The newest adaptation of Robin Hood, the tale of the archer who robbed from the rich to give to the poor, angles to be an origin story worthy of action figures. It makes sense on paper--a charismatic hero creates a popular uprising while sniping a bunch of dudes in the throat with arrows. Why couldn't Robin Hood be a superhero? The inclusion of tights could be optional, but wouldn't be wholly out of step with movie's adopted genre.
In execution, though, Robin Hood is a middling but forgettable blockbuster, hoping to mix together Batman, John Wick, Kingsman, and any number of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, but without enough charm or fun to stand next to any of them.
A voice-over monologue at the start of Robin Hood advises us that the movie won't bother with history or accuracy--we wouldn't care anyway, we're told--and drops us into a medieval Britain whose people mostly wear slick leather jackets and whose landscape has an inordinate number of things spouting flames into the air. This is a "cool" take on a story that's been told time and again in cinema.
Robin Hood's cast fights valiantly for the premise. Taron Egerton, in the titular role and doing the most running, jumping, and bowstring-drawing, brings his everyman charm from the Kingsman franchise; Jamie Foxx works very hard as the intimidating, ass-kicking mentor and shows off action chops of his own; and Ben Mendelsohn deploys some signature oozing sleaze as the Sheriff of Nottingham, nearly reaching the same level as his sneering Imperial middle-manager in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Ready Player One's Nolan Sorrento. But ultimately, the movie just isn't charming enough to raise the character of Robin Hood from folk hero to superhero.
Though Robin Hood is retelling a familiar story, it takes a few liberties in the name of modernization. After moving in with his girlfriend Marian (Eve Hewson), Egerton's amiable Lord Robin of Loxley is drafted into the English army and sent to fight in the Crusades, where he's stuck for four years. What follows is a lengthy combat scene that could have been lifted from any movie about current conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan, as Robin and his squad of English archers clear nondescript desert towns door by door, bows drawn as if they're carrying assault rifles. The action sequence sets a tone for the film. As soon as the defending forces start using a giant gatling-crossbow, the sequence becomes something like an Iraq War-set Saving Private Robin.
It's here that Robin meets John (Foxx), a Moorish fighter who nearly kills him. Robin's ruthless English buds save his life, and then Robin saves John's as the English threaten to torture and murder unarmed prisoners. Through fast-forwarded plot contrivance, both wind up back in England, where Robin discovers he's lost everything, including his fiance. John recruits him to strike back at the English war machine by becoming England's take on DC's Arrow.
Robin has the added benefit of being a rich dude, so the movie adds his Bruce Wayne side to the proceedings. It's a nice shift to add a little more of Robin's political maneuvering to the story, but the whole story has a Clark Kent-is-obviously-Superman feel. Nobody manages to put together that the barely disguised desperado known as the Hood arrived in town right when Robin did, and we get a few confusing scenes where the Sheriff seems to be hinting he knows more than he's letting on, but actually doesn't. In general, everyone in Nottingham must be kinda dumb.
From there out, Robin Hood is less about robberies and more about Egerton busting into places and shooting arrows really fast at soldiers in a series of big action set pieces. The safest comparison is John Wick's close-up, fast action pointing and shooting, and it's in these action sequences that Robin Hood is at its most fun. Egerton deftly handles both the physicality of action sequences and that loveable action hero air of always staying just an inch from being in over his head. There's only one sequence, a carriage chase through Nottingham's constantly aflame mining district, where special effects break down and the use of green screen gets especially egregious. We maybe didn't need so many clearly post-production fire effects.
While the action is generally pretty serviceable, it's the script and the characters that ultimately let the movie down. Robin himself is just not engaging enough to make him memorable. The character can't capture the relatability of a John McClane, the effortless cool of an Indiana Jones or James Bond, or the quippy one-liners of a Spider-Man or Tony Stark. Add that to the fact that Robin is largely dragged through the story by John, the guy who has most of the motivation and the intellect to enact his agenda, and it starts to feel like we're following the wrong guy.
Meanwhile, Mendelsohn does his best to ratchet up the bile and get you to hate him, but the sheriff never manages much more than complaining, screaming threats, and getting easily outwitted. The rest of the supporting cast--Hewson, Jamie Dornan as her semi-shady commoner politician boyfriend, and Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck (one of the only two people who seem to know Robin in the entire town)--are stuck pushing the plot between action scenes with little to work with.
The most interesting part of Robin Hood is also its most easily buried. The subject matter of Robin's legend is always that of the underclass taking back power from their rich oppressors, and the movie tries to pull in a few modern issues to make a more contemporary point. The English's approach to the Crusades is obviously meant to evoke "enhanced interrogation" in the Middle East today. Later, commoners in Nottingham are met by soldiers carrying iron riot shields. With bandanas over their mouths and firebombs in their hands, the good guys resemble nothing so much as photographer Robert Cohen's famous photo of protester Edward Crawford in Ferguson, Missouri, heaving a tear gas canister toward police.
The movie's viewpoint isn't subtle, but those scant few images also mark Robin Hood at its most risky and intelligent. It's unfortunate that director Otto Bathurst is too busy breathlessly running to the next action scene to spend much time ruminating about how Robin Hood might inform modern life. A few quick images and the neurons they activate in your brain will have to suffice.
Robin Hood bookends its story by completing the voice-over monologue from the beginning of the film, remarking that the story is far from over. The whole thing ends with the very first appearance of the legendary Sherwood Forest, so clearly there's more rich-robbing to be done, but it seems unlikely there's enough in this blockbuster to warrant stretching Robin Hood's story into more movies. It's a fun enough way to spend an afternoon, but as much as Robin Hood might want a piece of the superhero action, it can't quite manage the fun, fascinating characters that would make it more than another note in the history of the familiar tale's film adaptations.
By Anonymous on Nov 22, 2018 12:17 am Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is chock full of Easter eggs and references to J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. From Dumbledore and Nagini to the Mirror of Erised, here's everything we saw in the latest movie in the Harry Potter universe.
Black Friday is almost upon us, and with it come deals by the dozens. If you're in the market for PC games, it's hard to beat the annual Steam sale, which just kicked off in preparation for the retail holiday.
The Steam Autumn Sale lasts through November 27 at 10 AM PT. The sale prices have gone live, offering good deals on NBA 2K19 ($30), Civilization 6 ($18) and its Rise and Fall downloadable content ($20), Dead Cells ($20), and more. Steam is also offering discounts on some of its own hardware, like 30% off a Steam Controller, or the discontinued and nearly-depleted Steam Link for $2.50. Check below for highlights of some of the best deals. Keep in mind that in some cases you may be better off shopping at other PC specialists like Fanatical, which give Steam codes.
The storefront has also opened its nominees for the Steam Awards. You can vote for your Game of the Year and VR Game of the Year, along with more esoteric categories. The Labor of Love Award gives accolades for continued support of an older game, while the Better With Friends Award celebrates multiplayer experiences. The Best Alternate History Award even awards games that have created their own unique twist on the past. Participating in the awards can earn you XP and badges.
Given that Black Friday is a retail holiday, there are a lot more sales at brick-and-mortar stores as well as online retailers offering physical goods. Console digital storefronts are offering their own sales as well, though, along with Steam competitors. Check out our full roundup of Black Friday deals to plan even more of your shopping.
Black Friday 2018 officially begins on November 23, but in the lead up to the shopping bonanza various retailers have been revealing the discounts they'll have on offer, and even making some of them available early. Not one to be left out of festivities, Nintendo has now revealed which digital Switch and 3DS games you'll be able to get on the cheap as part of its Eshop sale.
The sale has already begun and will last until November 28 at 8:59 AM PT / 11:59 AM ET / 4:59 PM GMT / 2:59 AM on November 29 for AEDT. During this time you'll be able to pick up Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $42, Starlink: Battle for Atlas for $45, and Dead Cells for $20. Along with those, there's Celeste for $16, Undertale for $13, Okami HD for $15, Doom for $30, Skyrim for $30, The Messenger for $14, and other must-play Switch games available at a discount. Of course, there's plenty more Switch titles on sale, and you can see the full list below.
For those interested in grabbing a game or two for the Nintendo 3DS, there's quite a few titles worth considering. Many of them are really cheap, so if you're picking up a 3DS for the first time--either for yourself or for someone else--this is a cost effective way to load up on games. There's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D--arguably the best version of the game--for $14, excellent puzzle game Box Boy for $5, and fast-paced action game Hyrule Warriors for $20. Take a look below for the full list of games.
For more options, check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals. And if you're wondering what games you should pick up for the system, we've got an article that compiles all the best Switch games available--grab one of them and you're good to go.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in theaters now. Have you seen it yet? What did you think of Newt's latest adventure? Let us know in the comments below the article, and keep reading to find out what was going on with that ending.
The ending of Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald was a doozy. At least one prominent character introduced in this sequel was unceremoniously killed, and even more importantly, that twist probably left your jaw on the floor. That's partially because it was so unexpected, and partially because it doesn't seem to make a shred of sense.
We're going to do our best to explain Crimes of Grindelwald's ending, so naturally, we're getting into spoilers for the Fantastic Beasts sequel. You've been warned.
Let's get this out of the way: Who is Credence, Ezra Miller's character? As Grindelwald reveals in the movie's final scene, Credence is actually Aurelius Dumbledore, a secret Dumbledore sibling. Yes, another secret Dumbledore. I say another because, as Harry Potter fans may recall, the former Hogwarts headmaster was a private, secretive man. It's unclear whether the general wizarding community was aware of his siblings, Aberforth and the long dead Ariana, but certainly Harry Potter and the other students at Hogwarts--and by extension we readers and fans--knew nothing of Dumbledore's family. The existence of his siblings toward the end of the series was treated as a reveal.
Now it turns out that Albus had yet another secret brother, and even he might not know about Aurelius. At least, the character (played here by Jude Law) gives no indication in this movie that he knows Credence's real identity. And once again, the series treats the existence of a Dumbledore sibling as a massive twist.
J.K. Rowling is the sole credited screenwriter on The Crimes of Grindelwald, so you can take what's in this movie as canon if you like. But it's a pretty cheap twist either way. For one thing, it was never set up at all throughout these movies, and it goes utterly unexplained--which, granted, makes it incredibly shocking. For another, Rowling already did the "secrets of Dumbledore's past" thing in the main Harry Potter series. Here, she's merely repeating herself, and it's way less interesting the second time around.
But the Aurelius Dumbledore twist raises even more questions beyond simply "why," like "How can Credence possibly be Albus Dumbledore's brother?" That isn't easy to answer, since it doesn't seem to make sense.
The Baby Switcheroo
First, let's get into the "how:" How did Aurelius Dumbledore wind up where he is? The movie explains this in the second-to-last scene's interminable exposition dump, so bear with me while I do my best to untangle it.
Credence's identity is a huge focus of The Crimes of Grindelwald, and most characters seem to think he's a lost son of the Lestrange family. Specifically, Credence is thought to be Corvus Lestrange, half brother to Leta Lestrange, Zoe Kravitz's character. But Leta reveals in the tomb scene that he can't be Corvus, because she knows Corvus is dead.
There's yet another new character who features prominently in this story: Yusuf Kama, who we know nothing about until this scene. According to Leta, her father put a spell on Yusuf's mother, who then died in childbirth having Leta. Leta's father remarried, producing another baby--Corvus. Yusuf sets out to kill Credence to get revenge against Leta's father, since he thinks Credence is Corvus Lestrange. However, while on a boat from England to New York, Leta switched Corvus with another baby because she got sick of his crying (solid big sis move). The boat sank, and Leta survived, but with the other child.
The reasons for a lot of this are unclear. Why does anyone think that Corvus is dead, since Leta and a baby that everyone should believe is her brother survived the boat sinking? And if everyone thinks Corvus is dead for some reason, why does anyone, including Yusuf, think Credence is Corvus? Why were Leta and Corvus on that boat to begin with? How could that other baby be a secret Dumbledore? What are the odds of those two babies being on the same boat? Why did Credence end up in foster care with some wizard-hating weirdo?
Some of these questions may be answered in the movie, but it's impossible to be sure after just one viewing, thanks to the film's convoluted story, confusing structure, huge cast of poorly developed new characters, and last minute info dump where all this is revealed so quickly it's hard to keep track. This is where the Fantastic Beasts movies really start to feel like the Star Wars prequels. But if we're going to try to make sense of it, we have to get into the Dumbledore family history.
Dumbledore Family History
Albus's parents were Percival and Kendra Dumbledore. The Harry Potter books establish a pretty clear timeline for their tragic story. Kendra Dumbledore died in 1899, the same year as Albus's younger sister, Ariana. And Percival was imprisoned in the wizard jail Azkaban, where he died some time after 1890. The Crimes of Grindelwald takes place sometime around 1927. Therefore, if Credence--AKA Aurelius--is Albus's full brother, he must be in his late thirties, which he clearly is not.
There are more possibilities if Aurelius is Albus's half brother. If Kendra had Aurelius late in her life--toward the end of the 19th century--then he would be in his late twenties during Crimes, which is more possible, although still unlikely, as Credence seems clearly meant to be a teenager in these films.
That leaves one last possibility, and the one that's most likely: Aurelius is Albus Dumbledore's half brother by their father, Percival. Percival spent the final years of his life in Azkaban, where the dementors suck all the joy and emotion out of the prisoners. It's hard to imagine Aurelius fathering a child and somehow smuggling that child out of Azkaban, but then again, who knows what Rowling has in mind?
What's certain is that it isn't explained in this movie, so let's hope we get the full story in the next one. Either way, it seems incredibly strange that Albus Dumbledore has yet another sibling, and that this one was somehow lost to history, despite being the focus of the entire magical world circa 1927. No one remembers any of this by the time Harry Potter starts digging through Dumbledore's past in the 1990s? Rita Skeeter uncovers no hints of Aurelius's existence while gathering dirt for her book, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore? No doubt we'll find out in future Fantastic Beasts films, but it seems for that to make sense, Credence's true identity will need to stay a secret, which I can't imagine will prove satisfying from a narrative perspective.
Anyway. By the end of Fantastic Beasts 2, Grindelwald is poised to make his move, with a small army of followers that now includes both Credence/Aurelius and, for reasons that make absolutely no sense, Queenie. Newt, Dumbledore, and the aurors are ready to fight back, which should hopefully make the next Fantastic Beasts movie a little more straightforward.
The Blood Pact
There's one other facet to Crimes of Grindelwald's ending that gives us hope for Fantastic Beasts 3 and beyond: Dumbledore is in possession of the blood pact he made with Grindelwald. Oh, by the way, blood pacts are now a thing in Harry Potter I guess. Who needs unbreakable vows when you have blood pacts?
The blood pact between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is a physical, magic McGuffin that Grindelwald has had in his possession all along. It's the reason why Dumbledore insists several times in this movie that he can't be the one to confront Grindelwald. As teenagers, the two were close--"closer than brothers," and in fact, they were most likely romantically entangled. Thus, they made a blood pact that apparently prevents Dumbledore from fighting Grindelwald.
Thanks to Newt's niffler, Dumbledore is now in possession of that blood pact, and he believes he can destroy it, paving the way for the epic confrontation we know these movies are headed toward. At least that's something to look forward to.
From the opening scenes, you know exactly where Creed II is headed. Creed II is to the original Creed what Rocky II was to the movie that started it all: Adonis Creed starts out on top of the world, which means he has nowhere to go but down. He'll hit rock bottom, linger there for a while, then drag himself back up for a triumphant return. That's the basic outline of Creed II. It's intimately familiar, and it's so well executed that you won't mind the story's inevitability.
That isn't to say there are no surprises. The story of Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, parallels that of his predecessors, but it's not a simple cut and paste. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has his own arc in this film, while Bianca (the incredibly talented Tessa Thompson) really comes into her own as a character. Maybe most surprising of all is the journey of Ivan Drago, returning villain from Rocky IV, played once again by the great Dolph Lundgren.
Like the original Creed, Creed II is about legacy. Adonis can't escape the past, and he has the extra burden of carrying Rocky's legacy in addition to his own father's. Back in 1985, in Rocky IV, Rocky defeated Ivan Drago after Drago killed Apollo Creed in the ring. Now Drago, disgraced for decades in his home country, returns with a son who's been training his whole life for this moment. They throw down the gauntlet in Philadelphia, and Adonis has no choice but to accept.
At least, that's how he sees it. But Creed II moves past the simple theme of legacy when Rocky asks Adonis, "Why do you need to fight this fight?" Why does Adonis accept that his father's and his mentor's problems are now his problems? What does he actually want?
As in the last movie, Jordan brings a huge amount of depth to the character. It wouldn't be a Rocky movie without some training montages, and Creed II has some really creative ones. More importantly, Jordan absolutely sells how hard the character pushes himself. And Adonis doesn't take defeat lightly. Rock bottom really looks grim for him, thanks to Jordan's vulnerable, emotional performance. And his physical condition is staggeringly impressive--the amount of training that must have gone into making his body look like this is hard to imagine.
As Adonis's partner Bianca, Thompson proves in Creed II that she can bring a unique presence to any role. As essentially a supporting character for Adonis, Bianca might have felt like a second stringer in another actress's hands, but Thompson steals the show more than once. As the viewer, you believe that Adonis would collapse without her support in their personal life. She's his foundation. And Stallone is still Stallone--capable of expressing a surprising amount of emotion for a guy whose face looks like that. He may actually have become a better actor in his advanced years.
And then there's Lundgren. Like Rocky, Ivan Drago is well past his fighting years--although unlike Rocky, Drago still cuts a physically intimidating figure. His son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) is a monster of a man who spends most of the movie yelling and throwing punches that look like they could break through a brick wall. But the elder Drago is such an impressive presence--especially next to the clearly exhausted Stallone--that you feel genuinely scared for Rocky during an early confrontation when it seems like the two old rivals might come to blows.
Creed II accomplishes something incredible when it humanizes Drago. Yes, he's still the bad guy of the story, but he's not a villain. He's an ex-boxer who's essentially been in exile; disgraced at home, abandoned by family and country. Drago's path, much like Adonis's, was inevitable. And Creed II spends enough time with Ivan and Viktor that you truly start to feel for them. Training montages flip back and forth between Adonis's cushy apartment, beautiful girlfriend, and fancy gyms, and Ivan and Viktor's dingy home, ratty facilities, and generally lonely life. Both sets of characters are just doing what they have to do to improve their lot.
Creed II's fights, the main event, are breathtakingly personal. Adonis and Viktor make every punch look and feel real. The camera often stays uncomfortably close, making excellent use of a first person perspective to make you feel like you're literally in the fight, taking those hits along with the characters. The blood, sweat, and tears feel so immediate that you'll forget about caring whether you think you know what the outcome is going to be. Jordan and Thompson invest so much emotion that you can't help but feel along with them.
Creed II comes with a different director--Steven Caple Jr. replaces Ryan Coogler--but it nearly matches the original Creed in quality. It's Rocky sequel comfort food: exactly what you want, executed with amazing finesse. The only question left is where the series will go from here, as Adonis Creed now has his own legacy to maintain.
The Good
The Bad
Emotional performances, especially from Jordan and Thompson
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The Monster Hunter series is known for its loot, as players defeat enormous beasts for parts so they can craft some stylish duds and weapons from their bones and skins. Our first look at the upcoming Monster Hunter film starring Milla Jovovich and Ron Perlman shows that aspect is definitely making the transition to the big screen.
In the movie still shared by Sony, we see Jovovich and costar Tony Jaa dressed in some post-apocalyptic leathers and metals. But it's Jaa's weaponry that really catches the eye. In one hand he's brandishing a massive sword that appears to be the Giant Jawblade, while the other hand holds a more obscured bone-bow.
That signals that the movie will be true to the series in at least one aspect: the concept of hunters crafting their gear out of the fallen remains of monsters is alive and well. Presumably after completing a hunt they won't have to farm it a dozen more times to get the full set.
Jovovich plays Artemis, a UN military commander who gets transported to a different universe crawling with beasts. She teams up with Hunter (Jaa) to close the portal and keep the monsters from coming to earth. Along the way they'll meet up with familiar characters from the universe like the Admiral. It's being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who also directed his wife Jovovich in adaptations of Capcom's Resident Evil franchise. A release date has not been announced.
This year's Black Friday extravaganza is almost here, with many of the big deals happening on Thanksgiving, November 22. However, Black Friday is all about the day after, when stores offer deep discounts on various items, from video games, to televisions, and more. And if you're a person who purchases physical copies of movies on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K, there are some fantastic deals you're going to want to check out.
The best part about most of these Black Friday movie deals is that the majority of the physical discs--primarily Blu-ray and 4K--come with digital copy codes. So you'll be buying these movies cheaper than you can get them through a service like Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu, and a physical copy comes with it.
There are quite a few sales to keep you eyes on, including Barnes and Noble's sale on 50% off of Criterion Collection Blu-rays. The only Criterion movies shown in the circular were Ingmar Bergman's Cinema, The Tree of Life, and The Princess Bride, but more will be on sale.
Best Buy has a long list of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K movies on sale during the event. You can pick up either of the Super Troopers movies on Blu-ray for $4 each or movies from this past year for cheap: Avengers: Infinity War ($7), Black Panther ($7), Sicario: Day of the Soldado ($6), or Game Night ($8). The best movie deals to come to Best Buy are Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes 1-6) for $20 and The Godfather Collection for $10.
Every store has different operating hours during Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the weekend following the holiday, so take a look at our store hours guide, and make sure to check with your local retailers as store hours may vary.
Below you'll find a list of all the movie sales from retailers during Black Friday. Many of these stores don't have all its discounted movies listed on the various sites, but more will be added to the Black Friday sales. However, don't expect any huge surprises as these retailers want to put its best deals in the circulars to get you in the stores.
We're only a few days away from the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday 2018, but many retailers and video game publishers aren't waiting until then to roll out their deals. After initially being limited to Xbox Live Gold members, Microsoft has now expanded its annual Black Friday Xbox Live sale to everyone, offering discounts on a ton of recent and popular titles for Xbox One and PC.
Much like Sony's PSN sale, Microsoft's Black Friday deals encompass a number of 2018's biggest releases, as well as plenty of great titles from previous years. That includes games that have just launched in the past month or two, such as Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which is on sale for everyone for $45. As with Microsoft's weekly Deals with Gold, some of the sale items also offer an additional percentage off for Gold subscribers, so you can get some particularly good deals if you're a member of the premium online service. If you aren't, you find some good deals on Xbox Live subscriptions this year as well.
A handful of big-name exclusives arrived on Xbox One this past year, most of which are discounted as part of this sale. The zombie survival game State of Decay 2 is $19.49, while the shared-world pirate adventure Sea of Thieves drops down to $30. You can also get Forza Horizon 4, the latest installment in the acclaimed open-world driving series, for $39. Like all of Microsoft's first-party games, these are also available to stream through the Xbox Game Pass service. If you're interested in trying it out, you can find nice deals on Xbox Game Pass subscriptions from various retailers.
2018 was also a big year for multiplatform releases, so if you've been holding off on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you can pick them up now at some good prices. Click through the gallery above to see some of the best deals available in the Xbox Live Black Friday sale, and head over to the official Xbox website to see the full list of discounts. Thanks to Microsoft's Play Anywhere feature, buying many of the titles on this list from the Microsoft Store allows you to play them on both Xbox One and PC.
There are only a few days remaining until Black Friday rolls around. Be sure to check out our full Black Friday coverage below. You can also peruse our Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop guides for a look at the deals those retailers will be offering ahead of and on the big shopping day.
Like 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins, this year's installment in Ubisoft's long-running stealth action series offers players more in-depth role-playing opportunities, starting with the option to play as either a male or female lead. The game also spins a lengthy story that will take you across ancient Greece and pit you against fearsome foes, both historical and mythological. Odyssey is on sale for everyone for $45, but those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription can snag it for the even sweeter price of $40.19.
This year's installment in Activision's blockbuster shooter series may not feature a traditional single-player campaign, but it more than makes up for it with an even bigger focus on multiplayer. On top of the standard suite of multiplayer options found in previous Black Ops games, Black Ops 4 features a robust Zombies mode, as well as its own take on the ever-popular battle royale genre in Blackout. The game is on sale for everyone for $54, while Xbox Live Gold subscribers can get it for $48.
The stylish and fiendishly challenging side-scrolling shooter Cuphead was one of Xbox One's most beloved exclusives in 2017. Featuring a stunning visual style inspired by 1930s cartoons plus intense run-and-gun gameplay and difficult boss battles, the game made a big splash when it finally arrived on the Microsoft Store last September--more than three years after it was first announced. If you've yet to download Cuphead, you can pick it up now for 20%.
Destiny 2's big Forsaken expansion arrived back in September and introduced a wealth of new content to the loot-driven online shooter. Along with a darker, more personal story that sends players on a mission to avenge the fallen Cayde-6, it adds new weapons, quests, and the Gambit mode, which we described as a "clever combination of seemingly disparate elements." The Forsaken Legendary Collection comes with an instant level 30 character boost and runs for $42, but Xbox Live Gold members can get it for $36.
Forza Horizon 4 takes Playground Games' critically acclaimed driving series to the breathtaking roads of the United Kingdom. Building upon its predecessors with an extensive roster of vehicles, an improved progression system, a larger emphasis on online functionality, and the introduction of seasons, which affect the game world in tangible ways, Forza Horizon 4 represents a new benchmark for the franchise and is one of Microsoft's best exclusives of the year. It's also one of Microsoft's Play Anywhere titles, so buying it from the Microsoft Store gets you access to the game on both Xbox One and PC.
If you prefer driving around the track to the country side, last year's installment in the Forza franchise, Forza Motorsport 7, is also discounted as part of Xbox Live's big Black Friday sale. Boasting more than 700 cars and a handful of new features for the series such as customizable drivers and a dynamic weather system, Forza Motorsport 7 remains one of the deepest driving sims on Xbox One. Like Horizon 4, Forza Motorsport 7 is a Play Anywhere title, so you can pick it up from the Microsoft Store and play it on either Xbox One or PC.
The first entry in the popular franchise to hit Xbox One, Gears of War 4 marks a new beginning of sorts for the series. Set some 25 years after Gears of War 3, the game follows JD Fenix, the son of series veteran Marcus Fenix, as he battles a new subterranean threat and the Coalition of Ordered Governments. At $10, now would be a good time to catch up on the series before its next entry, Gears 5, arrives in 2019.
Ori And The Blind Forest: Definitive Edition -- $10
Ori and the Blind Forest captured the attention of fans and critics alike when it first launched in 2015 thanks to its beautiful visual style, Metroid-inspired gameplay, and heartrending tale. With its follow-up, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, set to launch in 2019, now is the perfect time to dive into the original and see what all the fuss is about. The Definitive Edition comes with the base game and a slew of additional content, including new areas, abilities, and story sequences. It's on sale for everyone for $12, but Xbox Live Gold members can save a little more and pick it up for $10.
PUBG took the world by storm when it first hit Steam last year, kicking off the influx of battle royale games that would follow. The shooter would arrive in early access on Xbox One at the end of 2017, and since then, developer PUBG Corp. has introduced new maps, weapons, and a slew of other additions to the game. While it's slated to make its way to PS4 next month, Xbox One remains the only console you can currently get PUBG on, and if you have Xbox Live Gold, you can pick it up now for $18 (while everyone else can buy it for $21).
Sea of Thieves is the latest adventure from Rare, the iconic studio behind Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie. The always-online shared-world game puts players in the boots of a pirate, allowing you to form a crew with friends and sail the high seas in search of treasure (or other players to plunder). While the title suffered from a lack of content at launch, Rare has rolled out a steady stream of expansions for it over the past few months, introducing new quests, modes, and nautical terrors to face.
The third--and darkest--chapter in Lara Croft's rebooted origin story, Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes the eponymous explorer to the remote jungles of Central America, where she must prevent a Mayan apocalypse she triggered from unfolding while also thwarting the shadowy organization Trinity. Despite only launching back in September, you can pick the game up from the Microsoft Store for $36, while those with an Xbox Live Gold membership can get it at an enticing $30.
Much like its popular Xbox 360 predecessor, State of Decay 2 is a zombie survival game in which players must explore a dilapidated, post-apocalyptic world for food, medical supplies, and crafting materials in order to stand a chance against the shambling undead monsters that have taken over. Since launch, the studio has rolled out a handful of DLC packs for the game, the most recent of which--Zed Hunter--arrived this month and added a variety of new consumables and weapons, such as the crossbow.
By Anonymous on Nov 21, 2018 10:44 pm Ryan and Greg wrap up American Horror Story: Apocalypse with their Season 8 review. Find out their favorite and not-so-favorite moments of the season and how it could have been even better!
By Anonymous on Nov 21, 2018 10:30 pm She's a cowboy, baby. Former leader of the Deadlock gang, Ashe is Overwatch's new gunslinging hero. She's got a wildly fun style of play, and Joey is here to help you get started with her (and B.O.B.)
By Anonymous on Nov 21, 2018 10:20 pm An explosive opening brings our favorite web slinging hero standing in the way of a Mob Boss hell bent on wreaking utter havoc on the competition and his enemies. Here's the first 13 minutes of the Iron Spider in action. Marvel's Spider-Man Turf Wars DLC out now on Playstation 4.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features a very full roster of every Smash character ever, along with some new additions. One conspicuously absent member of the roster is Waluigi, the Luigi doppelganger who has featured in several Mario sports games. The fan outcry has been ongoing, and rest assured, Nintendo has heard you.
Speaking to Nintendo of Canada's Andrew Collins, Okay Cool noted the fan campaign to put Waluigi in the game, including an appearance in the Washington Post. Collins made it clear the company has seen your pleas and passion.
"I think it's great when something builds naturally because, you know, as a marketer, when you have something that goes viral like that it's brilliant," he said. "You can't buy that. You can't create it. And when the fans do something like that, it's amazing. But it's so good to see from a passionate side of things. And let's face it, it's funny. I've seen some of the photos. I've seen some of the artwork that people have created, and it's fantastic to see their passion."
Obviously, this isn't a promise that Waluigi will actually come to the game, but an acknowledgement from Nintendo that it has seen the response is more than nothing. That may be enough to prompt the company to add him as downloadable content.
Nintendo has already announced the addition of five more fighters are coming as DLC, along with the free Piranha Plant DLC for early purchasers. Each pack will cost $6 and come with one new fighter, one new stage, and a variety of music tracks. They will be available as a bundle for $25, which will also net you an outfit based on Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The roster for these DLC fighters is already set, so if Waluigi is ultimately destined to Smash with the rest of his compatriots, the plans are already in-motion.
The last round of announced characters included Incineroar from Pokemon and Ken from Street Fighter, and you can see them in action here. Smash Bros. Ultimate will hit on December 7. For more details check out our pre-order guide.
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