations you should keep an eye on, but other encounters can lead to violent stand-offs with rival gangs or disgruntled travellers. Regardless, there will always be something interesting to uncover once you reach a campsite.
Weight Watchers
When you're living a life as an outlaw--where sleeping in the dirt and getting into intense gunfights are the norm--it can be easy to lose track of Arthur's personal disposition. This becomes apparent when you notice that you're taking more damage than normal. Early on, the game introduces you to the concept of building up your health, stamina, and dead eye cores. However, depending on what Arthur eats, how often he does so, and what sort of physical exercise he gets, his base stats and cores will see some changes. These gains or losses are reflected by three distinct body types; average, underweight, and overweight, all of which have their own unique pros and cons.
When you're of average weight, your health and stamina cores will stay even. However if you find yourself underweight, you'll take slightly more damage, but gain a boost to stamina to compensate. If Arthur eats often and gets less exercise, which includes running, swimming, and getting into fist fights with the local ruffians, he'll become overweight, resulting in less stamina but an increase in damage absorption. Though you can keep track of Arthur's physical status in the Player menu, you can also watch Arthur during his idle animations. Depending on what his weight is, his posture and demeanor will adjust to reflect his current build.
With all that said, Red Dead Redemption 2 is all about letting you build out the protagonist how you see fit. So if you want a skinny or plump character, then you go ahead and make sure Arthur lives his best, most indulgent life.
High Risk, High Rewards
Whether it's from ransacking a homestead or scavenging from dead animals, you'll likely stumble upon some items that the local merchants will refuse to take off your hands. These items can fill up your satchel fast--giving you the impression that they may better placed in the dirt-but they may fetch a high price from a select set of merchants happy enough to buy them from you. To offload these items of dubious origins, you'll need to visit a Fence--essentially a black market dealer who sells and trades some of Red Dead Redemption 2's most valuable items.
In a variety of locations across the map--including Rhodes, Emerald Ranch, and Saint Denis--these merchants can be found in their own shops, tucked away from the popular areas of town. These Fences will also sell support items, throwable weapons, and recipes, and can also craft rare talismans and trinkets from Legendary Animal materials, which offer unique perks to Arthur's main cores. Moreover, there are also Fences that deal primarily in stolen wagons and horses, which also yield a solid cash return. So when you arrive to a new area, make sure you know where to find the local shady dealer.
Do A Barrel Roll
During combat, there may come a time where you need to get out of the line of fire fast. While aiming your weapon, press the action button (Square on PS4, or X on Xbox One) to perform an evasive dodge. Depending on which direction you hold the control stick while pressing, Arthur will dive or roll away from danger. While this can evoke some flashbacks to the Max Payne series' iconic gun battles, the dodge roll is purely an evasive maneuver--so no shooting while diving, unfortunately.
When Horses Attack
Red Dead Redemption 2 is essentially a Wild West Grand Theft Auto, but hijacking a new transport will take a bit more effort than simply pressing a button. The horses in Red Dead Redemption 2 can be very temperamental and get stirred up very easily--especially in the presence of predators in the wilderness. When approaching a new steed, you'll need to calm it down in order to safely get near it. Horses aren't afraid to defend themselves, and if you try approaching a wild mare or someone else's animal from its backside, it won't hesitate in readying a fierce kick to keep you at bay.
Your Guns, Your Style
The members of the Van der Linde gang are all capable gunslingers, and this is especially true of Arthur. With some impressive handling of all sorts of firearms, which includes pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, the main character isn't shy about showing off more of his particular style. While at a weapon shop, you can customize your weapons in a number of ways, including adding new barrels, paint work, wrapping--to decrease degradation--and even place some stylish decals on your firearms. Though some of these customization options won't offer any tactical advantage whatsoever, they can go a long way in helping you define your own take on Arthur and his legend. And if you really want to show off some flair after an intense gunfight, double tap the holster button (L1 on PS4, LB on Xbox One) to put your pistol away in style.
Relive The Glory Days
Much like the original Red Dead Redemption, the prequel features a number of main missions that will show off many exciting and emotional moments. But in Red Dead Redemption 2, you're given the ability to replay these pivotal moments and re-experience the game's most interesting encounters at any time. After the end of each mission, you'll receive a ranking on your performance based on how long it took and whether or not you completed the side objectives. If you feel you can do better, or if you just want to see a badass moment again, you can do redo the mission by going into the Progress sub-menu and selecting the Story option. You'll see your current place in the main plot, along with a listing of previously completed missions from each chapter, which can be replayed at your leisure.
Hunting The Best Game
Though the hunting gameplay in Red Dead Redemption 2 takes many cues from the original, it now requires a far more thoughtful and careful approach. In addition to the 178 animals featuring their own backgrounds and unique methods to take them down in a hunt, the wildlife comes in three different ranks--poor, good, and perfect. While you'll often get the basics from any animals regardless of quality, you'll need to ensure that you're hunting above average prey in order to get the best pelts possible. To see whether the animal you're hunting is worth the effort, make sure to study it at a distance first, which will give you clues on how best to hunt it. After doing so, you'll see a set of stars next to its name on the HUD. If you find yourself on the trail of an animal with only one star, you should look elsewhere in the area for something better.
A More Immersive Experience
If you're itching for a more personal Red Dead Redemption 2, you can adjust the game and its look to offer a more involved experience that will keep you on your toes. Along with the game's first-person view mode, which allows players to experience the entire game in this perspective, you'll also be able to customize aspects of the HUD and gameplay, stripping away most on-screen indicators and tweaking the controls to your liking. With no HUD, you'll have to pay attention to more details in the environment, as well as remember the clues that NPCs give you. Though if you still want to use an aid to get around, Rockstar has a companion app for Red Dead Redemption 2 to offer players additional help.
Takedown The Big Targets With Ease
When hunting, you may find some larger targets that are more difficult to get a bead on. If you're having a difficult time getting a clear shot or keeping your prey from moving, you can always try lassoing it up. Despite this going counter to stalking and hunting prey the old-fashioned way, it's still a surprisingly effective way to get a hold of your target. If you're able to get close enough it, you'll also be to use your hunting knife to give it a quick death, which counts as a clean kill. However, this is only effective on medium to larger sized animals, as smaller game will be able to slip out of the rope easily.
Showing Your True Colors
In Red Dead Redemption 2, every choice you make with Arthur feeds back into the game's overarching Honor system. Depending on the type of character you play, whether as a likeable outlaw or a ruthless gunslinger, you'll witness changes to Arthur's behavior and to the game's presentation. If you're of high honor, not only will you receive some discounts from stores, the tone of your journal entries will be more upbeat, and the style of killcams you'll get will be more in the style of old-school westerns. If you're a particularly decent fellow, and want to make some solid gains on the honor system, take a stroll down the street in a populated area of town and greet the locals. You'll quickly earn some positive vibes from the townsfolk.
However, if you find yourself playing more of a cutthroat, kill-cams will be more violent, your responses to NPCs will be more snide, characters will always be on the lookout for you, and the tone of your journal will be more cynical and off-putting. Each side has its own set of advantages, and it's all up to you in how you want others to view Arthur.
Look After Your Loot
As you're exploring the wilderness on your horse, it's all but inevitable that you'll take a nasty spill. While these brutal wipeouts can often be humorous, they can result in some serious consequences. In addition to causing harm to both Arthur and his mare, you'll also drop all items that placed on the back of your trusty steed--which temporarily holds pelts and small game. This won't be an issue that often, but there may be some cases where you'll crash out on a hill or in a rocky place, which will make it easy to lose track of those precious supplies. This can be especially devastating if you spent a great deal of time hunting animals, only to have lost the pelt and bodies when crashing head-first into a tree. So if you crash your horse, make sure to collect yourself and all your belongings before you ride off.
Taking In The Sights
Red Dead Redemption 2's cinematic camera mode can offer you the chance to view the sweeping vistas of the game's world in a different light. With a dynamic camera, you'll get to see Arthur and his crew ride across the landscape with some breathtaking sights in the backdrop. However, controlling the character during the cinematic mode can be somewhat problematic, thanks to the shifting camera. Thankfully, Rockstar included a subtle feature to make movement much easier in the cinematic mode. By holding down the X/A button in this special camera mode, Arthur and his horse will stick to the trail, automatically turning and making corners when needed. If you have a particular destination set on the map, either for a story mission or a waypoint, the game will guide Arthur to that location as well.
Prime Fishing Time
When taking up the fishing activity, there may be some cases where you won't get many bites. While it's important to make sure you're using the correct bait and lures for the location you're in, and that your fishing technique is correct, another factor to consider is the current time in the day. Depending on when you decide to head out, you'll see a different amount of activity in the lake, pond, or river. To get the best results during a fishing activity, try to stick with early morning and afternoon time in-game. Also, fishing during a rainstorm will increase the activity of the aquatic animals a bit further.
By Matt Espineli on Oct 26, 2018 02:20 pm
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a beautiful game that's jam-packed with some of the most stunning visuals seen in an open-world game so far. That's mostly thanks to its world, a wide-open frontier of the natural environment filled with trees, sprawling fields, and vast mountains in the distance. There's even a handful of small, yet dense urban towns found in-between these large spaces, each with their own distinct designs and a populace of intriguing citizens. Suffice to say, there's a wealth of sights to see in the game's world that you'll likely want to document. While the screenshot feature of your PS4 or Xbox One is a viable option to capture a moment, Red Dead Redemption 2 does provide you with your own personal camera. You're given the device early on and can pull it out at any time. During our time spent playing, we were constantly in awe of the gorgeous sights we got to see during our adventures across the frontier. In the slides ahead, you'll find all the pictures we've taken from both our in-game camera and our consoles, which includes shots of sweeping vistas, passing strangers, and moodily-lit nighttime moments by the campfire. Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for Xbox One and PS4; a PC version is rumored but not confirmed. For our full thoughts on how Rockstar's latest open-world adventure turned out, read our RDR 2 review. But if you've never played the original Red Dead Redemption and are curious if you're going to be able to jump into this sequel with no issues, read our feature answering that question. In terms of guides, check out our gallery offering some useful tips you should know. We've also got a money guide, as well as features discussing how morality works and how gun customization works. What impresses you the most about Red Dead Redemption 2's visuals? Don't hesitate to give a shout in the comments below.
By Matt Espineli on Oct 26, 2018 02:18 pm
You've got access to a great arsenal of weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2. There are all sorts of six-shooters, rifles, and shotguns to outfit yourself with that are appropriate to the game's western-theme. What's even cooler is how each gun in the game is accurate to the technology of the time, meaning you'll actually find a few semi-automatic weapons here and there. As you'd expect, you can purchase guns at weapon shops located in any of the game's towns. You can only carry a few on your person at first--one side-arm and two primary weapons. Eventually you'll grab an extra holster that allows you to carry an additional side-arm. Otherwise, any additional weapons you purchase will be stashed away in your horse's saddlebag. With so many weapons to discover in Red Dead Redemption 2, we've gathered together the best ones we've found so far. Included in the screenshots ahead are close-ups of each weapon, as well as some details on their statistics, which are broken down into Damage, Range, Fire Rate, Reload, Accuracy, and Condition. You'll notice in each screenshot that some meters are not fully filled in; this indicates a weapon's max potential when outfitted with additional gun parts. Be mindful that these meters can decrease over time with repeated use, so be sure to clean each of your weapons with gun oil to keep it in tiptop shape. You can find out more in our in-depth guide highlighting how gun customization works. Red Dead Redemption 2 is out on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. For our full thoughts on how Rockstar's latest open-world adventure turned out, read our RDR 2 review. Though, if you've never played the original Red Dead Redemption and are curious if you're going to be able to jump into this sequel with no problems, be sure to read our feature answering that question. On the guide front, check out our feature offering some handy beginner's tips you should know. In addition, check out our money guide, as well as as our feature with all the outfits we've found so far. Which weapons do you love using the most? And which are you striving to get your hands on? Let us know in the comments below.
Schofield Revolver
Double-Action Revolver
Carbine Repeater
Springfield Rifle
Lancaster Repeater
Rolling Block Rifle
Sawed-Off Shotgun
Lancaster Repeater
Repeating Shotgun
Carcano Rifle
Semi-Auto Shotgun
Cattleman Revolver
Litchfield Repeater
Pump-Action Shotgun
Varmint Rifle
Volcanic Pistol
Semi-Automatic Pistol
Mauser Pistol
Bolt-Action Rifle
By Alessandro Fillari on Oct 26, 2018 05:35 am
Welcome To West Virginia
Compared to earlier entries in the series, Fallout 76 is very different kind of game. It's the series' first online game, with a far more in-depth focus on survival and crafting. This new approach on the familiar post-apocalyptic RPG's mechanics will take some time getting used to--and players will be doing that together in a shared world. In the beta for Fallout 76 on Xbox One--with PC and PS4 coming next week--those who've pre-ordered will get an early chance to dive into Bethesda's experimental take on the Fallout experience, with all of their progress carried over into the final game. In this feature, we've come up with several tips and a short list of things to do during your first few hours exploring the ruins of West Virginia. As the earliest game in the Fallout timeline, set only 25 years after the bombs fell, the inhabitants of Vault 76 will explore a world that's still in disarray after the nuclear apocalypse. Though the setting of West Virginia was largely spared from the bombs, radiation and chaos have seeped into the valley, irreparably altering wildlife, and unearthing creatures that many thought to be legend. The first of Fallout 76's betas is now behind us, but Bethesda has already announced when the next test will take place. Expect plenty more between now and the full game's release date on November 14. We recently went hands-on with Fallout 76, and came away with a number of interesting observations. While the main hook is the focus on surviving a violent, irradiated world full of other players online, the familiar aspects of the Fallout experience are alive and well in 76--there are even some surprises for the eagle-eyed fans to uncover. With that, here's a quick survival guide to help you overcome the odds. For more info on Fallout 76, be sure to check out footage from the first 50 minutes of the game, and along with our chat with Pete Hines about the current state of the game, and what lies ahead.
Explore The Vault
Instead of being rushed out the Vault door like in other Fallout games, with hostile Vault-tec security or irradiated radroaches nipping at your heels, you're afforded the chance to calmly prepare yourself for the expedition on the surface. After creating your character and taking a quick photo of yourself for you nametag, you'll grab your new pip-boy and get to explore the vault at your leisure--and even interact with other players starting out as well.
Once you leave your room, be sure to examine every point of interest on your way up to the entrance. These stops will get you stocked up with new items and supplies, which includes a starting set of Perk Cards, purified water, and the all important C.A.M.P device--allowing you to build structures in the outside world. Around the Vault, you'll find various holotapes that tell you more about the residents of the bunker, which includes the vault Overseer who's gone missing. Once you're ready, make your way towards the exit of the Vault. Though rest assured, if at any time you want to return, the Vault's door will always be open to you--even allowing for fast travel at no cost.
Stick With The Beginning Story Missions
Once outside, you'll start the early missions of the main story. In an interesting approach that's different from past Fallout games, many of the tutorial segments take place in the open world. In a more trial-by-fire approach, you'll gradually learn more about the many systems at work while collecting a set of new weapons and supplies. Despite being given some basic survival items from the bunker, you're still an unprepared Vault Dweller in a new world, and you'll need to get new supplies fast in order to survive. Though you may have the urge to get started on your adventure and explore on your own, it's really in your best interest to take on the early missions in the main quest. Right outside the Vault door is a Mr. Gusty robot, who will let you know where to go next in your quest to find the Overseer. Within the first 10 minutes of stepping outside, you'll acquire new weapons, armor, and get used to the more nuanced mechanics in Fallout 76. This will go a long way in helping you get your feet wet in the open world, and you'll still come across many side events and opportunities to take on.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Building your character up from scratch is one of the hallmarks of the Fallout series, and 76 is no different. However, the early hours of Fallout 76 are not as generous as other games in the series, and it'll take time to gradually build up to the more familiar archetypes of previous games. But before you reach that point, you'll need to understand that you'll often have to work with what you have at your disposal--even if it's mostly scraps of items and word-down weapons that have seen better days. It's important for you to get out of your comfort zone and try out new methods and solutions for survival that you wouldn't normally take on in other games.
Rethink What Makes You SPECIAL
Given the more survivalist nature of Fallout 76, you'll have to be constantly on your toes and adapt to any situation that comes you way. The systems at work in-game allows for more flexibility, letting you refocus your character's strengths at anytime. Once you start leveling up, you'll be able to allocate SPECIAL points and gain new Perk Cards for your character. While all the SPECIAL points you invest are set in stone, the new perks you can set on your deck can be swapped out at any time. As you increase in power from leveling up and acquiring new gear, you'll be able to flesh out your character in more interesting ways. Players that often favor firearms and explosives may find themselves in a position where they'll have to double down on melee weapons and hacking, and many of the perks you find will offer up some interesting buffs to make builds that were made on the fly seem worthwhile.
Group Up
Just outside of Vault 76, you'll encounter other players who have also started their journey. While you're totally free to explore on your own and take on whatever challenges that come from being a lone wanderer in West Virginia, there are many benefits to exploring in a group. When in a group, you and your squad can communicate with each other through voice-chat--though only in short-range--which will allow you to coordinate quests and how you'll clear our some of the more challenging locations housing Scorched, Ghouls, and Super Mutants. Though this is totally doable on your own, getting a group can lessen the hassle and spare some precious resources that you would end up spending on your own.
Grouping up in a Fallout game is still a new concept, so it's better to get a feel for it sooner rather than later. To team up with others, walk over to another player and invite them into a party. If they accept the invite, you'll partner up instantly. Up to four people can work together, with each member getting their own share of the loot. However, if you want to splinter off from the group and do your own thing, you're free to do so. If you've put a lot of distance between you and your group and want to return to them, you can open up the map and fast travel to a party member, allowing you to great distances without much hassle.
Always Be Collecting
Scavenging for junk items and gear is a normal part of your journey in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. While the cheap desk fans, baseballs, and plastic cups may not seem so valuable, breaking them down to basic materials can lead to crafting new weapons, armor, and support items. The screws from a desk fan for instance can be used to craft higher-end weapon and armor upgrades your paltry starting weapons, which will help even the odds when things get tough. Moreover, items can be gathered from the game world itself, including downed tree logs, which offer wood. However, it's important not to get too greedy when exploring and junking all these items. With the deeper survival mechanics in place, every item you have in your inventory has a set weight. And with all those items added up, you'll likely find yourself overencumbered at the worst possible time. If you can't find a workbench to scrap items, you can always stay on the lookout for stash boxes, which are often located in residential areas, red rocket stations, or can be built with the C.A.M.P.. Despite this being an online game, you're not racing against others to scavenge the nearby ruins for junk. Every player will get their own haul of items, and you're never left empty handed after seeing another squad of vault dwellers rummage through a place.
Get Crafting and Stay Healthy
While there are plenty of supplies and new weapons to find in the field, these tools won't be in that great of a condition and you're much better off not leaving things to chance. The gear you create and modify with your own hands with the resources are what make the difference between surviving a shootout with Mole Miners or finding yourself face-first in the dirt.
Once you have those materials, it's best to start investing them into better items and supplies. Along with the weapon and armor workbenches, you'll need to utilize the cooking and chem stations to craft food, clean water, and healing items in order to stay healthy. While you certainly able to eat whatever stale food or use worn down weapons and armor, it all has to be done with caution. Poor weapons will breakdown fast, and dirty water and rotten food can lead to diseases and sickness for your characters--including the particularly nasty case of Radworms.
Take In The Sights
Starting out in the Western portion of the map, set in the Appalachian region, you're in a prime spot to branch out into the other parts of the West Virginian wilderness. Your map is one of the most valuable resources you have, which highlights many of the major attractions in the area--akin to an amusement park guide. But in between those major points of interests, there are many different areas that house valuable loot, interesting story details, and some usual monsters to fight. Moreover, you'll often find events and side-missions while exploring, which can open up some interesting diversions. While the entire map is free to explore at the beginning, it would be best not to branch out too far into other regions. Here are some interesting locations that you can explore in the early hours of Fallout 76, all located in reasonable distance from the Vault - Top of the World Ski Lodge: Located in the center of the map on top of a mountain, making it one of the highest spots in game. Resembling an old-school, gimmicky resort, this ski-lodge now houses bloatflies and Super Mutants. When exploring this site, you'll also be able to find one of the game's more unusual melee weapons known as the Ski Sword. - The Greenbrier Resort: Found just south of the ski lodge, this resort is an extremely ritzy location that feels more like a time capsule than a ruin. With an army of Protectrons maintaining the grounds and keeping nasty foes out, the resort is in surprisingly good condition having survived more than twenty years of no activity. While exploring the inside, you will find mobs feral ghouls, all of whom have kept their attachment to the posh lifestyle of their past lives. - Horizon's Rest: Located just west of the Top of the World ski lodge, this ruined plane has been converted into a multi-level living quarters for survivors. However, the owners have since abandoned it, leaving behind an armory filled with weapons, ammo, and armor for anyone who's able to find the clues to unlock it.
Challenge Another Player
Once you reach level 5, Fallout 76's player vs player gameplay will open up. Despite every character coming from the same Vault, where they shared safety and comfort from the outside elements, all previous friendships formed in the bunker are tossed by the wayside. While you're not committed to taking part in PVP, you may come across a relentless player who's got their eye on you. When another person attacks you, they will only deal chip damage to your character--a small fraction of their actual attack power. However, it does add up over time, and they can kill you if you've lost enough health--or if they just happen to catch you after a nasty scrape with some monsters. If this happens, you have several options at your disposal; you can fast-travel away from them, block them, or even try to engage them in a fight. The later option can go a number of different ways, especially if you're up against a stronger player, but it lead to interesting results--the winner takes any junk items that their opponent had upon their defeat. Since this is a first for the series, you may want to try out player combat as early as you can to get a feel for it. While you can usually avoid PVP, there may come a situation where dueling could work out for you, especially if they're an underleveled annoyance. However, it's usually in your best interest to keep fights clean. If you ambush others and take them out with chip damage--with the other player not fighting back--you'll be marked as a murderer and left with a large target on your back for others to see.
Take Your Time
To put it bluntly, Fallout 76 features the largest map of the series--there is no way you'll experience many of the game's more defining events during the early hours. With so much ground to cover, it's a good thing to take your time and soak up all the details during the beginning of your journey. While many players will be eager to dive into the questline dealing with the nukes, which Bethesda have been teasing since the game's reveal, this is an event that will take several hours to work up to. Moreover, many of these quests will require high-end gear, such as power armor and high end, as it puts you face to face with some of the game's most dangerous monsters, including 76's new elite foe known as the Scorchbeast. Once you've amassed an arsenal of weapons, supplies, and strengthened your character to a point where you can handle many of the tougher challenges, you'll be able to venture out into West Virginia's more notorious areas, which includes the Savage Divide and The Mire. But you're better off taking things slow, and enjoying yourself until that time comes.
By Kallie Plagge on Oct 26, 2018 05:24 am
Top Tier
PC gaming has been around for decades, but as technology grows, so too do the possibilities! Many, many games come out on PC--especially Steam--at a pretty fast pace, so it can be hard to know what to play. There's also a wide variety of genres to keep track of, plus all those games you buy during the Steam sale. To help you out, we went back a few years and rounded up the best PC-exclusive games. For this feature, we included some (but not all) of the PC games that received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot, with priority going to games that were nominated for awards at the end of their release years. To narrow the scope further, we only picked games that released in 2013 or later--sorry, CS:GO. Many of the games on this list are relatively new, including Frostpunk, Into the Breach, and Divinity: Original Sin II, and a lot of them are among the best released on the platform. You can spend tons of hours in classic CRPG-style games or immerse yourself in more narrative-driven indie adventure games. Suffice it to say, there's plenty of high-quality options available to you. What PC games from 2013 onward do you love the most? Let us know in the comments below. And for more PC recommendations, be sure to check out our new show, Steam Punks, where we pick out a few hidden gems on Steam for you to try each week. You can also see our list of the biggest PC games to play in 2018 for more of what's to come.
Return of the Obra Dinn -- 9/10
"Plenty of games promise to make you feel like a detective only to have you checking boxes, but here it's different. Return of the Obra Dinn gives you all the tools you'll need to solve its puzzles--the book interface is a masterpiece of connected design--and then trusts that you'll be capable of arriving at the correct answers by yourself. But it's more than that. Your magical pocket watch and its time-traveling, corpse-identifying mechanic offers far more than just an exceptionally clever puzzle game--as if that wasn't already enough. It also delivers a wonderfully evocative method of storytelling as you gain glimpses into the lives of each person on board at vital moments along the Obra Dinn's journey and piece together who they were, what they had to deal, what motivated them, and how they responded when tragedy struck. You may only see them in scratchy monochrome stills and hear them in brief snatches of urgent conversation, if at all, but if you're paying attention then you should feel like you know (almost) every one of these sixty people intimately by the end of the game." [read the full review] -- David Wildgoose
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales -- 8/10
"Don't be tricked into thinking Thronebreaker is simply a lengthy tutorial for what is to come when Gwent opens its multiplayer. Its tale is mandatory if you're looking for more Witcher lore to chew on and manages to engage you with a strong cast of well-written characters and a suitably dark plot that challenges your morals every chance it can. Thronebreaker interweaves Gwent into its story in smart ways that keep it from feeling like an intrusive method for resolving combat situations, helping you learn its intricate systems while engaging in unique quests and rulesets. Gwent was a side attraction in The Witcher 3, but through Thronebreaker, it's blossomed into something new that stands on its own as a proud member of the Witcher family." [Read the review] -- Alessandro Barbosa
Frozen Synapse 2 -- 8/10
"It's hard not to be drawn in by Frozen Synapse 2's style, but it's even harder to pull away once the game's combat gets its hooks in you. While the single-player mode ambles through both high and low points, the multiplayer remains a steadfastly enjoyable experience. The anticipation as squads approach in preparation for battle is both thrilling and nerve-wracking, and the ability to switch between multiplayer games on the fly makes tracking multiple games elegantly simple. Technical hiccups aside, Frozen Synapse 2's incredible style and strong tactical combat make it wonderfully gratifying." [read the full review] -- James Swinbanks
Two Point Hospital -- 8/10
"It's remarkable that it's taken so long for a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital to show up, but now that it's here, it feels like it's been well worth the wait. The exaggerated, cartoon look and relaxed approach to management make it inviting enough for most players, while the deeper aspects of its economy are enough to keep seasoned players engaged. Two Point Hospital not only re-works an old formula into something modern and enjoyable, it also iterates on the classic brand of irresistible charm and wit, making something that's truly wonderful." [Read the review] -- James Swinbanks
Unavowed -- 9/10
"Unavowed's greatest strength is that it maintains an admirable focus on incredible characterization that feeds into every quest and conversation. Every question you ask, every decision you make, and every sacrifice you make carries you and your team members on an impassioned journey that epitomizes the best qualities of an adventure game. It never rests on tropes, a strong sense of empathy is present through its entirety, and not only do you come to wholly understand character motivations, the way these people deal with supernatural situations helps to build a bond between them and you as a player. From its wonderfully realized locations and its inviting, three-dimensional characters, Unavowed will have you eager to discover the captivating stories lurking in the demonic underworld of New York City." [read the full review] -- David Rayfield
Battletech -- 8/10
"Battletech is a game that selfishly takes its time to be meticulous in every respect, and pushing through the density and idiosyncrasies of its many, slow-moving parts can be tough. But if you have the will to decipher it, albeit, at a deliberate and punishingly plodding pace, you can find yourself completely engrossed in its kinetic clashes. Battletech's intricate components ultimately foster a fascinating wealth of nuanced systems that build a uniquely strenuous, detailed, and thoroughly rewarding tactical strategy game." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Total War: Thrones of Britannia -- 8/10
"Thrones of Britannia is an exciting experience despite the cuts to integral components of the Total War series, such as city planning hinging on military needs, specific building customization, and expanded intrigue options. But this has given Creative Assembly room to focus on enhancing parts of the strategy experience that aren't quite as impenetrable to newcomers, and to allow the series to return to some of the beloved parts of previous historical games to balance out its newer, slimmer form. While there are minor issues with AI, and pacing suffers when you've comfortably gotten the upper hand, this is still a worthy and engaging contribution to the Total War stable that has successfully taken its cues from history's winners and losers alike." [read the full review] -- Ginny Woo
Far: Lone Sails -- 8/10
"Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend." [read the full review] -- James O'Connor
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire -- 8/10
"Deadfire is dense, and it isn't a small game, easily dwarfing its predecessor in terms of scale. There's a lot to do, and it's easier than ever to get lost in the little stories you find, without following the arcs that the game has specially set out for you. Still, it's worth taking your time. The richness of Deadfire takes a while to appreciate, and like the brined sailors that call it home, you'll be left with an indelible attachment to these islands when you do finally step away." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Frostpunk -- 9/10
"Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date. Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
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, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Divinity: Original Sin II -- 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. Its immaculately conceived and emotion-wrought fantasy world, topped by brilliant tactical combat, make it one of the finest games of the year thus far, and it has to be regarded as an instant classic in the pantheon of RPG greats." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd Note: Divinity: Original Sin II is coming to PS4 and Xbox One in August.
Total War: Warhammer II -- 9/10
"With Warhammer II, Total War doesn't reinvent anything so much as it iterates on the ideas that made the first so special. At its heart there's still the marriage of Total War's big-scale strategy and Warhammer's precise tactical play. But, through a thousand tiny tweaks, they've refined the experience into one of the most intriguing and exciting strategy games ever." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
The Red Strings Club -- 9/10
"From the game's opening piano chords, The Red String Club's futuristic exploration of themes regarding human emotion, strong writing, and exciting situations create an experience that is deeply gratifying. The cast of relatable, three-dimensional characters elevate the stakes of every bullet fired, secret divulged and cocktail poured. They are flawed and dangerous, but also convey admirable human characteristics that feel inspirational. The Red Strings Club is a tense adventure about a cast of characters that endanger themselves for goals that aren't necessarily guaranteed, a rewarding journey into the human soul, and a game that pushes the limits of what a point-and-click adventure can do." [read the full review] -- David Rayfield
Civilization VI -- 9/10
"Civ 6 has a few rough edges, but they're pushed far into the periphery by spectacular strategic depth and intricate interlocking nuances. Any frustrations I experienced were immediately eclipsed by my desire to continue playing. Just one more turn, every turn, forever." [read the full review] -- Scott Butterworth Note: Civilization VI's latest expansion, Rise and Fall, received an 8/10 on GameSpot and adds "several key features that both complement and change up the base game." You can read our full review for more.
Endless Space 2 -- 8/10
"4X space sims have long been known as the territory of the serious strategy gamer, but Amplitude has broken away from the pack here. Outstanding depth and tactical challenge have been preserved, although not at the expense of the strong storytelling needed to emphasize the sense of awe and wonder in galactic exploration that's always been a huge part of the genre's appeal. Amplitude has done a masterful job combining these two elements into a single game, where the quests and strategy and politics and economy are all tied into a whole much greater than the sum of its parts." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III -- 8/10
"An odd chimera of its forebears, there's a lot in this fast-paced RTS that's a little bit off. Parts of the interface don't work sometimes, inter-match army management is half-baked, and the micromanagement needed to use the game's signature hero units effectively doesn't jibe with the extensive base-building you'll need to support them. But those problems fall away when you're in the heat of battle. Dawn of War III builds and maintains an organic tension that yields huge pay-offs, and there's nothing else quite like it." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Hacknet - Labyrinths -- 8/10
"The feeling of playing Hacknet in a dark room with headphones on and being absorbed by its engrossing puzzles and soundtrack--full of heavy beats and filthy synth sounds--feels as close as you can get to the Hollywood hacker experience. The puzzles are uniquely challenging without feeling inaccessible, and the Labyrinths expansion takes the formula further by integrating deeper investigations and adding more puzzle variety. Despite the stumbling climax and steady learning curve, Hacknet - Labyrinths is one hell of a ride that leads you down the rabbit hole and back again." [read the full review] -- James Swinbanks
Orwell -- 8/10
"Orwell is a hard experience to pull back from, even as the dirtiness of your job sinks in. It uses simple mechanics to tell a complex and engaging story, one that feels particularly relevant right now. This is a game where your choices matter and resonate, and which will leave you with plenty to think about once it's over." [read the full review] -- James O'Connor
World of Warcraft: Legion -- 9/10
"With Legion, it's hard to remember when WoW's narrative and questing were ever this strong before. Time will tell if Blizzard will serve up a healthy dose of new content to keep the expansion and game alive (a la Mists or Lich King) or if it will suffer the fate of Warlords of Draenor, but right now (about a month after the expansion's release) Blizzard has proven it can still craft an MMO experience as well as--if not better--than anyone else." [read the full review] -- Don Saas
Quadrilateral Cowboy -- 9/10
"Quadrilateral Cowboy succeeds in astonishing ways: It makes you feel like an incredibly accomplished computer hacker and agent of espionage. It creates an eccentric, thorough world that feels good to exist in and creates characters you can empathise with, despite the lack of a clear plot thread. Quadrilateral Cowboy presents you with a spectrum of moments, and each moment makes you feel great." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Total War: Warhammer -- 9/10
"When you're in the middle of a siege and you're coordinating an assault with a friend, Total War: Warhammer approaches perfection. You'll be tested on all fronts and asked to manage complex battles with broad, nuanced outcomes. Every system and piece feeds into others, and your choices make all the difference. It's a triumph of real-time strategy design, and the best the Total War series has ever been." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Offworld Trading Company -- 9/10
"It's a bit chilling to think that in Offworld you're playing out the same obsessive pursuit of capitalism that led to the fall of its finctional Earth--an event hinted at in tutorial dialogue--yet it's so recklessly entertaining and biting with its satire that I couldn't help but get lost. When combined with truly deep and intricate strategic options, Offworld is a revelation. It's almost unparalleled in the genre. Each and every game is thrilling. Every moment is a challenge. And the brutality of the free market ensures that you can never rest on your laurels, less you be quashed by the invisible hand." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
Devil Daggers -- 8/10
"Most of the time, Devil Daggers finds elegance in its simplicity. By stripping the pomp of many modern shooters, it reveals the complexity beneath, molding the fundamentals into something exhilarating, something always worth one more try." [read the full review] -- Mike Mahardy, Video Producer
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak -- 9/10
"Homeworld was always about loneliness. It was always about clarity and focus. Kharak isn't new in that regard, but it is special. It shows us that when you get things right--and excel--that formula isn't easy to exhaust. Kharak does its part to add to that, though. Its use of voice acting and efficient visuals is a brilliant addition that's far from superficial. It helps narrow the scope of what you need to manage, so that it can load you up with as much as your brain can handle. It's a fast, daunting experience that's tough to shake, making Kharak as intoxicating as Homeworld has ever been." [read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey
That Dragon, Cancer -- 9/10
"It's virtually impossible to not bring one's own biases into That Dragon, Cancer, because death and disease are universal. Just as it's impossible to quantify whether the exploration of those two heavy topics is worth the time and considerable emotional energy, it's impossible to truly quantify the immeasurable value of being able to not just forever present the best version of a person to the world, but being able to earn his presence in every way his parents did." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
The Beginner's Guide -- 8/10
"The Beginner's Guide is an absorbing journey into the thoughts and processes involved during the creation of a video game. It succeeds in helping you understand and sympathize with game developers as artists and people. It equips you with important tools to perceive and think about both video games and other mediums in intelligent ways. It's a game that lives up to its namesake--it's the beginner's guide to the meaning of video games." [read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer
Her Story -- 8/10
"We have an intimate level of knowledge about this woman in the wake of her own personal tragedy, and the strength of Her Story as a narrative experience is that even as the right clips put the truth in sharp relief, your ability to uncover it is both satisfying and horrifying. This feat of intelligence and insight sticks with you long after the credits roll." [read the full review] -- Justin Clark
Interloper -- 8/10
"Interloper distills the core elements of every good RTS and adds a little extra to put it over the top. No matter if you love or loathe traditional real-time strategy, the deep tactics and puzzle solving crammed into a nicely condensed package here come highly recommended." [read the full review] -- Brett Todd
The Stanley Parable -- 9/10
"The Stanley Parable is both a richly stimulating commentary on the nature of choice in games (and in other systems, too, like our workplaces and our families) and a game that offers some of the most enjoyable, surprising, and rewarding choices I've ever been confronted with in a game. Going the wrong way has never felt so right." [read the full review] -- Carolyn Petit
Arma 3 -- 8/10
"ARMA III is a game with few modern counterparts. The influence of Operation Flashpoint isn't felt in many current games, even the modern OF, leaving the ARMA series to lead a charge accompanied by Red Orchestra, Iron Front, and too few others. With that uniqueness comes a dedicated community willing to overlook the flaws because they crave a kind of tension and large-scale teamwork unavailable anywhere else. You should consider joining that crowd. ARMA III is a beast. It occasionally flails and moans, but once you learn how to balance yourself upon it, it gives you a marvelous, turbulent, and memorable ride." [read the full review] -- Kevin VanOrd
Dota 2 -- 9/10
"The original Dota was an unexpectedly powerful blend of clashing genres and disparate elements that ended up taking over the world, and Valve's successor retains the original rules and characters while adding in a cheery free-to-play model and slick production values. The experience of playing Dota changes day by day--some evenings will be exhilarating, while others will kick your morale to the curb--but there are few games as worthy of your time investment as this. Those who choose to commit to Dota 2 will find many happy hours within this immaculate update." [read the full review] -- Martin Gaston
Antichamber -- 8.5/10
"There are moments in Antichamber that remain with you long after you've uncovered your last clue and solved your last puzzle. What has been created within its barren walls is supremely intelligent and wildly inventive, and Antichamber doesn't give up its ideals for the sake of accessibility. The few spells of frustration are fleeting and never compromise Antichamber's powerful achievements in design and style. 'Every journey is a series of choices,' you're told at the beginning of your adventure. You should choose to begin yours in Antichamber: it really is quite unlike anything else." [read the full review] -- Mark Walton
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