This week, Rockstar Games launched the beta for Red Dead Online, the hotly anticipated multiplayer mode for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4 and Xbox One. Much like in the original game, players will be able to take part in missions, themed events, and take out rival players as they explore the massive open world at their leisure. This time, however, Red Dead Online is taking more cues from Grand Theft Auto V's online mode, allowing you to create your own character and build up their influence as they rub shoulders with some of Red Dead's most well-known individuals.
With the beta, players will get an early look at what to expect from the online experience of Red Dead 2. Unlike the main story, the entire map is available to explore early on, allowing you to freely move about once you've gotten your feet wet. During our time spent exploring and taking part in a variety of events, we had a number of takeaways of how Red Dead Online functions as a whole, which we've detailed here in this feature. In addition to some familiar faces making a return, we've also gotten a better look at the new character progression system, which is a big change from the main story. There was certainly a lot to take in with how Red Dead Online works, be sure to share your thoughts below on what stuck out for you with the new mode.
Rockstar plans to gradually roll more players into the beta. So far, it's just limited those who played the game in the initial days after launch or if you own the ultimate edition. In the coming days, more players players will be able to dive in and experience the online mode. If you want to see when you can play, check out our write-up here.
For more on Red Dead Online, be sure to keep up with our continuing coverage. And if you're still playing the main story, be sure to check out our guide on the hidden weapons in the game, along with some other strange events and easter eggs that are worth keeping an eye out for.
It's Set Before The Main Story
Taking place sometime before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2's story--just prior to the disastrous Blackwater heist that forced the Van der Linde gang on the run--you'll play as a newly incarcerated prisoner in Sisika Penitentiary. After creating your character, you'll quickly dive into the lengthy tutorial detailing the new systems--such as the new ability cards, multiplayer, and co-op, you'll also get to know some of the new characters exclusive to the online mode. Once you've set up your own camp, you're free to take part in a number of activities, which include horse racing, co-op missions, and of course competitive gunfights with rivals. By setting the online mode's story before the main game's plot, it will allow newcomers and those that haven't finished the main story to dive into the different setting spoiler-free.
Familiar Faces Return
While exploring the online world, you'll come across many new characters in your travels who won't be seen outside of Red Dead Online. However, some missions will not only have you cross paths with some returning characters from Red Dead 2, but also those from the previous game. In one early mission, your character will meet up with the Davies brothers, who helped Arthur Morgan flip stolen horses during the main story. In RDO, they assist you with purchasing horses and supplies, and will even offer up a free upgrade from your default steed. In another, more surprising appearance, players will meet up with Bonnie MacFarlane, a returning character from the original game who is notably absent from Red Dead 2's single-player story. Just like in GTA Online, you'll see different sides of some returning characters, as they task you with helping them out with various missions.
There's A Battle Royale Mode
Similar to Red Dead 1's online mode, there are a variety of gameplay modes to dive into. In addition to free-roam, letting you loose in the open world, there's also a suite multiplayer modes called the Showdown Series. By selecting this option, you can join different multiplayer modes, including team-deathmatch, capture the territory, and free-for-all. However, Red Dead Online is also taking cues from the biggest trend in recent years, allowing you to take part in the open world western's take on the popular battle royale game-mode. Known as Make It Count, this mode puts 32 players together in a large-scale skirmish to see who's the top outlaw. Armed with a bow and arrow, and along with a knife, you'll have to use your wits and quick reflexes to stay one step ahead of the others, all while the field of battle shrinks down. Here's a list of the multiplayer modes on-hand in RDO.
Shootout & Team Shootout: Classic gunfight modes with unlimited lives. Compete to rack up the most kills before the timer runs out. Sudden death will trigger in the event of a tie: whoever gets the first kill wins.
Make it Count: A true test of resourcefulness in two game modes: use nothing but a bow and a handful of arrows or throwing knives to be the last one standing. With a gradually shrinking player area, there's nowhere to run.
Most Wanted: A tactical race to the top. Every kill pushes you up the scoreboard, but watch out: the closer to the top you are, the more points everyone else gets for killing you.
Hostile Territory: Work in teams to control the land. Capture a territory to start racking up points: the team with most points wins - or you can win outright by capturing every territory.
Name your Weapon: Demonstrate your personal specialty in this free-for-all or team based match: the trickier the weapon you use to land the killing blow, the more points you get.
Character Growth Works A Bit Differently
In Red Dead Redemption 2's campaign, the Cores systems divide Arthur's attributes across three different areas: Health Stamina, and Dead Eye. To upgrade these areas, you simply have to perform actions associated to each area, which included hunting, fist-fighting, shooting, and sprinting long distances. While the basic concept of Cores carry over to Red Dead Online, actual character growth is very different. During character creation, you'll be able to form the basis of your character's stats--letting you put points into whichever attributes you prefer. Your character will gradually rank up after gaining enough experience points and acquire Ability Vouchers to unlock new perks--including the perk A Moment To Recuperate, which allows health regen during Dead Eye. With up to four perks available to you, one focused on Dead Eye, and the others offering passive traits that help you and your teammates, you'll be able to gradually mold your character into the style of outlaw you wish.
The New Economy
Over the course of your journey moving up the outlaw ladder in New Hanover and New Austin, you'll slowly acquire more funds to purchase better gear and resources. Many of the systems and the economy from the base game carry over, but with the online mode, there have been some changes to make things a bit more balanced. In addition to access being restricted by your level, many of the items are much more expensive compared to the single-player mode. Along with earning cold, hard cash money from fallen enemies, completing missions, and looting chests, you'll also acquire gold, which is used to purchase premium items. Unsurprisingly, many of the more elite items in Online will require gold, which can be found on your own, or purchased with real money (though this option is not yet available).
There's much more to see and find in Red Dead Online, and we're still learning more about what the mode has to offer. Be sure to check out our roundup of all the details in RDO.
The Dragon Age franchise has been quiet since 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition, but that's set to change soon. BioWare's Casey Hudson says that the company is preparing to say more about its plans for the series sometime in December.
"If you've been following these blogs, or myself and Mark Darrah on Twitter, you know we're also working on some secret Dragon Age stuff," Hudson said on the BioWare blog. "Dragon Age is an incredibly important franchise in our studio, and we're excited to continue its legacy. Look for more on this in the coming month (though I won't tell you where to look…)"
The reference to the coming month is December, during which the biggest game event is the annual Game Awards. That also happens to house a lot of debuts and announcements alongside the accolades, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the impending Dragon Age announcement show up there. Inquisition won the top honor of Game of the Year at 2014's Game Awards.
Dragon Age was one of two major franchises that BioWare was alternating between in the last generation, the other being Mass Effect. Mass Effect made the journey to the new generation of consoles with Mass Effect: Andromeda, but Dragon Age has not had a new game created exclusively for this generation.
Fortnite's Week 10 challenges have arrived on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, which means Season 6 of the hit battle royale game is winding down. Now that the final batch of challenges are available, you only have a few more days to complete them and unlock any remaining Season 6 Battle Pass rewards before Season 7 kicks off.
Developer Epic Games still hasn't confirmed when Season 7 of Fortnite will begin, but according to the game's website, Season 6 is slated to run until Thursday, December 6. That doesn't necessarily confirm that the new season will begin immediately after; for instance, Season 6 began two days after Season 5 concluded. That said, it does give us an indication of when we can expect it to start.
As for what awaits in Season 7, Epic has been characteristically silent about the new season, although as per usual, it has been dropping some subtle hints about it within the game itself. In the lead up to nearly every season thus far, players would begin witnessing some unusual happenings around the island, such as the arrival of the mysterious purple cube prior to the start of Season 6, and that trend has continued this season with the appearance of distant clouds in the ocean surrounding the island.
Since players first began to notice these clouds, there have been other subtle indications that the temperature around the island has been dropping, hinting that Season 7 could be winter-themed. It appears the mysterious clouds are also shrouding an iceberg that is slowly approaching the island. What this portends for Season 7 is anyone's guess at this point, but it's another indication that a new snowy area may be on the way to the game.
It's now Week 10, the last week of Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 6. What Epic Games has in store for the wildly popular battle royale title in Season 7 remains a mystery, but what we do know is that time is running out to get this season's Battle Stars, level up your Battle Pass, and unlock the cosmetic items attached to it. Once the season is over, it could be a long time before any of those items return, so if you've had your eye on a skin, bling, or harvester, it's now or never. Here's what to expect from Week 10 challenges.
Week 10's challenges are now available and, as always, come in two categories: free to everyone and exclusive to paid Battle Pass owners. In the free section, players will need to build 250 structures in exchange for five Battle Stars. Visiting a ship, a camel, and a crashed Battle Bus will also net you five Battle Stars (check out our guide for exact locations), while searching seven chests at either Tilted Towers or Paradise Palms will get you 10 Battle Stars.
In the paid Battle Pass section, meanwhile, you'll need to place Mounted Turrets in three different matches for five Battle Stars and complete three vehicle timed trials for 10 Battle Stars. This tier also has two multi-stage challenges. The first starts by landing at Lazy Links, while the second begins by getting a shotgun elimination. As you complete those, additional stages will reveal themselves. Take a look at the full list of challenges below.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 10 Challenges
Free
Build structures (250) -- 5 Battle Star
Visit a Viking ship, a camel, and a crashed Battle Bus (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests at Tilted Towers or Paradise Palms (7) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Place Mounted Turrets in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Epic has launched Fortnite update 6.31 and, as part of it, a new feature that allows players to gift items to others. According to the studio this feature isn't going to be around for long, but it's described as an "initial gifting period," suggesting it could return in the future. The item shop currently allows players to buy cosmetics as a gift and then select someone on their friends list to send the item to.
In order to make use of the gifting feature, you'll need to have multi-factor authentication enabled, and you'll need to have been friends with a person for at least 48 hours before a gift can be sent to them. Gifts are limited to three in a 24-hour period and Epic will not refund any gift purchases. Fortnite's 6.31 update also added new shotgun variants and a fresh limited-time mode, among other things. You can get all the details in the full patch notes here.
Week 10 challenges for Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 6--now in its final week--have been revealed, and while they're all pretty straightforward, one will require you to have good knowledge of the island. For Week 10's free challenges, developer Epic Games wants players to visit a Viking ship, a camel, and a crashed Battle Bus. In return, they'll be awarded with five precious Battle Stars that can be put towards leveling up their Battle Pass and unlocking cosmetics. Here's where to find all three locations.
If you've played a lot of Fortnite, you should have a pretty good idea of where to find these landmarks on the island. However, if you need a helping hand, we're here to provide it. The Viking ship can be found on the southwest of the map at coordinates B6. It's huge, so if you glide over there you will not miss it. The camel, meanwhile, is near Lucky Landing at the coordinates G9. Again, another one that you can't miss. The Battle Bus is slightly trickier as it has moved recently. While it used to be around Shifty Shafts, it's now at the map grid E3, which is to the west of Lazy Links.
All you've got to do to finish the challenge is head to those locations. However, make sure you finish the game--win or lose--as if you quit out immediately it will not count. To make things a little easier we've put together a video of ourselves completing the challenge, which you can watch above. Below you'll find the exact locations of the three landmarks.
Fortnite Viking Ship, Camel, Crashed Battle Bus Locations
Viking Ship: Southwest at B6, on top of the snowy mountain
Camel: Northeast at G9, near Lucky Landing
Crashed Battle Bus: West of Lazy Links at E3
That's just one of the challenges for Season 6, Week 10, alongside vehicle timed trials and other things. As previously noted, this is the final week of challenges for the season, which means it's also the last week you can unlock the cosmetics tied to the Battle Pass for this season. Once it's over, there's no telling when they'll be available again, so it's worth spending some time finishing challenges from this week, and previous ones, so you can get everything you want.
It might seem daunting, but we've been putting together guides for all the hardest challenges week by week. If you use our Fortnite Season 6 complete challenge guide, you'll get everything done in no time. You'll want to act fast, as Fortnite Season 7 is just around the corner.
Season 6 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is winding down, and its final set of challenges of this season are now available for Week 10. Among them is one tasking you to complete vehicle timed trials. You'll need to do a total of three, but there's no indication of where the timed trials are located or how to go about completing this challenge. Here's where to go and what to do.
At a basic level, the vehicle timed trials are similar to the non-vehicle ones in the past; you go to a location, start the trial, and race through markers as you make your way to the finish. The key difference here is that you'll first need to secure a vehicle; you aren't given one when you start the trial. You're able to try completing it on foot, but in our experience that isn't realistically possible.
Vehicle spawns are generally random in Fortnite, but you may have luck tracking down a golf cart at Lazy Links. Alternatively, a reliable spot we've found is just outside Junk Junction. To the east, just on the line separating C1 and C2, you can find a race track with four ATVs available. Conveniently, two of the timed trials are located fairly close by, so you should at least be able to easily use these ATVs (provided they do spawn in) to complete those.
However you obtain a vehicle, you'll next want to head to one of the timed trials locations. There are at least five on the map, including those near Lazy Links, Junk Junction, Flush Factory, and Dusty Divot. Once you start the timed trial, a series of flags will appear, and you'll need to make your way through each of them before time expires. The actual racing is relatively straightforward; you shouldn't have any trouble seeing the flags or where you need to go--the tricky bit is securing a vehicle and finding the timed trial itself.
Fortnite Vehicle Timed Trials Locations (Week 10)
northwest of Junk Junction, in the middle of B1
northwest of Lazy Links, in the bottom left of F2
east of Dusty Divot, in the middle of G5
east of Retail Row and south-southwest of Lonely Lodge, in the top-middle of I6
north-northeast of Flush Factory, in the upper right of D9
Alongside the other Week 10 challenges, such as the one that tasks you with visiting a camel and other objects, this represents the end of Season 6. Season 7 is just around the corner, although there's been no official word regarding what it will consist of or exactly when it will launch.
Even after more than a dozen releases, the Mario Party franchise remains incredibly popular. Nintendo has announced that the newest entry, Super Mario Party for Nintendo Switch, has already passed 1 million copies sold in the United States alone following its release on October 5. That makes it the fastest-selling entry in the history of the Mario Party franchise.
This news was disclosed as part of Nintendo of America's wider announcement that the Switch had a great Black Friday. Over the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, the Switch became the best-selling Nintendo console ever for that five-day period, even eclipsing sales of the Wii over any of its Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday periods.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, Nintendo still has one more major release coming up. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will launch for Switch on December 7, and it is expected to be a big hit.
The wait for Path of Exile on PlayStation 4 just got a little longer. Developer Grinding Gear Games has announced that the PlayStation 4 edition won't launch in December as planned.
In a blog post, the developer apologised for the delay, and explained that the studio "underestimated the amount of work it would take to finish the certification process during the busy Christmas period."
Grinding Gear is now expecting to finish the certification process by January, with the game potentially launching in early February on PS4. The studio won't be sitting by idly twiddling its thumbs between now and then, as the studio said the extra time will allow the developer to further improve Path of Exile's performance and frame rate for PS4.
"Again, we're very sorry about this," the studio said. "We promise that Path of Exile will be awesome on PlayStation 4 when it is released early next year."
A free-to-play role-playing game, Path of Exile originally launched in 2013, and here at GameSpot we gave it our PC Game of the Year that year. The Xbox One version came out in 2017. In May 2018, Chinese internet and gaming giant Tencent acquired Grinding Gear Games, but the company claims to continue to operate independently.
While Path of Exile is no longer coming to PS4 in December, the game will welcome a new expansion, Betrayal, that month. For lots more, check out GameSpot's in-depth coverage of Betrayal here, while you can check out the announcement trailer in the embed above.
Following a controversy surrounding changes to a physical item in the Fallout 76 Collector's Edition, Bethesda is offering a make-good in the form of in-game currency. The offer extends only to those who bought the $200 Collector's Edition, which was discovered to contain a nylon duffel bag rather than the canvas one that had been advertised in promotional materials.
In a tweet, the company directed affected users to support page that outlines how to open a request. Those who can provide a proof of purchase for the Collector's Edition will be given 500 Atoms, the in-game currency for Fallout 76. 500 Atoms is a relatively low amount of currency, though. It equals about $5, and can purchase one or two of a few small cosmetic items.
The controversy began when purchasers of the Fallout 76 Collector's Edition noticed the bag delivered wasn't as advertised. One such fan reached out to Bethesda support, and received a curt reply that the company was "not planning on doing anything about it." The company subsequently apologized for that response, and blaming the change on "unavailability of materials."
The official store listing now shows nylon listed in the text with an image that still refers to the bag as canvas. On a cached version of that store page from November 20, the text still reads canvas as well. Bethesda has not responded to GameSpot's inquiries regarding when buyers were notified of the change.
Troubles seem to be mounting for Fallout 76. After a rocky launch with a mixed reception, this backlash has added to a poor perception that appears to be building around it. On top of that, a law firm is looking into its refund policy for disappointed customers. For its part, Bethesda has acknowledged some "frustrating issues" surrounding the game and has committed to supporting it long-term. It has already laid out a roadmap of upcoming changes.
By Anonymous on Nov 29, 2018 10:59 pm We check out some of the games that are on the Playstation Classic including Tekken 3, Final Fantasy 7, GTA, and more.
If you missed out on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, there's no need to despair. A number of great deals on recently released games are still alive and well. For instance, you can get Battlefield V for just $30. But if you prefer the Call of Duty style of shooter, you're not left out in the cold. Even though it just came out last month, you can get the PS4 or Xbox One versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for just $40 right now, no strings attached.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 comes with all-new versions of the series' well-established multiplayer and Zombies modes. But instead of the third pillar being a single-player campaign like in previous installments, developer Treyarch has introduced a new online mode called Blackout. Blackout is a battle royale-style mode that has around 100 players drop onto an island and fight it out as the playing field shrinks. The match ends when only one player or team is left standing.
Critic Kallie Plagge scored the game 8/10 in GameSpot's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review, summing it up like this: "Black Ops 4 isn't short on content, and its three main modes are substantial. Multiplayer introduces more tactical mechanics without forcing you into them, and it largely strikes a good balance. Zombies has multiple deep, secret-filled maps to explore, though its returning characters don't hold up and prove distracting. Finally, Blackout pushes Call of Duty in an entirely new direction, making use of aspects from both multiplayer and Zombies for a take on the battle royale genre that stands on its own. Sure, there isn't a traditional single-player campaign, but with the depth and breadth of what is there, Black Ops 4 doesn't need it."
If that sounds like a game you want to try for yourself or buy for someone on your shopping list this holiday, grab it quickly. The sale price ends today at Target, and Walmart may follow suit.
While Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are heavily inspired by Pokemon Yellow, the pair diverge from the classic Game Boy title in some dramatic ways. Rather than starring Red and Blue, the protagonist and rival of the original game, the pair cast players in the role of a brand-new trainer who is setting off on a journey to become a Pokemon Master alongside a new rival character.
But while Red and Blue no longer share the spotlight in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, they do play a role in the games. As we learned from a recent trailer, both classic characters appear at some point during the adventure--as does Green, the female trainer who was seen standing alongside the other two characters in the original artwork for Pokemon Red and Blue.
All three trainers can be battled at different points in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, but as in previous games, Red is the most difficult to find and defeat of the three. While Blue and Green will challenge you to a match when you've made it to a certain part of the story, you'll need to fulfill a few conditions before you're able to take on Red. Some mild spoilers follow below.
If you're hoping to test your battle prowess against the iconic Pokemon trainer, you'll first need to complete the main story by defeating the Elite Four. Once you've taken the mantle of Pokemon League Champion, a new slew of characters known as Master Trainers will begin appearing around the Kanto region. Each Master Trainer specializes in one particular Pokemon, and you'll need to use that same Pokemon to defeat them in a one-on-one battle. True to their name, however, Master Trainers pose a significant challenge; the Pokemon they specialize in has high stats and knows attacks that give it an advantage over you.
In order to battle Red, you'll first need to defeat any six Master Trainers in Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. Once you've accomplished that feat, Red will appear outside of the Pokemon League in the Indigo Plateau, where you can talk to him to initiate the battle. He has a diverse team that consists of Pikachu, Snorlax, Arcanine, Lapras, Machamp, and Mega Venusaur, all of which are level 85, so you'll need to bring a powerful team of your own to stand a chance.
After defeating Red, you'll earn the title of Battle Master, which you can display to other players in-game when challenging them to Link Battles. Red will then leave the area, but you'll be able to re-battle him in the same spot by defeating the Elite Four again.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but saving money never goes out of style. We've seen a number of fantastic deals pop up out of the blue this week for anyone quick enough to grab them. Now we can add one more to the pile: Ebay is running a promotion that gets you 25% off eligible items for a limited time. Similar promotions in the past have been good on video games, consoles, and accessories, so this will likely be an opportune time to grab anything you might have missed over the big shopping weekend.
All you have to do is fill your cart with eligible items and enter promo code PSAVE25 (or click the check box next to the PSAVE25 code) at checkout. All items eligible for the promotion will have the coupon code displayed on the checkout page. The promotion is live from 8 AM PT (11 AM ET) November 29 to 11:59 PM PT December 1 (2:59 AM ET December 2).
As you can probably imagine, some additional restrictions apply. The discount is capped at $25, so even if you buy a $500 Xbox One X, you'll only save $25. The discount applies only to the purchase price of the item, not to costs associated with shipping, handling, or taxes. And while the code can be used on multiple eligible items in your cart, you can only use it once per account, so you'll want to make sure you have everything you want before finalizing your purchase.
And if you've read this far but live in the UK, you can grab 15% off by entering promo code PRESENTS--but you'll have to hurry, because this offer is only good on November 29.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate owners will need to download a day one update when it launches for Switch on December 7, Nintendo has confirmed. In an interview with Famitsu (via ComicBook.com), Smash director Masahiro Sakurai said the patch is necessary for the game's replay system to work as intended.
"We will distribute our first update on launch day," the developer stated. "Players who purchased the digital version don't need to worry, but players who purchased the physical version should apply this day-one patch before you play. This will also prevent your replays from going off-track. By the way, if you save your replays as videos, you can keep them forever, but note that they take up a lot of space!" Sakurai did not confirm the size of the patch.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the first game in the series to launch for Nintendo Switch. It includes every character and stage ever seen across all entries in the franchise, plus some new characters such as Ken, Incineroar, and Isabelle.
In addition, Nintendo will release five as-yet-unannounced DLC characters for the game throughout 2019 as part of the Fighters Pass, plus one additional surprise fighter, Piranha Plant, which you'll receive for free if you register Ultimate on My Nintendo by January 31, 2019. You can read more about the game in our roundup of everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
One of the first images on the screen at the start of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an "Approved By The Comics Code Authority" stamp, trailing right behind a glitched out slideshow of different studio logos. It's a nod that comics history buffs will no doubt appreciate, both as a fun Easter egg, and as a perfect tone setting introduction. This is a comic book movie--not a movie based on characters from comic books. It is literally a comic book turned into a movie, and every single piece, from the character designs to the animation itself, has been designed from the ground up to make that possible. The result is visually stunning and completely unique.
Into the Spider-Verse is the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a slightly put-upon but otherwise unassuming teenager in Brooklyn who is struggling under the weight of his parents' lofty expectations. However, during a slightly less-than-legal graffiti excursion with his slightly less-than-reputable Uncle Aaron, Miles' life is turned upside down when he's bitten by a dimension-hopping radioactive spider. Dimension-hopping becomes a recurring theme--it's the basis for the titular "Spider-Verse," an inadvertent convergence of Spider-people from different universes, brought about by a villain's scheme. It's all pretty sci-fi, but never too sci-fi, even for those who are less well versed in comic book science than others--especially not in the same year as Thanos's snap or Ant-Man's exploration of the Quantum Realm.
In fact, Into The Spider-Verse's self awareness of just how over-the-top its own science is makes for some of the most clever gags in the movie. It's brilliantly playful in introducing a supporting cast of various alternate reality Spider-people to the mix, like Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Noir, a nazi-punching 1930s detective who is animated in perpetual black and white; John Mulaney's Spider-Ham, an anthropomorphic pig animated like a Loony Toon; or Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen Stacy--A.K.A. Spider-Woman--who carves her own path of cool through this film. At one point, Miles points out that Noir's constant rain-slicked, windblown look makes no sense--they're inside--but Noir shrugs and says that "wherever I go, the wind follows." And that's the end of that, even if Miles is practically left looking directly into the camera and contemplating how his life has gone so far off the rails.
The entire movie oozes this same sort of style. It's an explosion of color--part motion comic, part music video, part traditional animation--with a driving, almost frantic energy that carries every scene. There are montages that pluck real life comic covers off the shelves, word balloons splashed on screen to represent internal monologues, benday dots smearing over shadows to convey depth--really, you name it. There seems to have been no limit to the aesthetic experimentation allowed here, and the end result is an animation style that feels completely and totally new. It may take some getting used to for the purists out there, but by the second act even the weirdest visual quirks manage to level themselves out and become totally endearing.
Somehow even more endearing is the relationship between Miles and Peter Parker (Jake Johnson)--not the Peter of Miles' Earth, but one from an alternate dimension who is a little past his prime. Peter becomes Miles' unwilling mentor, which builds into as many laugh-out-loud gags as it does genuinely touching moments. Sure, this Pete may be a decade or so away from the youthful exuberance of someone like, say, Tom Holland, but that doesn't make him any less familiar--in fact, it really only makes him even more relatable for the twenty and thirty something crowd.
That relatability is really Into The Spider-Verse's core, when you get down to it. The premise may be bundled in a sci-fi camp wrapping and served up as a desperately stylish, rapid fire visual extravaganza, but its heart is pretty simple. Anyone, anywhere, has the power to be as heroic and as special as Spider-Man. It doesn't matter if you're an angst ridden teen struggling through high school, a middle aged divorcee down on their luck, or a cartoon pig with no concern for the laws of physics--the ability to do good, the ability to make the world a better place, is universal. It's multiversal, even. It's a constant.
It may seem a bit saccharine, typed out in so many words, but it's a message that superhero comics--that Spider-Man comics specifically--have been touting for ages, and something that's been long overdue for a big screen debut. It probably wouldn't work if Into The Spider-Verse weren't just so funny, self aware, and bleeding-edge modern--but it is, and it does. It manages to blow right past the dangers of sinking into after school special territory by believing wholeheartedly in its own message and delivering it with appropriately genuine stakes. The end result is an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind.
The Good
The Bad
Incredible, unique animation and style
Johnson and Moore's hilarious chemistry
A great message
Almost too many easter eggs for comics fans to count
Interesting, new spins on classic characters
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