Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's new trailer prominently features six alternate versions of the Spider-Men/Spider-Women that make up the vast web of the Spider-Verse. However, there are brief snippets of other notable Spidey timelines and stories, including an Easter egg to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man.
If you pause the trailer at 1:39, you'll see display cases for certain spider suits in the background. Over Aunt May's shoulder, you'll spy the Advanced Suit that Peter Parker wears in Marvel's Spider-Man, marked with its trademark white spider design. It comes as no huge surprise to see a reference to Marvel's Spider-Man in the upcoming Into the Spider-Verse movie, as Insomniac's Spider-Man--confirmed to be a part of Earth 1048--is recruited by Superior Spider-Man to participate in Spider-Verse's sequel story, Spider-Geddon.
Into the Spider-Verse's previous trailer already showcased one of the Peter Parkers (probably Earth 616, but it hasn't been confirmed) as well as Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man from Earth 1610, and Gwen Stacy's Spider-Ghost, the Spider-Woman of Earth-65. This new trailer introduced three more spiders: Earth-14512's SP//dr, Earth-90214's Spider-Man Noir, and Earth-8311's Spider-Ham.
SP//dr is the superhero codename for Peni Parker, a nine-year-old girl who lets a radioactive spider bite her so she can bond with a spider-like mech suit her deceased father used to pilot, a responsibility her Uncle Ben and Aunt May inform her that only she can do. Spider-Man Noir is another Peter Parker, but from an alternate universe where the present day is 1933 during the Great Depression. Spider-Ham is the alias of Peter Porker, a spider who's bitten by his adoptive Aunt May Porker, a pig, after she's accidentally irradiated. He transforms into a pig as well, but discovers he retains all the abilities he had as a spider.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales meeting several of the spiders from alternative dimensions, including Peter Parker who offers to train the fledgling Spider-Man. The web-slingers of the Spider-Verse must band together to stop their clashing dimensions from destroying Miles' reality, as well as return the members of their respective rogues gallery to the correct universes. The movie debuts in U.S. theaters on December 14.
The follow-up to Rockstar Games' classic western game Red Dead Redemption is fast approaching. Set 12 years before the events of the original game, Red Dead Redemption 2 will explore an expansive region of the American wilderness, with Dutch Van der Linde's gang on the run from lawmen during the last years of the wild west. Experiencing Rockstar's take on the open-world western from a new perspective, you'll uncover the history of the Van Der Linde gang, which has a young John Marston in its thralls.
We got the opportunity to play Red Dead Redemption 2, and suffice to say, it's shaping up to be one of the most detailed open world games we've ever played. You can find out more in our preview below where you can read about our experiences completing story missions and exploring the game's world. There's also plenty of details below on the game's narrative and all of its trailers. With its release date of October 26 approaching, we've learned a lot more about the base game, as well as the first details about its Red Dead Online mode coming in November.
Set 12 years before the main events of the original game, the prequel focuses on the outlaw life of the Van der Linde gang, led by Red Dead Redemption's main antagonists. After a robbery in Blackwater (one of the original game's major towns) goes bad--the gang finds themselves on the run. Dutch, his right-hand man Arthur Morgan, and several members of the gang have to contend with a life on-the-run while confrontations with rival gangs and the law make their situation grow more desperate.
Rockstar also released a description of the plot:
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
The First Reveal
Debuting on October 20, 2016, the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 was a bit of a mood piece that showcased many locales in the game, while also portraying the somber tone of the main narrative. In this trailer, we saw several towns and locales, many of which are teeming with life and activity--such as ranchers rustling up some cattle, huntsmen bringing back their haul, and a group of citizens hanging out in the general store.
Who Are You Playing As?
Though the central character of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston, plays some role in the story--the main protagonist of the prequel is Arthur Morgan. As Dutch's right-hand man and enforcer for the gang, he'll handle much of the daily duties of keeping the gang in-check--which includes a young and less-experienced John Marston. When it comes to keeping the gang and its community afloat, Morgan is quite handy with picking up various jobs to ensure everyone is well fed and in good spirits. But as the story progresses, he'll begin to question his own resolve for Dutch's way of life, and whether he still has a place in the gang.
The Second Trailer
On September 28, 2017, the second trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 debuted. In the new footage, we got to see more of Arthur Morgan and how ruthless he can be while on the job. During some of the story cutscenes, Morgan will use coercion and physical threats to collect money and information, all for the "benefit" of the community. For more info on this particular trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
Who's In Dutch's Gang?
In Red Dead Redemption 2, we'll see Dutch's gang and its key players in their prime. While the original game had John hunt down and kill the remaining members of the gang, we'll see many of the familiar faces in relatively happier times. From the most recent trailer, we see Dutch Van der Linde, Arthur Morgan, Bill Williamson, Javier Esquela, Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, Micah Bell, Hosea Matthews, and of course John Marston in the roster. We'll also interact with other characters who would have a key role in the gang and in the lives of both Arthur Morgan and John Marston.
The Third Trailer
In the new footage released on May 2, we saw a deeper look into the game's narrative and how the gang functions. Along with the familiar activities like hunting, heists, and side-quests with the region's citizens, rob trains and banks, and take in shows at theaters. For the most part, the trailer focuses on the many connections you'll have with the members of the gang, as well as how your choices will affect them. For more info on the third trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
First Gameplay Trailer
On August 9, Rockstar unveiled Red Dead Redemption 2's first gameplay trailer. The new footage revealed that the core mechanics from the original game were still intact, but almost everything had received a facelift. Wildlife is smarter and lives within its own ecosystem. Arthur Morgan can interact with the people around him in ways John Marston never could.
Second Gameplay Trailer
On October 2, Rockstar finally showcased the second round of gameplay footage it promised. It dives more deeply into the game's side-activities, as well as the nature of the world and its varying systems. In addition, there's an in-depth look at how the sequel's dead eye system works.
What's New In Red Dead Redemption 2?
While the sequel is largely in the same vein as its predecessor, focusing on exploration, hunting, shoot-outs, heists, and other side-activities where you'll interact with a number of unique characters--Red Dead Redemption 2 features a far more expansive world to dive into. There are a ton of new mechanics in Red Dead Redemption 2. Below you can find a bulleted list of many of the new features in the game, but for all the details on everything new, check out our comprehensive list of all the new features we've discovered so far.
You can play the whole game in first-person
You can disable the HUD
A new cinematic camera is utilized during missions where you're traveling across the world during missions
You can inspect nearly all items in the world
Your weapons are always visible on your person
There's a killcam that changes depending on your honor
You can break enemy weapons
Dead Eye has five levels now
Your guns can degrade and jam
You need to maintain and clean Arthur or else you'll get dirty and disgust people around you
You can gain and lose weight
How It Plays: Our In-Depth Preview
We recently got a hands-on with a near final-build of Red Dead Redemption 2. It plays much like its predecessor, but with a bevy of new features and systems that enhance its storytelling, combat, and overall progression. We got to experience two story missions, as well as a chance to goof around freely in the open world. There's a lot to unpack about how the upcoming sequel looks and feels, so be sure to read our in-depth preview detailing our impressions about how it plays.
How Will Online Multiplayer Work?
Currently, Rockstar hasn't shared any info on how the online play will function. The original Red Dead Redemption featured online free-for-all and team deathmatch style gameplay in the open world, along with several co-op themed missions. While it's safe to assume that these sorts of missions will return, another long-lingering rumor is the appearance of a battle royale mode. Rockstar has recently confirmed that a public beta for the online mode is scheduled for a month after the game's launch.
How Can I Play RDR2? When Is Its Release Date?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set for release on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. There are also plans for a collector's edition of the game called the Special Edition. Priced at $80, the package includes a copy of the game along with special missions, weapons and a physical map of the game world for players to own. There are also two additional packs for Red Dead Redemption 2 for premium prices, The Ultimate Edition and The Collector's Box--both priced at $100. While The Ultimate Edition has all items from the special edition--including additional DLC items to acquire--The Collector's Box does not include any digital items. Instead, it offers special playing cards, artwork, a bandit's bandana, a physical map of the game world, and a collector's coin in the set.
It's worth noting that the PS4 version will have special content that's exclusive to that version for 30 days. There is still no word as to what the PlayStation-exclusive content is, but now we know it's for Red Dead Online and that Xbox One owners will have to wait to check it out.
Though the original Red Dead Redemption never found its way to the PC, there's been some rumors that its sequel might. A mention of Red Dead Redemption 2's appearance on PC found its way online, but it has since been scrubbed.
PS4 Pro Bundle
Although the system itself doesn't sport a unique design, there will be a Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Pro bundle. Priced at $400 in the US, you're essentially getting a copy of the game for free. However, this doesn't include any of the aforementioned special editions; it's just a standard edition version of the game. The bundle is available for pre-order now.
Although nothing is planned for Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft is once more exploring the possibility of adding multiplayer to the series. After 2010, several of the mainline Assassin's Creed games supported some form of a multiplayer mode, but the feature was cut after 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.
In an interview with Game Informer, Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoet said, "We have many technologies, so it's case by case, but Assassin's Creed has no multiplayer mode, and that is very important for the social aspect of gaming, so we are looking for that."
Hascoet didn't share what form Assassin's Creed's future multiplayer might take, but he doesn't want to just copy what others are doing. "Now, everybody is talking about battle royale, but we think there are 15 different companies making those games, and like mobile, only two will be successful," Hascoet said. "Many will be killed along the way; I don't know which ones will survive. I am working with my team on what's next. It's important to understand why games like Fortnite are so successful, but it's not so we can copy it. It's to do something else, but with the same disruptive approach. So, we have plenty of ideas. We are testing a lot of ideas internally, and maybe only one will go to market. "
In Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Revelations, III, and IV: Black Flag, Ubisoft implemented a multiplayer mode where you had to disguise yourself as an NPC while also trying to hunt down and kill other players. In Assassin's Creed Unity, Ubisoft changed multiplayer to be less competitive and more cooperative. You and up to three other players could tackle different side stories with your own custom Assassins, and also take on much larger Heists where completing the mission objective without being spotted would net your team massive in-game monetary rewards. Ubisoft cut multiplayer from Assassin's Creed Rogue, Syndicate, and Origins, and there are currently no plans to implement any multiplayer features in Odyssey.
Odyssey will be the last Assassin's Creed game for a while, as Ubisoft is not releasing another entry in the franchise in 2019. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of the largest games in the series to date, and we're loving it. In our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, editor Alessandro Fillari gave the game an 8/10, writing, "While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting."
Ever since the reveal, it's been difficult to get a sense of what Fallout 76 is all about. While the concept of an online Fallout experience is enticing, it also comes into conflict with the series' typical brand of role-playing. Though Fallout 76 does lessen those traditionally single-player details to a noticeable degree, it offers up an alluring opportunity to explore uncharted, irradiated territory with others.
With the pivot to multiplayer, Fallout 76 focuses a lot more on exploration and survival in West Virginia's Appalachia, with all its regional oddities and newfound horrors coming in large doses. Recently, we played three hours of the game ahead of the game's upcoming October beta, and spoke with developers from Bethesda Game Studios about the particular challenges of making a different kind of Fallout.
During the first hour, I got my bearings by taking a tour around the immediate area, even joining a group to take in all the sights. Fallout 76 has the familiar RPG mechanics and sense of exploration that the series is known for, but it also has more of an amusement park vibe--with several key attractions and locales clearly highlighted on the map, such as The Greenbrier Resort and the Top of the World ski-slope. While exploring Fallout's take on West Virginia, which is several times larger than the Commonwealth of Fallout 4, I got the feeling that I was sort of experiencing the greatest hits of all things Fallout. First came the familiar weapons and armor found from previous games, then came the feral ghouls, the Super Mutants, and references to the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave.
Still, the new location in West Virginia feels totally different from Fallout 4's Capital Wasteland and the Mojave from New Vegas, which quickly introduces its own brand of locales and strange monsters that reside there. Along with weird monsters like enlarged ticks, three-headed possums, and even Mole Men, there are other monsters that reference West Virginian urban legends. This includes the headless, hulking Grafton Monster and the enigmatic Mothman, the latter of which is revered by the hostile cabal of Scorched, heavily irradiated humans who eventually evolve into ghouls of sound mind.
For the most part, combat and general movement handle similarly to Fallout 4. However, the new mechanics and survival systems at play felt somewhat overwhelming to get a handle during our introduction. In 76, much of the tutorial happens in a trial by fire scenario in the open world, where you'll have to follow the early moments of the quests closely in order to learn the new mechanics, all while fighting off enemies and scavenging resources. While I appreciated the quick pace at which players are whisked out of the vault, picking up some meager supplies along the way, I felt that the on-boarding process could be a bit more detailed--it made me feel mostly unprepared as I was scrambling to find any weapon I could get my hands on.
With the new online focus, some returning mechanics have seen some changes. For instance, Fallout's iconic V.A.T.S.--allowing you to target enemies and fire off precisely-aimed shots--now operates in real-time. It acts more like a real-time lock-on--with your weapon's hit-rate adjusting depending on the enemy's movement or their surroundings. This style of V.A.T.S. definitely took some getting used to. Mostly to the fact that enemies move around often, and combined with the awkward focus of the V.A.T.S. camera, it was jarring to actually use it during a fight. Because of this, I mostly stuck with standard aiming and shooting, which felt more reliable during engagements. While you can upgrade V.A.T.S. with perks to make it more effective, it feels more like an option that should be used sparingly.
Fallout 76's survival mechanics take many cues from Fallout 4's more challenging Survival mode. In addition to keeping your character well fed on a regular basis, you'll also have to avoid ailments and diseases--such as contracting the oddly named but still troubling Rad Worms. Some enemies and locations even carry specific diseases, which create added risks to watch out for when exploring. These illnesses range from diseases that sap your maximum health, action points, and the general damage resistances for your character, to even increasing your susceptibility to radiation.
With a large emphasis on survival, nearly every item and resource you can get your hands on feels much more valuable. Nothing really lasts too long in Fallout 76--even the buffs from Bobbleheads and skill magazines only last a short time--so every tool you have will inevitably be discarded for something new. As you're scavenging through the open world, you'll find junk items, scraps, and crafting plans that can be turned into new gear and building materials for your constructions. Some of these materials can create bizarre weapons like the Heated Pitchfork or Ski-Sword--a single ski sharpened to form a blade. But over time, weapons and armor will eventually need to be repaired or broken down into materials for other items. Moreover, cooking and chem stations now have a greater importance, allowing you to prepare meals and craft support items.
Character growth is still the core part of Fallout 76, and it offers an impressive amount of variety and flexibility. After leveling up, you can place points into the familiar categories of the SPECIAL system, each of which boost areas of your character's raw stats. Eventually, you'll acquire a pack of Perk Cards that can offer special buffs in their assigned categories. For example, the Gladiator perk card is a Strength card which increases damage with melee weapons, while Lead Belly can decrease the radiation from drinking contaminated water. The more points you have in a category, the more Perk Cards you can potentially slot in, giving you a whole suite of added buffs. At any time, you can swap out your set of Perk Cards to readjust your character, to better prepare for different challenges.
In keeping with the game's focus on pioneering, the building mechanics from Fallout 4 also return. Now known as the C.A.M.P. system, you have in your possession a mobile construction device that allows you create a building at any time--provided that it doesn't overlap with existing structures. You have free rein to construct whatever you like, whether that be subtle safe-houses for you to stash supplies, or even larger mega-structures that house turrets and a dedicated place to relax. If you ever want to pack up and move elsewhere, you can save your structure as a blueprint and dismantle it. This can come in handy if your chosen spot becomes too popular with other players.
The biggest point of contention with Fallout 76's online nature is its lack of NPCs and slimmed down story, now serve to highlight the focus on moment-to-moment engagements with enemies and other players. This lack of traditional interactions and storytelling felt more noticeable the deeper we dove into the world. While you're certainly free to play solo and avoid other players--and we definitely took the opportunity to strike out on our own, leading to those familiar moments of solitude and wanderlust, you'll always be a potential target within the online world.
Having said that, I couldn't help but feel intrigued by the re-focus here. Lore and smaller doses of story are still in surprisingly ample supply, but told passively through the environment and journals scattered about. While there are no active NPC characters to find--with exception to roaming robots that can offer trades and intel--you'll eventually stumble across the bodies of long-dead survivors who have had a notable presence in the world. In their possession are special holotapes known Survivor Stories, detailing the last moments of their lives in the irradiated wilderness.
These stories told some interesting tales for the characters in Appalachia, which had some poignant and heartfelt moments to them--which was reassuring given the fragmented nature of the storytelling in 76. Speaking with design director Emil Paglliarulo, he elaborated on their refocus to make Fallout more about engaging with others players.
"We started off with the premise where the only other people you see are the ones that came from the vault," he said. "We've also never had the opportunity to do a game that's set twenty-five years after the bombs fell, it's always been two-hundred something years after. Now, we have the stories of the people that survived the initial war, and we've never been able to tell those stories before. Of course without NPCs or no dialog trees--which was a huge adjustment for our quest designers, as they were used to doing it a certain way--and now the lore-heavy stuff comes from holo-tapes, which now has its own tab in the Pip-Boy. That's been really interesting for us. And what ended up happening is that we ended up having a much more lonely story than in Fallout 4. All of these people that you do [learn about] are dead already, and it's almost like a weird ghost story. We didn't expect that."
Whether you want to play solo or within a group, player interaction is a big part of the game. Encountering another person after rounding the corner or reaching the end of a dungeon creates some genuinely tense feelings--not knowing what intentions the other player in front of you has. To communicate with others, Fallout 76 features a variety of in-game emotes to use and proximity based voice-chat. During our session, however, we used Xbox Live's party chat client to stay in constant communication with our group--which won't be the case for most players online.
When playing in groups, communication is important, and the emotes and proximity chat are a great way to get your point across. This is especially vital when grouping up for some of the more active quests that task you with overcoming some bizarre obstacles, such as finding the keys to an armory in a makeshift town built out of a destroyed aircraft, or finding out a mob of "unruly golfer feral ghouls" at a ritzy resort that's still maintained by protectotrons. This can lead to some humorous and equally tense moments where players are scrambling to rely on their team's special skills to progress further.
Once you reach level 5, Fallout 76's PvP systems open up. When you encounter another player that's over level 5, you can fire your weapon at them to let them know of your intentions. If they return fire, then you'll both engage in a duel, with the loser dropping their current haul of junk items--no caps or gear is lost after a defeat. When shooting at a player that hasn't engaged in response, all damage will be cut in half, which gives them enough time to react. It's possible to kill another player who is not into the idea of fighting, and appropriately enough, this backhanded approach will mark you as a murderer, painting a massive target on your back for all players in the world to see.
Our group of level 5 explorers tried to take down a level-58 player in power armor in similar fashion, but it didn't go over well at all as he easily decimated the group with a high-powered Tesla Rifle. While damage calculations scale for enemies, allowing low-level players to potentially take out monsters several levels ahead of them, it does not for PvP engagements. However, if you wish to avoid PvP, or if a player is bugging you too much, you can block them or fast-travel to safety fairly easily. So far, the system in place is a thoughtful way to overcome the potential harassment that can often spring up with this type of game.
To cap off our hands-on time, the developers launched a nuke, which obliterates specific areas of the map. We all had front row seats to the explosion, and then proceeded to jump into the ensuing fallout--with its heavy radiation promptly killing us off one-by-one. As one of the larger end-game goals in Fallout 76, activating a nuke can lead to new events in the irradiated areas, revealing rare materials and dangerous enemies to fight. It also highlights the more dynamic nature of Fallout 76, with many of its narrative touches informed by the player's decisions in the world.
The scale of Fallout 76 seemed impressive based on the first few hours. The location of West Virginia--and all its oddities--was exciting to dive into, which felt refreshing after coming off of Fallout 4's Commonwealth. However, much like previous Fallout games, there were a number of odd bugs and large frame-rate dips that occurred throughout. This was especially noticeable during larger fire fights against large groups of enemies, which brought overall performance down to a slog. The developers we spoke to, however, assured us that the performance will be improved in time for its November 14 launch.
76 certainly isn't like other Fallout games. After our three hours, I got the impression that Bethesda is taking a risky approach with the series in regards to its lore and its core gameplay. With its heavy focus on survival gameplay and the online experience, I suspect that this largely experimental take on Fallout will become a rather polarizing entry. Though the mechanics were somewhat overwhelming to get a handle of, I can't deny that I enjoyed exploring the large map and engaging in the mysterious, post-apocalyptic take on West Virginia. Fallout 76 looks like it can flourish in the long-term, and I'm interested in what can come about after many hours in its off-kilter and ever-changing setting.
Sony's Venom has received mostly poor reviews, but that hasn't stopped it from setting a new box office record. And although it may also not be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that didn't stop Sony from borrowing some pages of the MCU playbook by including some extra after the credits. Its two post-credits sequences feature a surprising reveal, a sequel teaser, and some hype for another Spider-adjacent movie entirely. So technically there is a Spider-Man reference in Venom? Does this count? Obvious spoilers ahead--please consider yourself warned!
The first and most consequential of Venom's credits stingers features a rather abrupt jump to Eddie being escorted into a supermax prison by a guard, apparently on assignment for his newly resumed journalistic career. The actual angle of the piece and the outlet that commissioned it are never revealed, but that doesn't stop the guard from running down a list of intimidating Silence of the Lambs style rules Eddie has to follow upon conducting his interview, as if he's Clarice Starling about to meet Hannibal Lecter for the first time. Venom itself stays hidden and mostly quiet as Eddie approaches the cell, and we see a man painting the word "welcome" in blood on the walls of his cage, which happens to be a lone box in the middle of an otherwise empty room. He's the only prisoner kept here, we can assume for the safety of the other inmates.
As the camera focuses on his face, he's revealed to be played by Woody Harrelson, sitting in a white jumpsuit, done up with an almost cartoonish red wig. He never formally introduces himself but begins to speak as Eddie approaches, warning that when he "gets out of here, there's going to be carnage" before the scene cuts to black.
Though he's never formally named, it's pretty obvious that Harrelson is set to play Cletus Kasady in whatever Venom sequel might be in the works, the serial killing mass murderer who eventually comes into possession of his very own symbiote named--wait for it--Carnage.
In the comics, Carnage is actually one of the Venom symbiote's many offspring, created during a brief stint in which Eddie was incarcerated and kept in a cell next to Kasady, where it eventually bonded to him without Eddie's knowledge. Thanks to Kasady's major homicidal streak and psychopathic tendencies, and some comic book science involving the symbiote bonding to Kasady's blood directly (don't worry about it), Carnage became a massive and powerful threat almost immediately.
Physically, Carnage looks similar to Venom, except it's blood red in color and tends to fight with a bunch of gooey tentacle-like appendages in addition to its standard issue symbiote shape-shifting and brute strength. Unlike Brock, however, Kasady was never interested in trying to reign in Carnage's murderous, cannibalistic side, meaning Carnage basically just gets to cut a swath of destruction and terror wherever it wants, whenever it wants.
We can't be sure based on this scene alone just how the Carnage symbiote will come into play or how Kasady will bond with it. The movie universe hasn't dealt with the symbiotes reproducing so far, so it's likely that the family connection between the two will be changed. And given that Brock himself isn't actively incarcerated, there will probably be some other way for Kasady to come in contact with his symbiote--a rogue Life Foundation experiment, maybe? Some sort of Riot fragment that survived the crash? Alternatively, there's a slight possibility that the movie will posit Kasady already having Carnage inside him (hence the high security prison set up and the "there will be carnage" line) with the intent of building out that backstory somewhere down the line. Really anything is possible at this point.
In an interview with GameSpot, Venom director Ruben Fleischer elaborated on the scene and the casting choice of Woody Harrelson, with whom he has worked in the past.
"We tried at the end of our movie to lay the groundwork for a potential sequel, or a further story. And there's a character that's beloved by all Venom fans that does not appear in the body of our film that I think fans will be really excited to see," Fleischer said. "I found somebody who I have a relationship with and love working with. And I love all the characters that he's played. So to imagine him being an iconic adversary to Venom in the future is really exciting."
The only thing we can be sure of is that, should Venom be greenlit for a part two, Carnage fans will definitely have something to write home about.
Enter Spider-Man
Venom's second post credits segment was actually, technically, not a post credits scene at all, but a promotional clip for an entirely different movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is set for release this December. Heralded by a bright "Meanwhile, in another universe" title card, the clip featured the animated Miles Morales running from an unknown, masked enemy wearing a makeshift spider-style costume before winding up at the grave of the late Peter Parker.
He's then met by a very much alive Peter Parker, who he accidentally knocks out, prompting a Weekend At Bernie's style series of mishaps around New York in which Miles drags the very unconscious Peter around the city. The clip was previously showcased in part at San Diego Comic-Con this year.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has no direct connection with either Venom or the MCU that we know of yet, and even if it did, it certainly doesn't impact the significance of this particular clip. Instead it's set to build its own multiverse populated by some fan favorite Spider-Man comics characters, hence the "Spider-Verse" title. So, no real hidden meanings or major clues for the future of Sony's superhero line on this one, just a little teaser for another movie headed to theaters this winter.
For a triple-A game, PS4's Spider-Man has one of the highest platinum trophy completion rates ever. As of writing this article, it's sitting at 10.2%, so about one in ten players who pick up the game are grabbing every trophy for it.
At first glance, this might not seem all that impressive. Game Informer, for example, points out that there are games with much higher rates, like Undertale, which sits at 21.4%. However, when compared to PS4's other big name exclusives, it's apparent that Spider-Man has a pretty high completion rate. According to Twinfinite, after Spider-Man, the next major PS4 exclusive with the highest platinum trophy completion rate is Horizon Zero Dawn at 6.9%. It's followed by 2018's God of War at 5.5%, Until Dawn at 2.9%, and Persona 5 at 2.4%.
It certainly helps that Spider-Man, despite its size, is a relatively easy game to 100% complete. The game has no trophies tied to playing the game on a certain difficulty or completing a level in a specific way. Arguably, the four hardest trophies in the game are tied to Taskmaster's challenges--Short Fuse, Spy Hunter, Fists of Fury, and Ninja--that have you get at least Spectacular (two out of three stars) in one Bomb, Drone, Combat, and Stealth challenge respectfully. You don't actually need to get a perfect Ultimate rating in any of the challenges to grab Spider-Man's platinum, though. I Heart Manhattan--which is earned by completing every district in the game--will probably take you the longest to do, but since most of that requirement is tied to finding collectibles and responding to crimes, it's not all that hard.
Spider-Man is exclusively available for PS4. The game is scheduled to get three DLC expansions before the end of 2018. The first, titled The Heist, releases on October 23 and focuses on Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat. Insomniac is also working on giving Spider-Man a New Game Plus mode that will allow you to replay through the entire game with all of Spidey's abilities, skills, and gadgets that you unlocked in a previous save.
It's almost Call of Duty day. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lands on October 12 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. While it won't feature a traditional campaign like the ones found in previous installments, it will come with single-player challenge missions, plus loads of multiplayer content, including a battle royale-style mode called Blackout and, of course, Zombies. Players will also get a stream of free DLC that comes out post-launch.
If you're ready to lock in your pre-order for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, you've come to the right place. Below, you'll find all the information you need about pre-order bonuses, what editions are available, and which retailers are offering per-orders for what prices.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Standard Edition
Here's where you can pre-order the standard edition of the game and for how much. Note that Newegg is offering it for $10 less than everyone else, though Best Buy is giving a $10 reward credit for pre-orders). Also note that digital copies from Battle.net, Microsoft Store, and Sony Store all come with 1,100 Call of Duty Points.
This edition is exclusive to GameStop. It comes with the game, the Black Ops Pass (which may or may not include all DLC eventually released), Steelbook, Pop Socket, 10 Specialist Patches, 3 Zombies Inspired Collectible Art Cards, 1,100 Call of Duty Points, and a Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Calling Card.
If you're looking for the most ornate, pricy edition of the game, this is it. It comes with a skeleton-themed box that lights up and makes sounds. Everything you see in the image above comes along with it, including Zombies heroes Figpins, a 1,000-piece puzzle, a comic book, lithographs for each Zombies stage, a Popsocket, a Steelbook, Specialist icon patches, the Black Ops Pass, as well as "additional bonus content."
The hype surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to grow as its PS4 and Xbox One release date gets closer, and now the game's protagonist, Arthur Morgan, is getting a shout out from an unlikely corner of the Wild West. Techland Games, which developed Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, has published a video with the game's main characters Silas Greaves addressing Morgan.
"The Old West is full of legends. And you, Arthur Morgan, soon will be one of the greatest, I'm sure," Greaves says in the video above. "Because legends, you know, never die. They change to come back stronger than ever."
It's unclear what the bigger meaning of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger's video is, as no new Call of Juarez game has been announced and the video appears to piggyback on the hype of Red Dead Redemption 2. Before the video was released, the tease began on Call of Juarez: Gunslinger's Facebook page, which hadn't been updated in over five years. The game's Facebook page added a banner of Silas Greaves with the tagline "Legends never die." Another image on the page showed Greaves standing over the same canyon seen in the video with the quote, "I haven't been here in many years. Name's Silas Greaves."
Season 6 of Fortnite rolls on. Another set of weekly challenges are now available to complete for Week 2, and as usual, if you manage to finish all of the ones from a given week, you'll in turn complete a Hunting Party challenge--this season's equivalent of the Road Trip challenges from Season 5.
The reward for completing a Hunting Party challenge is a special loading screen, which hides a very subtle hint to the location of a free item hidden around the island. Typically, the item in question is a free Battle Star, which levels your Battle Pass up by one tier once collected, but toward the end of Season 5, Epic began hiding banners in their place.
Oddly, it appears a banner is the reward for completing the Week 2 Hunting Party challenge. If you've kept up-to-date with all of Season 6's weekly missions thus far, you'll unlock the following loading screen, which depicts a character standing in the middle of a dark forest while werewolves lurk among the trees. Peer closely enough at the image and you'll spot the silhouette of a banner and a carriage engraved in one of the trees on the right side of the screen.
The carriage in question can be found moldering in the desert just to the north of Paradise Palms. Glide to that location at the beginning of a match, find the carriage, and the banner will appear above it. Collect it as you would any other item and you'll be able to use it as a profile icon.
If you need more helping finding the secret banner, we've marked its location on the map below. You can also watch the video we put together at the top of this story showing you exactly where you need to go to collect the banner. However, as has been the case with previous Hunting Party and Road Trip challenges, the banner will only appear once you've completed the requisite number of challenges and unlocked the aforementioned loading screen.
Week 2's challenges arrived shortly after Fortnite's 6.01 update, and they task players with visiting corrupted areas and using the newly reenabled Shadow Stones during matches, among other missions. Completing these will help level up your Battle Pass, which in turn will unlock cosmetics and other rewards, such as the new Pets. You can see everything up for grabs this season in our Season 6 rewards gallery. For help completing challenges, be sure to check out our Season 6 challenge roundup.
Forza Horizon is back for another year, and that means Barn Finds are back too. If you're new to series, all you need to know that as you play through Forza Horizon 4, you'll periodically get a call telling you that there's a beat-up old car somewhere for you to find on the map. This will unlock a particular Barn Find, and you'll be given a rough area to search. But, it's up to you to explore the zone and pinpoint the location of the barn yourself.
Sometimes this is easy, and sometimes it can really tricky--barns can be in plain sight or hidden within a dense forest. But finding them is worth it--the rare and iconic cars will be restored over time and gifted to you for free, adding a nice boost to your Car Collection level. If you're having trouble locating some of these Barn Finds, or just want to save yourself some time, this guide will help you find the exact location of the barns for particular cars.
How To Use This Guide: We've provided screenshots of the barn locations on the world map, a photo of what it looks like in-game, and a shot of the restored car you'll get. We suggest using these images along with Horizon's Drone Mode (use RB to boost!) to quickly track these down.
A Quick Note: Forza Horizon 4 features a version of Great Britain that has rolling seasons, which change every 7 real-world days. As such, there are a small handful of Barn Finds that are exclusive to Autumn, Winter, Summer, and Spring. At the time of writing, we've only experienced Autumn and Summer, but we'll update this guide with information about the other Barn Finds as the seasons change, so come back then!
Additionally, there is one Barn Find that is exclusive to one of the game's Properties, Bamburgh Castle, so you'll have to cough up a cool 10 million Credits to buy and unlock that one. You may also encounter Barn Finds in a slightly different order to our list, but a quick reference of the World Map should let you know what you're looking for.
For more on Forza Horizon 4 be sure to read our review. We said that "Playground Games continues to excel at making the act of virtual driving exciting, approachable, and entertaining without sacrificing complexity."
This B-Class Audi Sport is an All-Wheel Drive built for both road and rally. Its barn is located within a forest just below Derwent Reservoir, as in, literally just below the "Derwent Reservoir" name on the world map.
1986 Ford Escort RS Turbo
This Ford Escort is was limited to just 5000 models when it was released back in the 80's. It's a C-Class vehicle in Horizon 4, and you can find its barn at the peak of a mountain in the Scottish Highlands, west of Glen Rannoch. Make sure you bring an AWD to climb those inclines!
1993 Jaguar XJ220
The XJ220 is built for racing and was the fastest production car from 1992-1993. It's ranked S1, and you'll find its barn tucked away on a private country road east of Ambleside.
1961 Jaguar E-Type S1
This rare Series 1 version of the E-Type roadster is a C-class in Horizon 4. You'll find the barn just off a dirt road in the south of Tarn Hows.
1997 Lotus Elise GT1
Seriously, who left this one to rust? The Lotus GT1 touring car is an S1 vehicle and hidden just west of Horizon 4's slate quarry.
1966 MG MGB GT
A real British classic, the MGB is a D-Class car in a fetching gumboot green that will make you feel like you've gone back in time. This one's hidden on a small hill on the edge of a strip of trees in Astmoor.
1965 Mini Cooper S
Who doesn't love a Mini? Well, anyone who needs luggage space, I guess. Regardless, this D-class version of the classic little car is hidden in a small valley on the far west of the map, on the southern end of Derwent Water.
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STI
Another classic rally staple, this 90's WRX STI is only a B-class initially but is screaming for an upgrade. It's hidden in a creepy part of Lakehurst Forest, by the side of a dirt road.
1962 Triumph Spitfire
Yet another British classic, the Spitfire convertible doesn't have a lot of grunt, but is perfect for relaxing country drives. This one is hidden very sneakily within a thick patch of bushes and trees just outside the Express Railyard, which we spent far too much time in during our hunt.
1998 TVR Cerbera Speed 12
This high-performance concept car never went into production, but thanks to the magic of video games, you can own and drive one for free! It's an S1 class vehicle, and its barn is located just east of the Greendale Airstrip.
Summer Season Exclusive - 1962 Peel P50
The adorable little D-class Peel micro-car is only available during summer. It's hidden in a forest between Ashbrook and Broadway, and perfect for those quick trips down to the shops.
Autumn Season Exclusive - 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
Like the name suggests, this Aston Martin is only available during the autumn season. Another 60's classic, only around 25 of these things were produced. You can pick it up very easily just south of the Horizon Festival Site, in a nice open field.
Property Exclusive - 1930 Bentley Blower
We'll update this article when we can afford to spend 10 million credits on Bamburgh Castle. If you have 10 million credits in Forza Horizon 4... well, that's amazing.
Winter Season Exclusive - ???
We'll update this article when the seasons change and we get access to this seasonal Barn Find!
Spring Season Exclusive - ???
We'll update this article when the seasons change and we get access to this seasonal Barn Find!
What's your favorite Barn Find in Forza Horizon 4, and how do you think it compares to the previous Barn Find selections? Let us know in the comments below.
Epic has kicked off Week 2 of Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 6. With an entirely new new Battle Pass, that means there's plenty of new cosmetics to unlock. One of the ways to do this is by completing the weekly challenges. To make that a quicker, easier task we've got a breakdown of everything you need to do, including a guide on visiting the Corrupted Areas. As with the previous season, challenges are split into two categories, with one set available to everyone and a second set exclusively for those that purchase a Battle Pass. Complete the mini-quests and you'll earn Battle Stars that level up your Battle Pass to unlock rewards.
In the free section you'll need to use a Shadow Stone in three different matches; these items were a big addition for this season but were absent for most of the first week due to a bug. You'll also be asked to complete stage one of a multi-part challenge by dealing 200 points of damage with an Assault Rifle, and visit all of the Corrupted Areas (more on that below). In the paid Battle Pass section the challenges all involve getting into combat, with one asking you to kill an opponent from at least 50m away, while another requires you to take out three players with an SMG. Take a look below for the full list of challenges.
The Visit all of the Corrupted Areas challenge is pretty straightforward as they're clearly visible on the in-game map (we've also included a map below). For those that haven't been keeping up, Corrupted Areas appeared on the Fortnite island at the start of Season 6 and are, in part, the creation of a giant, mysterious cube currently floating around. When you bring up your map in-game you'll spot purple hotspots with runes in the middle, these are the locations you'll need to visit. One of the corrupted areas you'll need to visit is the floating island which started off at Loot Lake but has since been moving around. It's currently located west of Shifty Shafts.
Helpfully, the Corrupted Areas also tend to have an abundance of Shadow Stones peppered around them, so if you spot them make sure to grab them as you'll need to use one in three different matches to complete another of this week's challenges. You can watch the video above to see us complete the challenge.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 2 Challenges
Free
Visit all of the Corrupted Areas (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Shadow Stone in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with standard Assault Rifles to opponents (200) -- 3 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Eliminate an opponent from at least 50m away (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Pistols to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Star
SMG eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Deal damage with Hunting Rifles to opponents (200) -- 10 Battle Stars
If you'd like to see all the cosmetics included in the latest Battle Pass, check out our gallery of all of Fortnite Season 6's new skins, sprays, emotes, and more. For Season 6 developer Epic Games also introduced Pets, which hang with you as you go about your adventures on the island and react to things happening around them in adorable ways. You can read all about Pets, as well as the other new additions and changes, in the full Fortnite update 6.0 patch notes. Since the launch of Season 6 and the patch, Epic has released update 6.01, which included a new trap called the Chiller.
A patent filed by Sony suggests the company may be looking into backwards compatibility on newer consoles. The newly published patent, originally filed in November 2016, was titled "remastering by emulation." It describes a method of spiffing up old games by remastering old textures on the fly.
Eurogamer reports that the full application explains how it could take files from "legacy software" and essentially replace them with higher-resolution assets, allowing the game to use the same framework while rendering better-looking textures or audio files. The result would essentially be the same as many remastered games we've seen with higher textures, but with significantly less work for developers.
"The original software is then played on the higher resolution display, with asset (such as texture) calls being intercepted, identified, and the data structure entered to retrieve the remastered asset having a matching identifier," the application states. "The remastered asset is then inserted on the fly into the game presentation."
It's difficult to say just how this technology could manifest. Sony may be looking forward to the next generation of consoles like the PS5 and planning how it could allow backwards compatibility, or this could even be the tech currently applied to remasters.
Sony has shown disinterest in backwards compatibility as a feature. It introduced the PlayStation 3 with hardware-based backwards compatibility but then dropped it from later models. On PlayStation 4 it has never offered the feature, instead relying on services like PlayStation Now and standalone re-releases.
PlayStation Europe head Jim Ryan said last year that backwards compatibility is "one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much." Its competitor, Microsoft, introduced software-based backwards compatibility in 2015, and has been developing a growing list of available titles ever since. At the time, Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida said the development wouldn't change its approach.
"Backward compatibility is hard," Yoshida said. "I won't say we'll never do it, but it's not an easy thing to do. If it was easy we would have done that."
Walking Dead actor Scott Wilson has died at age 76. The veteran character actor played the role of Hershel Green for three seasons and was one of the key members of the cast for that time.
The news was confirmed on Sunday, October 7, by The Walking Dead's official Twitter feed. In a subsequent statement, AMC's Walking Dead account said that Wilson "will be remembered as a great actor and an even better person. The character he embodied on The Walking Dead, Hershel, lived at the emotional core of the show. Our hearts go out to his wife, family, friends and to the millions of fans who loved him."
The news of Wilson's death came shortly after Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang announced at New York Comic-Con that the actor had filmed scenes for the show's ninth season. Hershel was killed off in Season 4, so it is unknown how he will make his return. However, the show has a history of using flashbacks and dream sequences that feature deceased characters.
Wilson's fellow cast members took to social media to remember their former colleague. "Scott was one of the greats, both as an actor and a man," producer Gale Anne Hurd tweeted. "We in #TheWalkingDeadFamily are truly grief stricken. He lived life to the fullest with his true love, his wife Heavenly. He is now a shining star in heaven spreading kindness and light forever."
Chandler Riggs, who played Carl until Season 8, posted: "Man am I gonna miss you. We all learned so much from you, and it's so saddening to hear that you aren't with us anymore. I'll never forget the things you told me and the time we spent together on set." Khary Payton, who plays Ezekiel, also offered a tribute: "The time I met Scott Wilson, he gave me a big hug and said that this thing I had become a part of… was a family. He said I had a responsibility to take care of it. I have tried very hard to do that, sir and I will continue. I promise. See you on the other side, my friend."
Prior to The Walking Dead, Wilson had a long and varied career. His first movies were two of the most acclaimed thrillers of the late '60s--In the Heat of the Night and In Cold Blood, in which he gave a chilling performance as real-life killer Richard Hickock. His other movies include Pearl Harbor, The Last Samurai, and Monster, plus the 2016 Netflix sci-fi drama The OA.
In related news, The Walking Dead Season 9 premiered this past weekend. Check out GameSpot's set visit report and interview with Kang.
Microsoft makes the Xbox One Elite controller itself, but Sony has always relied on third-party hardware makers to fill in the gap in its PlayStation 4 controller product line. With the Scuf Vantage controller, a new entry in the category has just arrived. It's available now, and you can order one here. Just be warned: it's not cheap.
The default version costs $170. The front of the controller is gray with black accents, plus yellow rings around the analog sticks. But just like another Microsoft offering, you can customize the colors of nearly every part of the controller, from the faceplate and buttons to the D-pad and analog sticks. Custom-designed Scuf Vantage controllers cost an additional $30, and adding a wireless option costs an additional $30.
Why pay that much for a PS4 controller? Because it has a number of features you won't find in a standard DualShock 4 controller. These features are designed to make you a better player, particularly if you enjoy competitive games online. It has anti-friction rings that automatically lubricate the thumbsticks to create a smoother glide. The thumbsticks themselves come in two height options and your choice of domed or concave thumb pads.
Like the Xbox One Elite controller, you can swap out the D-pad with a control disc that's designed to offer easier access to diagonal directions. Finally, you can outfit the rear of the controller with paddle-like triggers that feature adjustable trigger tension. They also come with with optional covers to let you choose exactly how much travel the triggers should have before the button press registers.
The Scuf Vantage is definitely not for everyone. But if you have deep enough pockets and want to gain an edge in the games you play, it might be worth a shot.
Fallout 76 is a major new evolution for the series that takes the nuclear war ravaged wasteland we're used to exploring in isolation and, as an always-online multiplayer game, opens it up for players to come together. Fallout 76 will enable dozens of players to explore and adventure together--either as friends or enemies, so naturally, the game world will have to be big enough to accommodate them. On top of that it also needs to have enough activities to keep them engaged for hours on end.
Bethesda says Fallout 76 is the biggest game it has ever created. At E3 2018 the studio said it will be "four times larger" than Fallout 4, which already offers a pretty expansive game world. While we'll have to wait until its launch to get a feel for it from the ground-level, at a recent hands-on event we got a top-down look at the world through an in-game map. Below you can see everywhere in West Virginia that you'll be able to explore.
Although the specific locations are unmarked, you can get a good feel for the overall framework of the map. As the key in the bottom left shows, this layout is mapped based on the Wilderness Survey #76-2076.2 and plots out major roadways, main highways, interstate highways, railroads, and the river, alongside the mounts and cliffs encasing it all.
On the left-hand side of the map, towards the top corner, you can see Vault 76, where players will start off the game. Fallout 76 is a prequel to the previous games in the series and players are cast as one of the first of the Vault dwellers to emerge into the untamed wasteland. This time around, the wasteland is in better shape than in previous Fallout titles, and your task is to make the most of what remains to rebuild civilization.
Bethesda has previously confirmed that human NPCs won't factor into the game in a major way, as other players are the focus. Instead Fallout 76 will use robot NPCs, recordings, and environmental storytelling to deliver its narrative and dish out tasks. For more on the nitty-gritty of what's involved, check out article on everything we know about Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 is set to launch on November 14 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A pre-order exclusive beta will be available in October for all platforms (though Xbox One owners get in first). The beta will include the entire game and progress carries forward to the full release.
The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman's company, Skybound Entertainment, has announced it has partnered with Telltale Games to finish the studio's Walking Dead: The Final Season.
"We've successfully negotiated with Telltale Games for our company Skybound to come in and see Season 4 of the Telltale game to completion," Kirkman said during an appearance at New York Comic-Con this weekend. "We can't lose Andrew Lincoln and Clementine in the same year."
Skybound has been involved with Telltale's The Walking Dead franchise since the start. After Telltale announced it was winding down last month, many wondered about the fate of The Walking Dead: The Final Season. Telltale announced that it was working with multiple potential partners to finish the series, and it appears Skybound was among them.
Skybound confirmed that it is working with members of the original team at Telltale, but it remains to be seen if this includes some or all of the affected developers. More than 200 people lost their jobs at Telltale, and a portion of them were working on The Walking Dead. When Telltale announced the "majority studio closure," it seems likely that some of the affected staffers on The Walking Dead team sought other work. According to reports, Telltale paid no severance to its fired employees.
There are still many unanswered questions about Skybound's takeover of Telltale's The Walking Dead. According to Skybound, answers will come in due course.
"We're currently ironing out some of the details as this is a pretty major deal, so we'll have more info on the who/what/where/when/how very soon as those details are finalized," the studio said.
"We appreciate your patience during this process. Thank you to the fans for being so supportive of this series and vocal about wanting to see Clementine's story continue! We're going to do right by you (and also for ourselves, because WE want to play it too!)."
The Walking Dead: The Final Season premiered in August, with the second episode arriving just days after the massive layoffs at Telltale. Skybound will now apparently help finish Episodes 3 and 4, but it remains to be seen when they will be released. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Comic books have always been political, so it's no surprise when comic book movies and TV shows are too. But showrunners like Erik Oleson, who helms Netflix's Daredevil Season 3, don't always have so clear a vision for the message they want to send as Oleson expressed during interviews at New York Comic-Con this week.
"Another one of my goals is not to just tell a story that's mindless entertainment and has lots of 'gee whiz' stuff," Oleson said. "I wanted the show to become part of the conversation about the world we're living in today--to make it relevant."
The last we saw of Matt Murdock--AKA Daredevil (Charlie Cox)--was in The Defenders, when a skyscraper collapsed on him and Elektra. The show eventually revealed that Murdock was still alive, though understandably, he's in bad shape when Daredevil Season 3 picks up his story.
"I wanted to kick off the season with Matt having an honest emotional reaction to [what happened in The Defenders]," Oleson said. "He's damaged physically, he's damaged emotionally, and he's damaged spiritually. He's very angry at God for what he thought should have happened, and all of the sacrifices he has made have been for naught, and he's been punished for that instead."
Matt's situation will only worsen when fan favorite villain Wilson Fisk, AKA the Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), manipulates his way out of prison and the two face off once again. And it sounds like that's where the show will really start to get political.
"Daredevil is the man without fear, and yet we're all living in a world where our fears are both driving the way that we behave and the way that we vote, and our fears are also being preyed upon by villains who are using our fears to pit us against one another on their quest to rise to power," Oleson said.
"I wanted this season to be prescriptive of how we can defeat the rise of narcissistic tyrants who use our fears against us," he continued. A big part of that involves Karen Page's (Deborah Ann Woll) role as a journalist.
"Karen Page is a representative of the power of the free press that should be left to do what it does best, instead of attacked incessantly--and sometimes physically," Oleson said. "It is [a very topical season]. I wanted it to be. I was pissed off."
Oleson said his father worked for organizations like the Defense Intelligence Agency and the CIA while he was growing up, and from an early age he's been familiar with "the techniques of psychological warfare."
"Let me just say that I would love for people to stop and think--just think. Whatever you're thinking about, recognize that when you are being targeted with manipulations, there's an agenda behind that, and a villain out in the world who is manipulating you to feel a certain way, to act a certain way, to vote a certain way, to behave a certain way, and has his or her own motives for doing so," he said. "And it's very easy to just go through life on autopilot and not realize that, but as somebody who grew up kind of learning the techniques of psychological warfare, it is very alarming to me to see it being used inside our own country against our own people on a daily basis."
Oleson described the guiding principle--the core theme--that guided his writer's room during production: "You can only be free if you confront your fears, because your fears are what enslave you." That idea will guide the arcs of every character in the show this season, from Matt to Karen to Foggy--and presumably even to Fisk himself.
"The man without fear is not without fear," he said. "Every single true human being on this planet is afraid of something. And the people who understand what you are afraid of, and can use that against you, can rise in power, can manipulate you to their own ends. But also, you can hold yourself back from your true nature and your own best self if you act out of fear. You are listening to the devil on your shoulder, not the angel on your shoulder."
Oleson said he was a huge fan of the message Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg was able to get across with that show's first season, and he was eager to leave his own mark on the Netflix Marvel universe of shows.
"I figured if Marvel was going to give me their flagship show, I was going to use it to say something meaningful," he explained.
Those who know of What We Do in the Shadows probably think of the 2014 cult hit mockumentary about a brood of oddball vampires wrestling with typical roommate drama like who should do the dishes and how to gobble down human blood without making a mess in the living room. Ten years before that, it was a short film that Jemaine Clement claims was made for about $200.
Before that, as Clement and his co-creator Taika Waititi revealed today at New York Comic Con 2018, the idea was born as a stand up comedy routine in which one of them told bad vampire jokes ("I just flew in from Transylvania and boy are my arms tired!") and the other heckled him, also as a vampire, until they recognized one another as centuries-long rivals. Now, it's FX's latest comedy show, and based on the pilot episode--which screened exclusively during NYCC on Sunday--What We Do in the Shadows is perfect for fans.
(Disclaimer: The pilot episode screened at NYCC was reportedly unfinished, and this is not a review of the final program.)
The new What We Do in the Shadows follows a similar formula to the original. Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Laszlo (Matt Berry) are vampire roommates, this time in New York City's Staten Island rather than the original's New Zealand. But their dynamic, and the humor it enables, is similar. When Nandor, who was once a "ferocious" soldier in the Ottoman Empire, calls a flat meeting in the library, he and Laszlo (Berry, giving off similar vibes to Jemaine Clement's character in the original movie) nearly come to blows over the bad habit of leaving half-drained humans around the house. They bare their teeth and hiss like feral cats before Nadja, Laszlo's partner and the series' first female vampire, defuses the situation.
As any normal roommates would, the three resolve to mark their human prey with their names and dates of consumption from now on to avoid the problem in the future. Nandor adds "buy markers" to the list of chores for his hapless familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillen), who keeps a photo of his childhood self dressed as Antonio Banderas from Interview with a Vampire framed in his sad bedroom under the stairs, and serves his master's every whim in the hopes of one day being turned into a vampire himself.
Panel photos courtesy FX
The group's way of life is challenged when an ancient vampire baron comes to visit via lantern-lit ship from the old country. Our heroes, it turns out, arrived Staten Island 200 years earlier and, instead of undertaking their mission to colonize all of America as part of a new vampire world order, they just kind of hung around. They worry the baron, who fills a similar comedic role to the movie's 8,000-year-old vampire Petyr, is there to check on the progress of their mission.
Although the show is definitely similar to the movie, it's clear from this unfinished pilot that co-creators Clement and Waititi--as well as executive producer and writer Paul Sims, who joined them onstage after the screening--have plenty of new ideas for this world.
For example, just as in the movie, our three vampire protagonists have a roommate. But instead of the millennia-old Petyr, Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) is basically just an average-looking guy. In what is undoubtedly the episode's best and most unexpected gag, Colin is a "psychic vampire" who can drain all the energy from humans and other vampires alike just by speaking to them about boring subjects like office gossip and different types of car washes.
"We either bore you with a long conversation, or we enrage you," Colin explains in the episode. "In fact, you probably know an energy vampire. We're the most common kind of vampire."
Clement said afterward that he came up with the idea for Colin while researching types of vampires. "I think we all know a person like that," he said. "We hadn't thought of anything like that for the movie, but when I was reading about different kinds of vampires, that was one that people mentioned as a real kind of vampire that exists and that we all come up against. And I could think of conversations I've had where I've been trapped by someone, and probably people have felt like that with me there."
In the episode's other subplots, Guillermo hunts for tasty virgins at a LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) event, while Nadja stalks a human man who she believes may be her reincarnated former lover, a knight named Gregor who she accidentally decapitated centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Laszlo and Nadja each separately reveal that they're looking forward to the baron's arrival for the same reason: Despite being a decrepit, crumbling horror, the baron is apparently a monster in the sack, although each is unaware that the other has been there.
It's easy to see how FX will stretch out the absurd, distinctive comedy from the original 2014 movie into a full series. There's plenty in this pilot--which is uproariously funny, even in unfinished form--that could conceivably continue for whole seasons, from Guillermo's hopeless pining to become an immortal to Nadja and Lazslo's unwitting love triangle with the ancient baron. And much like the movie, sprinkled throughout the show are moments of gruesome horror that give it just a little bit of a sharpened, wooden edge.
What We Do in the Shadows won't premiere on FX until Spring 2019, but Sims has already teased a future episode in which the brood will venture into Manhattan. As they haven't actually left Staten Island since arriving by ship centuries earlier, they've apparently always assumed the island borough is all of New York, or maybe even all of America. But they'll discover that their fellow nightwalkers in Manhattan are "a little cooler" than them, according to Sims.
A still from the 2014 film
Now that we've caught a glimpse of What We Do in the Shadows and we know what kind of show we're getting, the last remaining question for fans has to be whether Clement's and Waititi's characters from the movie will ever appear on the FX show.
"Only if something really disastrous happens," Clemente teased cryptically. "It would have to be of incredible import."
"We're creating a universe to rival that of Marvel and DC," Waititi joked. "What we're doing is we're taking one idea and stretching it out for years and years."
"That's what they do too," Clement replied, laughing.
What We Do in the Shadows is scheduled to premiere on FX in Spring 2019.
New York Comic-Con has come to an end, but Sunday offered up a few more panels for TV series, movies, and more. The YouTube Premium series Cobra Kai, held a panel to discuss what's coming down the line for Season 2 of the series.
On the stage, stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, and screenwriters Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg discussed the first season of the series, while in the midst of shooting Season 2. They also revealed that there is a whole new--yet familiar set--coming to Season 2. A clip was shown at the event, and Heald provided setup for it. In it, the younger members of the cast give a tour of the Miyagi Dojo, a major set piece for the second season. Viewers saw Miyagi's garden at the end of Season 1, and now Mr. Miyagi's old home has been turned into a dojo. Obviously, this set piece will be the place where LaRusso trains his new students. It is completely empty inside, but the backyard is a place of serenity and peace, featuring trees, green grass, and a pond with water feature.
We learned that the next season Cobra Kai will debut sometime in the summer of 2019, and it will consist--like Season 1--of 10 episodes. However, the runtime for those episodes may be a bit longer, as Hurwitz explained the show "will be digging deeper on everybody." Season 2 will expand a bit more on the younger generation we saw in the first season, but it will continue to have the same balance between the kids, Johnny, and Daniel.
Going into this new season, the writing team had a good idea of where they wanted to take the story. "We have multiple seasons planned out," explained Heald, who also stated they had so much planned for different character arcs for Season 1 that they simply couldn't pack it in. However, this show isn't just trying to rekindle the love of Karate Kid with those who grew up with it. "It was important that a newer generation falls in love with this the same way we did," Hurwitz stated.
There were plenty of questions for the cast and creators, particularly revolving around whether or not Daniel and Johnny will be fighting in Season 2. There wasn't a direct answer, but it did seem like both men would be involved in fight sequences in the next season, but it wasn't clear if it will be against each other.
Find out more about Season 2 of Cobra Kai when it hits YouTube Premium next spring.
The final stand to save Gotham City has begun. The fifth and final season of Gotham won't premiere until 2019, but the cast and executive producer John Stephens took part in their final New York Comic Con panel to give the first look at the new episodes and share some news about what this show's version of the "No Man's Land" comic book story arc will look like.
That arc will include a new character played by Shane West, who was previously announced for the series. Stephens finally confirmed that West will play Bane, pulled directly from the comics. In fact, there will be one showdown between Bane and Alfred that will see the butler's back get broken.
In a short sizzle reel that included new footage, the future of Gotham looked bleak. After Jeremiah (Cameron Monaghan) blew up the bridges to the city, essentially cutting off the outside world, Gotham has descended into something resembling The Purge--except, it's everyday life.
In the new Gotham, the city has been divided up into pieces controlled by various villains, with a small green zone right in the center of town that Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and the GCPD are keeping safe. The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) has taken over City Hall, Poison Ivy (Peyton List) ruling Central Park, and the Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) making the Gotham Public Library his own domain.
Additionally, Penguin has naturally found a way to make himself a vital piece of Gotham's underworld. He's essentially a war profiteer, controlling the city's ammunition. If anyone wants bullets, they're forced to go to him. Barbara (Erin Richards), meanwhile, has enforced a man-free zone of Gotham and will suffer a major loss early in the season. Our guess is it's Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) that will bite the bullet, propelling Babs on one final tear through Gotham City.
As for Selina (Camren Bicondova), who was shot and potentially paralyzed in the Season 4 finale, the new episodes will find her suicidal as she copes with her injuries. "We find her in a place where we've never seen her before," Bicondova said. "We find her in a place of despair… The Selina we've known for the past four seasons goes completely out the window."
With so much bad happening on Gotham--including even more new villains, like a Harley Quinn-esque girlfriend for Jeremiah--the need for a Batman continues to grow and fans are finally going to get that. Mazouz confirmed during the panel that, "Bruce is going to become Batman," in the final season. Of course, you're going to have to wait for that as it won't be happening until late in the season. More specifically, it'll be in the series finale when the series jumped 10 years into the future.
As for when Gotham will premiere, a date was not announced. However, the final ten episodes will air sometime in early 2019 on Fox.
The cast and crew of Daredevil Season 3 took over the Hulu Main Stage at New York Comic-Con to share some brand info about just where the Devil of Hell's Kitchen is headed--and more importantly--who he's going to be up against.
Wilson Bethal's role in this season has been one of "the worst kept secrets in Marvel history," executive producer Jeff Loeb laughed. Officially, he's playing FBI Agent #2, also known as "Dex," but fans put two-and-two together some time ago and guessed a Bullseye reveal was fast approaching. Still, despite the very loud whisperings, Daredevil's cast and crew were under strict orders to never confirm nor deny any major reveal. "We were so crazy about it we even took the dart board out of the writer's room," said showrunner Erik Oleson, "just in case someone accidentally took a picture and someone on the internet thought it was a clue."
But now the cat is officially out of the bag, care of the NYCC panel and this brand-new trailer. Bethel was able to say out loud for the first time that he was "extremely honored to tell the story of how Benjamin Poindexter becomes Bullseye," which immediately prompted Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox, to jump out of his seat on stage and draw the target logo on Bethel's forehead.
The panel gave some clues as to just how this incarnation of Bullseye would come to life, linking his evolution from troubled FBI agent to the plot involving Wilson Fisk's return and eventual parole. Bethel and Vincent D'onofrio (Fisk) touched upon their supportive offescreen relationship while speaking to their characters toxic one on screen. "It's the beginning of a very weird relationship," Bethel said.
The footage shown during the panel insinuated a troubled history for Poindexter that Fisk will be manipulating to his advantage, whispering that no one else understands him. It's worthwhile to note that in the comics, Benjamin Poindexter is actually just an alias used by Bullseye who has never officially been given a civilian alter ego--so this season really has an open runway as far as its story is concerned.
Daredevil Season 3 lands on Netflix on October 12.
Bungie has announced a number of Destiny 2 updates on the way, but the one thing that's the same as always is the mysterious merchant Xur. He's back once again to peddle his wares, which include the usual assortment of Exotic gear. Here's what he's selling this weekend, as well as where to find him. [Update: Xur won't be around much longer, so if you're interested in any of the items below--and bear in mind the armor will have more perks than Year One versions you might already have--you should act fast.]
This week, Xur continues his pattern of appearing in his same old locations. You'll find him right now on Io, in the Giant's Scar region. Spawn in at the landing zone, hop on your Sparrow, and make your way forward through an overpass. Head left in the wide-open area with the large drill and then jump up the small hill on the left of this area. You'll find Xur hiding out in a cave, as you can see in the map below.
On the item side, he has a standard assortment of gear: one Exotic weapon and one Exotic piece of armor for each class, as well as the expensive Fated Engram (which guarantees you a Year One Exotic you don't already own). The weapon is Skyburner's Oath, a scout rifle that fires explosive slugs. There have been complaints about scout rifle damage in PvE, but that's set to change with an update this month.
For armor, Hunters get the Young Ahamkara's Spine gauntlets, which improve Tripmines when you deal damage with abilities. Warlocks get the Skull of Dire Ahamkara helmet, which gives you Super energy when you get kills with Nova Bomb. And Titans get the Helm of Saint-14 helmet, which causes Ward of Dawn to blind enemies and grant an overshield to friendlies. The full lineup and prices follow below.
Young Ahamkara's Grasp (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Exotic Warlock helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
Helm of Saint-14 (Exotic Titan helmet) -- 23 Legendary Shards
You'll be able to pick up these items between now and the weekly reset on Tuesday, October 9. One week later, Festival of the Lost will debut alongside a new patch, version 2.0.4.
Update: Super Show-Down, WWE's Australian PPV has come to a close, but you can check out all the final results below. The Melbourne Cricket Ground held the event, which aired on the WWE Network at 7 PM AET, 2 AM PT, 5 AM ET, and 10 AM BST.
The Australian event had 10 matches over the course of the evening, four of which were title matches. The main event of the evening will be none other than The Undertaker vs. Triple H, who have had a longstanding rivalry over the course of 20 years in the company. Additionally, Charlotte will get a rematch against Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's Championship and Ronda Rousey joins the Bella Twins to take on the Riott Squad.
There is no Kickoff Show for the event, so the 5 AM ET start time is when the main card will begin. Check out the match card below, as well as the start times for different time zones.
The matches may not happen in the order listed. In case you're not caught up, don't worry; we put the final results in spoiler blocks.
Super Show-Down Match Card
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Super Show-Down Start Times
7 PM AET
10 AM BST
5 AM ET
4 AM C
2 AM PT
Main Card
The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
New Day wins by pin at 9:38
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Charlotte wins by DQ at 10:36. Becky Lynch retains the title.
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias
Cena pins Elias at 10:02.
Asuka & Naomi vs. The IIconics
IIconics win by pin at 5:39.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
AJ Styles wins by submission at 23:42.
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad
Rousey submits Logan and Morgan at 9:58.
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy (Cruiserweight Championship)
Buddy Murphy wins by pin at 10:33.
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
Ambrose pins Ziggler at 19:35.
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz (Winner faces WWE Champion)
It's a new month--October--which means media giant Netflix is releasing a plethora of new content on its streaming service. Starting on the first of the month, new movies, TV series, and Netflix originals will trickle out onto the service, with new content being added pretty much daily. It can be a lot to go through, but don't worry, we will be highlighting some choice picks for you to check out.
Returning for a second season is the adult animated comedy Big Mouth. Comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney star as two adolescent boys going through puberty. The raunchy series has the duo trying to understand life, girls, and everything else while dealing with hormone monsters and uncomfortable moments in early sexuality. It's out now.
Speaking of returning Netflix originals, Castlevania comes back for a second helping on October 26. The series follows Trevor Belmont as he fights the evil forces of Dracula. Season 1 writer Warren Ellis returns, picking up on the huge cliffhanger from last year with Alucard. This season will add more episodes for a total of eight, doubling up from Season 1's four.
As far as movies and television go, October 1 saw Netflix release most of its content. Out of everything that hit that day, you'll want to watch/rewatch the classic '80s adventure movie The NeverEnding Story or the first rated-R Marvel movie that matters--sorry, Dolph Lundgren's The Punisher--Blade. Additionally, Blade II will be available as well. Also, Season 4 of Gotham is coming to Netflix as well, and you can see just how crazy this series has become for yourself.
Sadly, there are a few great items leaving the service as well. The fantastic comedy series Freaks and Geeks left on October 1, along with Sin City and The Lost Boys. Even though Halloween is right around the corner, The Babadook is headed out on October 14 and V/H/S 2 leaves on October 24.
Check out the complete list of everything coming and going from Netflix below, and if you're looking for more news from streaming services, we have complete October arrivals lists from Hulu and Amazon Prime Video as well.
Here's what's coming to Netflix in October
Available October 1
Angel Eyes
Anger Management
Billy Madison
Black Dynamite
Blade
Blade II
Blazing Saddles
Empire Records
Gotham: Season 4
Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny
Must Love Dogs
My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship
Mystic River
New York Minute
Once Upon a Time in America
Pay It Forward
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Rumble in the Bronx
She's Out of My League
Sommersby
The Dead Pool
The Devil's Advocate
The Green Mile
The Lake House
The NeverEnding Story
The Shining
V for Vendetta
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Available October 2
Joe Rogan: Strange Times-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
MeatEater: Season 7-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Available October 3
Truth or Dare (2017)
Avail. 10/4/18
Creeped Out-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Violet Evergarden: Special: Extra Episode
Available October 5
Big Mouth: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dancing Queen-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Élite-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Empire Games-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Little Things: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Malevolent-- NETFLIX FILM
Private Life-- NETFLIX FILM
Super Monsters Save Halloween-- NETFLIX FILM
Super Monsters: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Rise of Phoenixes-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL (Streaming Every Friday)
YG Future Strategy Office-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 6
Little Things: Season 1
Available October 8
Disney's Sofia the First: Season 4
Mo Amer: The Vagabond-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 9
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 10
22 July-- NETFLIX FILM
Pacto de Sangue-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 11
Salt Fat Acid Heat-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Schitt's Creek: Season 4
Available October 12
Apostle-- NETFLIX FILM
Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil-- NETFLIX FILM
Feminists: What Were They Thinking?-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
FightWorld-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Tarzan and Jane: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Boss Baby: Back in Business: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Haunting of Hill House-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Kindergarten Teacher-- NETFLIX FILM
Available October 15
Octonauts: Season 4
The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 16
Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I'll Shut Up-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 19
Accidentally in Love-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ask the Doctor-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.: Limited Series-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Derren Brown: Sacrifice-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Distrito salvaje-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Gnome Alone-- NETFLIX FILM
Haunted-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Hip-Hop Evolution: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Illang: The Wolf Brigade-- NETFLIX FILM
Larva Island-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Making a Murderer: Part 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Marvel's Daredevil: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Night Comes For Us-- NETFLIX FILM
Wanderlust-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 21
Robozuna-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 23
ADAM SANDLER 100% FRESH-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 24
Bodyguard-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 25
Great News: Season 2
Available October 26
Been So Long-- NETFLIX FILM
Castlevania: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dovlatov-- NETFLIX FILM
Jefe-- NETFLIX FILM
Shirkers-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Terrorism Close Calls-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 27
Girl from Nowhere-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 28
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL (Streaming Every Sunday)
Available October 30
Fate/EXTRA Last Encore: Illustrias Geocentric Theory-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
It's October again, and that means time for Halloween festivities throughout a whole host of online games. Many announcements have already begun to outline the upcoming festivities, so we're keeping track of all the spooky specials. Many of these will be time-limited events with special rewards, like the OverwatchHalloween Terror event, so check out the active dates and plan your gaming accordingly.
Dauntless
The Dauntless Dark Harvest event will kick off in the middle of the month, casting a shadow on the hub city of Ramsgate. It will introduce a new cult known as the Unseen, who worship a Behemoth. Slayers can test their might against a new Behemoth in the Shattered Isles and stores will offer limited-time exclusive items.
Dates
Begins October 17
Fortnite
The entire season is somewhat spooky, with the Darkness Rises theme and skins like the Dire Wolf. However, a more particular Halloween theme appears to be on the way, as we've gotten a look at some special Halloween cosmetics on the way. Those include skins, back bling, gliders, and pickaxes. No word yet on what creepy world events might be ringing in the seasonal content.
Hearthstone's annual "Hallow's End" celebration starts on October 17 and lasts through Halloween on October 31. Logging in during the event will net you a free golden Witch's Cauldron card, and the Headless Horseman will return for a new Tavern Brawl starring the characters from the Monster Hunt mode. You'll also be able to take part in a dual class Arena mode, and characters will use Hallow's End emotes. Finally, the event will accompany the launch of a new Paladin hero for purchase,
Killing Floor 2 has already introduced its Halloween Horrors: Monster Masquerade update. The sprawling update includes a new Monster Ball map, along with Halloween-themed looks and effects for all the zeds and bosses. Plus you can access new weapons and limited-time items to take them all down.
Overwatch's annual Halloween Terror event is once again getting ready to kick off, and Blizzard has started to drop hints of what's to come with a riddle. Each year the Halloween Terror event continues the story of Junkenstein's monster, and this one appears to be no different. It's also always a host to several new Halloween-themed skins, emotes, sprays, and more. We've already seen Doomfist dressed up like a swamp monster and Moira as a Banshee, and there's sure to be more to come.
Dates
October 9-31
Splatoon 2
The Splatoon 2 version of a Halloween gathering is a twist on its usual monthly Splatfests, appropriately named Splatoween. It will start October 19 and last through October 21, with players picking their sides in a Turf Wars between Team Trick and Team Treat. Inkopolis will also be updated with Halloween decorations, and the squid kids will get a chance at four special Splatoween headgear that can be kept after the event is over. You'll have to go through the Nintendo Switch News app to get them, however.
What was Riot doing for the six months between then and now? Did it go on a killing spree across Malaysia? Was it dormant or hibernating--something the movie never gives any hint that Symbiotes might be capable of? Was it biding its time pretending to be someone's grandma? That blatant plot hole has nothing to do with Venom's general 1990s cheesiness as a character, or the considerable challenge of trying to make a Venom movie without a single reference to Spider-Man. It's just good, old fashioned, avoidable sloppiness.
Don't get me wrong: The lack of Spider-Man does cause problems. Specifically, the entire premise--that Venom chooses to stick around on Earth, attach itself permanently to Eddie Brock, and betray its entire species--doesn't really work in this movie. In the books, Venom's obsession with Spider-Man gives it common purpose with Eddie, and cutting Spidey out of the equation necessitates something take his place as their end goal. The movie tries to get around that by clumsily painting Eddie and Venom as Breakfast Club style lovable "losers" (actual, direct quote: "On my planet, I am kind of a loser, like you"). It's nonsensical, implausible, under-explained, and tonally weird; that line is easily the movie's biggest laugh, but not in a good way.
Venom is surprisingly funny, mostly in the verbal abuse the Symbiote whispers directly into Eddie's brain, usually after Tom Hardy's character does something Venom considers cowardly or embarrassing. When Eddie holds his hands up in surrender to law enforcement, Venom laments that he's "making us look bad;" when Eddie opts to take the elevator rather than jumping from a skyscraper, Venom calls him a "pussy." These moments are deliberately played for laughs, and they land well enough. The bigger problem is why an alien parasite from space talks like a frat bro, or, extrapolating further, why it needs eyes and teeth if its main form is a shapeless, pulsing black goo. These essential curiosities of Venom as a character are never so much as acknowledged, much less explained.
On the plus side, Venom and the other Symbiotes look pretty good in this movie. The CG work is somewhat inconsistent, and it definitely goes through ups and downs when it comes to raw fidelity. But unlike in his other live action incarnations (looking at you, Spider-Man 3), Venom actually looks like Venom here. The alien comes off as both lithe and powerful; it leaps around gracefully, but its hulking form also exudes menace and strength. The visual effect of Venom's vicious visage wrapping itself over Eddie's head is creatively executed, and Symbiote-on-Symbiote fight scenes play out in unexpected ways, with human hosts and alien parasites struggling to remain linked while trying to rip and tear their opponents apart.
Michelle Williams does just fine as Anne, although her attachment to Eddie is really inexplicable, as the two have zero chemistry. Even weirder is the willingness of her new doctor boyfriend (Reid Scott) to administer Eddie multiple MRI screenings, even after Eddie interrupts their fancy lunch date by climbing into a lobster tank (the Symbiote affects him in some truly strange ways).
Riz Ahmed does a great job as the megalomaniacal head of the Life Foundation, totally selling his character's belief that humans will have to mutate themselves using alien parasites if we want to survive climate change. That said, it's a pretty thin motivation, and Dr. Carlton Drake is an utterly one note villain. To be honest, the only character who actually experiences any kind of growth or change is the scientist played by comedian and actress Jenny Slate, who is terrific in this movie--and, unfortunately, underused.
Venom has all the ingredients of a decent superhero movie--10 or 15 years ago. With spotty CGI, poorly drawn characters, tonal inconsistency including forced "edginess" and awkward humor, sidelined female characters, and even cringeworthy licensed musical cues, it feels like a relic from the distant, pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe past. That may in part be attributed to the fact that it's been in production in one form or another since at least 2008. But its problems go way past simply being "old school," and ultimately, Venom lacks the charm, clarity, and ambition superhero fans have come to expect.
The weekly reset in Destiny 2 has taken place. For this week, we aren't seeing the introduction of a bunch of new content, as has been the case recently. But notably, the missions offered by Petra in the Dreaming City have restarted, meaning we're back to the start of a three-week cycle for the first time--something she acknowledges in her dialogue when you first speak with her. She also has the typical bounty for the Ascendant Challenge, and that is one activity that is completely new for this week. Here's what you need to do and where to go to find the portal that can net you some Powerful gear. [Update: This is your last chance to tackle this Ascendant Challenge, as the weekly reset on Tuesday is almost here.]
Like in past weeks, the Ascendant Challenge involves using a specific item (a Tincture of Queensfoil) to receive the Ascendance buff. This allows you to see a Taken portal that sends you to the Ascendant Plane to do a mission of sorts. But the portal's location and your objective has been different each week, and that's true for Week 5. Before starting, though, be sure to grab the corresponding bounty from Petra, as that's the key to earning a piece of Powerful gear.
This week's portal is found inside a Lost Sector (Bay of Drowned Wishes) located right near Dreaming City's landing zone in Divalian Mists. You'll move to the midway point of the Lost Sector, killing things until a little before you reach a door that's locked. (You can skip the enemies, but killing them will likely be easier.) If you've used your Tincture of Queensfoil, you'll see the portal and can jump through to reach the Ascendant Plane location, Agonarch Abyss.
Unfortunately, there's a good deal of platforming involved here. You'll make your way down to a temple where a large tree is. Blight balls spawn in that slow your movement, and you'll have to deal with a pair of wizards who spawn in additional Thrall enemies. Take out the wizards and you're all done. You can see this all in our video guide.
The chest that you can then open is, as always, nothing special. But finishing the Ascendant Challenge completes the bounty from Petra, which nets you a piece of Powerful gear.
When you speak to Petra, you'll notice she acknowledges that things have returned to the way they were three weeks ago. She's again offering the first of the three story missions where you rescue her associates. Meanwhile, Bungie has announced there are changes coming for Exotics, Masterwork Cores, and Iron Banner.
As is customary for the game, Destiny 2 players know Tuesday is the big day of the week. That's when the weekly reset takes place, refreshing a variety of timed challenges and bounties, and changing what tasks are laid out in front of you. This week is no different at a basic level, although you should be aware before diving in that there isn't a major new piece of content that's been introduced, as in recent weeks. That said, if you didn't speed through Forsaken, there may be something new for you, as the weekly missions offered by Petra in the Dreaming City have started over again. Here's everything you need to know about the Dreaming City, Nightfall, Ascendant Challenge, and more for the current week. [Update: It's Monday, making this your last chance to hit up the things outlined below before the next weekly reset occurs.]
Where Is Xur?
We've reached the weekend, which means the mysterious merchant is back. Xur can be found on Io in Giant's Scar, and he's got a slate of Exotic armor and a weapon (Skyburner's Oath) for sale. Check out our full Xur location guide for all the details.
Sleeper Simulant Nerf, Festival Of The Lost, And Updates Inbound
Bungie's weekly blog post was a big one, as it outlined a variety of changes coming as part of two updates launching in October. The first will coincide with the launch of Festival of the Lost on October 16, while the second hits later in the month and nerfs Sleeper Simulant in Gambit. Other changes include transmat effects being added to the Collection, damage buffs for certain weapon types, tweaked Exotic drop rates, and fewer Edge Transits (hooray!).
Ascendant Challenge
For players who have advanced far enough in Forsaken, you may be ready for a high-end activity. The Ascendant Challenge is just the ticket, providing a difficult mission of sorts to take part in for some Powerful gear--provided you can find where to go. This time, you'll enter the challenge through a portal located in the Bay of Drowne. This takes you to the Agonarch Abyss, where you'll be platforming (probably to your death at least a few times).
Before starting, you'll need to pick up the bounty from Petra and to secure a Tincture of Queensfoil, a consumable item that provides the Ascendant buff that allows you to see and travel through a Taken portal to enter the Ascendant Plane.
Spider Bounty -- Wanted: Gravetide Summoner
The set of bounties available from Spider have rotated yet again. One of these in particular is worth grabbing, though you'll need five Ghost Fragments to purchase it. Completing the bounty, Wanted: Gravetide Summoner, will reward you with Powerful gear. Yes, this is a repeat of last week, but it's found in a slightly different spot, meaning you're doing a different Lost Sector.
As always, this provides you with an Adventure to do. This one is located on Titan, right next to the Siren's Watch landing zone (rather than The Rig last week).
Nightfall
Another avenue to Powerful gear is the Nightfall Strike. Taking part in the Nightfall allows you to pick from three different Strikes; this week's choices include Lake of Shadows, Tree of Probabilities, and The Arms Dealer. The corresponding bounties for Powerful gear, as usual, ask you to complete a Nightfall and to complete one with a score above 100,000.
Eververse
Tess at Eververse has new weekly bounties, the most expensive of which is Crucible Crux, but it also rewards you with the most Bright Dust based on what you spend on the bounty. This requires you to complete matches in the Crucible, with wins netting you extra progress.
Tess has also cycled in a new wave of items to get your hands on. Most important to grab is the Rise to the Challenge bounty. This only asks you to complete a challenge to receive a Prismatic Facet. This item allows you to activate the Prismatic Matrix, which is just an overly complex term for what is basically a chest with 10 cosmetic rewards inside. The Matrix's items rotate each week; here's what's available right now:
Sanctified Vigilance Shell (Exotic Ghost shell)
Transcendent Geometry (Exotic Warlock ornament for Vesper of Radius)
Aim to Misbehave (Exotic ornament for Malfeasance)
Dragonfly Regalia Greaves (Legendary Titan leg armor)
Smooth Dance (Legendary emote)
Where Stars Collide (Legendary ship)
Endymion Cavalcade (Legendary vehicle)
Mappa Mundarum (Legendary vehicle)
Jeweled Projection (Legendary Ghost projection)
Petra
Petra is the most important vendor and NPC in Forsaken, providing you with bounties in the Dreaming City. She continues to move around the area and this week can be found back in The Strand. She has multiple bounties offering Powerful gear, as well as Gateway Between Worlds, which rewards you with an Offering to the Oracle (which is now an easy ticket to a Seed of Light and third subclass tree).
Additionally, she's again offering a bounty to do the mission Broken Courier; this marks the first reset of the rotation of Dreaming City missions she has. If your Power level wasn't high enough to try this out in September, here's your opportunity to do what you missed. Petra actually has some dialogue to acknowledge that things are back to the way they were three weeks ago.
Clan Bounties
At the Tower, head over to Hawthorne to grab your daily and weekly clan bounties. On the weekly side, this week has you doing the following with clanmates: complete Blind Well at Tier 3 or higher; clear three waves of Escalation Protocol; and do three Heroic Adventures. As per usual, completing enough clan bounties before the weekly reset will net you some Powerful gear, as will completing the standard weekly clan objectives. The weekly Raid challenge has you complete the Which Witch challenge for Powerful gear.
Vanguard Strikes
For standard Strikes, the weekly challenge is to complete three while using the same Light element as a team member. The modifiers for Strikes have rotated, and here's what you can expect to encounter right now:
Arc Singe -- Arc damage increased
Grounded -- Damage taken while airborne increased
Grenadier -- Grenades deal more damage and recharge faster
Daily Heroic Story Missions
Five story missions have been swapped in for you to tackle as part of the daily Heroic story missions activity. Complete your choice of three before the next weekly reset to net a piece of Powerful gear. The modifiers are the same as Strikes, as outlined above. Here are the mission options:
Fury -- 280 Power level
Chosen -- 280 Power level
The Gateway -- 310 Power level
Last Call -- 500 Power level
High Plains Blues -- 500 Power level
Gambit
Gambit was already one of Forsaken's best additions, and it took on greater importance last week as it became a mandatory step in the questline to obtain the Exotic hand cannon Malfeasance. You'll sometimes encounter a special boss in place of the Primeval; defeat that to get an item called Seething Heart that will set you on the difficult path toward unlocking the gun.
For this week, The Drifter is offering a weekly bounty, On the Grind, that asks you to earn points in Gambit. Points are earned by defeating enemies and guardians, and by banking Motes. The reward is a piece of Powerful gear.
Flashpoint
The Flashpoint is not tied directly to the weekly reset, but it has nonetheless been shuffled. At the time of this writing, it can be found on Mercury. Complete Public Events, Lost Sectors, and Heroic Adventures in the zone to fill a meter and earn a piece of Powerful gear.
Where Is Xur?
Xur will arrive once again on Friday, October 5, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST. There's been no word about changes to him, so you can expect the usual Fated Engram (guaranteeing a Year One Exotic you don't own) along with one Exotic weapon and one piece of armor for each class.
There are many reasons why Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is regarded as a classic. The allure of secret passages and new equipment draws you into a haunted castle filled with odd creatures and dangerous traps. All of it beautifully designed, not to mention backed by an eclectic soundtrack to suit the castle's many moods. You delve into this adventure as the silver-haired Alucard, the sympathetic son of a notorious supernatural villain, with graceful moves and a cool demeanor befitting of a vampiric heartthrob. Each of these pieces neatly click together, forming what many consider to be one of the best video games ever made. Symphony of the Night is the rare game that seems to get everything right, because even when it stumbles in gloriously cheesy ways, our accumulated goodwill turns would-be mockery into celebration.
Konami, apparently, doesn't see things the same way. Its upcoming release of Symphony of the Night on PS4 (as part of the Castlevania Requiem collection) is based on the retooled PSP release that was buried within Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. This version, while still excellent in most respects, tries to improve upon the original PlayStation release (which is also mostly intact on Xbox 360), but in the process eliminates one of the most memorable moments of the entire game.
I'm referring, of course, to the meme-ified exchange between Richter Belmont and Dracula during the prologue.
Richter: Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!
Dracula: It was not by my hand that I'm once again given flesh. I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.
Richter: "Tribute"?! You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!
Dracula: Perhaps the same could be said of all religions.
Richter: Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk! Have at you!
It's campy, over the top, and incredibly memorable. Who among us hasn't been tempted to rhetorically question the essence of humanity, fling a glass of wine across the room, and declare the answer we all know in our hearts to be true? Dracula may have sounded ridiculous, but let's be honest: he's not wrong.
The PSP version, and the upcoming PS4 port, use new voice actors and a new script, with Richter and Dracula's iconic lines rewritten to the following.
Richter: Dracula. Die now, and leave this world! You'll never belong here!
Dracula: Oh but this world invited me. Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute.
Richter: Tribute? You're a thief. You steal men's souls, their freedom...
Dracula: Freedom is always sacrificed to faith, good hunter. Or are you truly here by choice?
Richter: All I'm here for is you. To hell with your heresy! You're nothing but a blight on mankind.
Dracula: Ha! Mankind. A cesspit of hatred and lies. Fight for them, then, and die for their sins!
In the age of Twitter, where the original discussion has been glorified and given a life of its own, the decision to base the re-release on the altered version of Symphony of the Night feels like an odd one. Granted, this is a small piece of a much bigger puzzle; the game is far from ruined. Its reputation, however, is definitely challenged.
When polled, 1,780 respondents on Twitter weighed in on the matter: 33% don't care about the fact that the PSP version is being used, 26% feel that their excitement for the re-release is slightly diminished, and 41% of voters consider it to be a deal breaker.
For as much as I dislike the decision to use the PSP version of Symphony of the Night, I'm not going to pass up the chance to have a fresh copy on a modern console--assuming its emulation is technically sound. I may not, however, be able to shake the little voice in my head reminding me that it's not the definitive version of the game.
Where do you fall on the matter? Am I a crazed fan whose picked a frivolous hill to die on? Let us know in the comments below!
Guerrilla Games appears to be staffing up for a new project, and we may have some idea of its direction from the talent it's been acquiring. The studio has brought on some of the leads behind Rainbow Six Siege, which could suggest it's eyeing multiplayer for its next game.
Push Square reports that Guerrilla hired Simon Larouche in February, the game director behind Siege and a Guerrilla veteran from his work on Killzone 2. Chris Lee, who served as an online and multiplayer designer for Siege, has also been brought on by Guerrilla as a principal game designer.
Guerrilla had been known mostly for its work on the Killzone franchise before Horizon Zero Dawn. Killzone aligns pretty neatly with the talent from Siege, if the studio is working on a new installment. It may be that the studio is bringing back Killzone, that the next Horizon game will have multiplayer, or something else entirely.
In July, Guerrilla art director Jan Bart van Beek tweeted the studio is moving, with an attached article noting that the larger studio space will allow it to expand to a large pool of permanent employees. It seems the studio has big plans.
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