Every month, WWE puts on at least one PPV or major event. However, between NXT, special events overseas,WWE's ill-advised deal with Saudi Arabia, and the random televised shows--like Starrcade--the WWE Network produces more PPV-esque content than anyone realizes.
This was a crazy year in WWE, filled with some incredible highs and some pretty terrible lows. But when it comes to the best WWE events of the year, what makes the cut? GameSpot's wrestling fans, Mat Elfring, Chris E. Hayner, and Kevin Wong, came together to figure out what tops the list for WWE in 2018 and put together the 10 best PPVs.
They looked at the overall card, the highlights of each show, the talent involved, and the amount of beach balls popped by security at each event in order to figure out what WWE event stands tall above the rest. Aside from the best PPV of the year, we've also figured out nine more WWE events that stood tall above the rest, and we've taken WWE PPVs, major WWE Network events, and NXT Takeover's into consideration when putting this together.
So here are the 10 best WWE PPVs of 2018, presented in no particular order, except for the best one of the year, which will be at the end.
2018's Survivor Series was set up to fail. WWE spent to much time building up its ill-advised Saudi Arabia show, Crown Jewel--and completely ignoring the all-women's show Evolution--so when Survivor Series finally rolled around, all anyone cared about was Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey. Sadly, because Lynch suffered a real-life injury that occured on Raw. By the time Charlotte was chosen as Lynch's successor, there was really nothing to look forward to on the Survivor Series card. However, at least Becky Lynch's invasion of Raw, prior to this PPV, gave us one of the best moments of the year.
However, aside from a couple of stinkers on the card--one of which gave us Drake Maverick peeing himself--the show was pretty fantastic. Sure, even though the commentary team really tried to sell the Raw vs. Smackdown storyline--which never stuck--the in-ring storytelling is where things mattered. Rewatch Rollins vs. Nakamura, Murphy vs. Ali, Bryan vs. Lesnar, or Rousey vs. Charlotte and watch how good the in-match builds are as well as the aftermatch--mainly for Charlotte beating Rousey within an inch of her life. The wrestlers has to carry this show on their collective backs with their ability because the traditional Survivor Series storylines simply weren't there. The fact, that overall, this turned out to be an incredibly entertaining and good PPV is a testament to the talent on this roster. -- Mat Elfring
NXT Takeover: Chicago II
Like many Takeover events in 2018, Chicago II was highlighted by a vicious battle between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa--the feud that ruled over NXT this year. This particular bout was a Chicago Street Fight that pushed each man to their limit, with Ciampa gaining the victory. The card also features a fantastic bout between The Undisputed Era and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, plus an excellent showdown between two up-and-comers in NXT, Velveteen Dream and Ricochet. This show, like all Takeovers, is the perfect example of what makes NXT so special. The wrestling is top notch, mixed with characters fans love to rally behind. -- Chris E. Hayner
Royal Rumble
What makes this Royal Rumble stand out are the number of good choices that were made. First and foremost, WWE decided to hold the first ever Women's Royal Rumble on the show--and featured it in the main event. The women's revolution has led to a lot of firsts for the female superstars in WWE, and this was easily the most exciting one yet.
What's more, WWE embraced the future in its winners for both Royal Rumble matches--Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura. All too often, WWE likes to rely on its older hands, like having Randy Orton win the match in 2017. It's about time they look forward with their winners. Unfortunately, neither of the winners walked away from WrestleMania 34 with the titles they were competing for and WWE has yet to elevate either Asuka or Nakamura to the main event.
The rest of the Royal Rumble card wasn't too special, but this was clearly a two-match show and those two matched delivered more than we could have expected. -- Chris E. Hayner
NXT Takeover: New Orleans
It was possibly the biggest NXT Takeover of all time, taking place the night before WrestleMania 34. I dare you to watch this and WrestleMania and think that WWE's annual granddaddy of them all was the better show. It's not. In fact, it's not even close to the quality of Takeover: New Orleans. Headlined by one of many groundbreaking Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa matches that took place throughout 2018, the show also features a six-man ladder match for the NXT North American Championship, a triple threat Tag Team Championships match featuring The Undisputed Era, The Authors of Pain, and Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong. This show also features Shayna Baszler's first championship win, when she submitted Ember Moon for the NXT Women's Championship. From top-to-bottom, this was a fantastic show that blew Mania out of the water. -- Chris E. Hayner
Fastlane
The annual March PPV is rarely good. The main feuds are already set in stone, and there aren't going to be any sudden twists or swerves in the storyline; those get saved and held over for Wrestlemania, which takes place less than a month later. But this year's Fastlane managed to be a lot of fun. Rather than trying trying to wow us with narrative advancements, WWE buckled down and delivered a solid, athletic wrestling show, from top to bottom.
The main event was also the show's highlight: AJ Styles took on and defeated John Cena, Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler in a six-pack challenge for the WWE Championship. Other standout matches included Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev, and Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode for the United States Championship. Fastlane was also the event where Asuka, 2018 Royal Rumble winner, made the decision we hoped she would, and challenged Charlotte Flair to a championship match at Wrestlemania 34. -- Kevin Wong
NXT Takeover: Wargames II
NXT's Wargames II was one of those very rare instances where every single match on the card could have been the main event for a PPV. Well, except for the whole Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno match, as that came together last minute and the match lasted mere seconds. However, right after that was Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler, which was fantastic, and there is a reason a bout between these two is mentioned twice on this list, as they are a couple of the best performers in WWE this year. Both Tomasso and Ciampa appeared on the card, but not fighting each other in two incredibly exceptional matches during the evening. Gargano took on former champ Aleister Black in a hard-hitting, brutal bout, while Ciampa defended his title against Velveteen Dream--a personal favorite of mine.
The whole show closed out with the titular Wargames match, which in itself is a gimmick match with a laundry list of rules. However, it was the perfect close to the evening with a match full of high and lows, making the bout very fitting of that main event spot, if you completely forget about the name of this PPV for a moment. Overall, the card was small, the storylines were built up exceptionally well, and it is how WWE should book its PPVs each month. Less is more, and NXT proves that time and time again. -- Mat Elfring
Wrestlemania 34
Wrestlemania is supposed to WWE's premiere event, but it doesn't always feel like that. And while part of the focus, for me, was all the times that the camera cut to John Cena in the crowd, looking back, this was actually a really fun show. Because this was early in the year, you've probably forgotten about a few huge moments during the night. First, Asuka's winning streak was broken by Charlotte. Ronda Rousey had her first match, teaming with Kurt Angle to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, and the match was a ton of fun. Also, Braun Strowman won the Raw Tag Team Championships and his partner was a 10-year-old boy he picked from the audience.
It was also the return of Daniel Bryan, and he did not disappoint, even though it wasn't a solo contest. This evening also marked the start of Shinsuke Nakamura hitting AJ Styles in the groin, which would be a continuing trend for most of the year. The weakest part of the night was the main event, with yet another Lesnar/Reigns match for the Universal Championship. It was actually one of the better Wrestlemania events offering up tons of surprises and plenty of memorable moments. -- Mat Elfring
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
The fourth and final--for now-- Brooklyn Takeover saw Tomasso Ciampa retain the NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano, as the feuding duo somehow found new ways to brutalize each other in a Last Man Standing match. This show also features the first title win for Ricochet, who defeated Adam Cole in a fantastic bout for the NXT North American Championship. This is also the show that saw Kairi Sane regain the NXT Women's Championship after defeating the practically unbeatable Shayna Baszler. -- Chris E. Hayner
Money In The Bank
Moving forward, WWE plans to make the Money in the Bank a "major" PPV, on the same level of prestige as Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, and Summerslam. And this year's Money in the Bank was a perfect way to begin that rebranding.
There were a couple of missteps on the card. Asuka lost to Carmella via a James Ellsworth distraction, which did neither woman any favors. There was a lifeless Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley match that wasn't very compelling. But the best matches on the card more than made up for them. Both Money in the Bank matches delivered, and the women's match led to a same night cash-in Ronda Rousey took on Nia Jax in her second match with the company, and Rousey added new moves to her repertoire, like a flying knee, a flying crossbody, and a judo throw that took Jax off her feet.
The highlight of the evening was AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match. Finally, the two of men lived up to their NJPW encounter at Wrestle Kingdom 10; This match was 30 minutes of pure, physical storytelling, and it was one of the best WWE matches all year. -- Kevin Wong
Best of the Year: Evolution
In 2018, WWE made gigantic strives to try an elevate the women's division as much as possible, which all culminated in October's all-women's PPV, Evolution. Since we started reviewing the PPVs earlier this year, Evolution scored the highest between the two reviewers scoring the show an average of 7.8 for all its matches. And yes, the 6-woman tag match between The Riott Squad and Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Bayley was the quintessential pee break/filler for the evening, but when you look at what transpired before this match and after it, you understand why this Sunday Night Raw match was on the card.
Prior to that, there was the Mae Young Classic finals between Toni Storm and Io Shirai, which Chris E. Hayner said, "They threw out the best they had for this match and it was the exact kind of match I love." And Mat Elfring said, "This match was a gateway drug to indie wrestling. It felt like something you'd seem more in NJPW or ROH rather than a WWE event."
Then after the filler match, there were two of WWE's best matches of the year. First, it was Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Bazsler for the NXT Women's Championship, which gave the average WWE viewer just an idea of how great NXT is, week after week. Following that was the Last Woman Standing match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte for the Smackdown Women's Championship, which was undoubtedly the best WWE match of the year. Even the Ronda Rousey match against Nikki Bella was a lot of fun
It is easily the strongest main roster WWE PPV of the year, and while NXT tends to put on a brilliant PPV product, this is the only WWE show which highlighted the main roster, superstars from the past, NXT, and stars who have yet to make a name within WWE with the Mae Young Classic. It is a total package for what WWE's women's division has become the past two years, which all culminates with this moment. -- Mat Elfring
By Anonymous on Dec 04, 2018 10:30 pm The Crew 2's new expansion Demolition Derby encourages you to wreak havoc against your opponents in several gameplay modes. Here's 6 plus minutes of gameplay captured on Xbox One X. The Crew 2: Demolition Derby will be available on December 4th.
Wreck-It Ralph takes his wrecking ways online in Disney's new movie sequel, Ralph Breaks The Internet. In a fitting addition to that story, video game characters Ralph and Vanellope get a chance to do some damage to virtual reality in The Void's new tie-in VR experience, Ralph Breaks VR--and participants get to join them in the digital world of the internet that feels like a little more than a video game.
Ralph Breaks VR goes beyond what headset owners at home experience. The Void is a room-scale VR platform built on stages that incorporate real objects into its virtual worlds. That means when you step on a virtual tram and ride the information superhighway to the digital city that is the movie's version of the internet, you're enclosed by real walls that you can reach out and touch. In addition to wearing a VR headset and carrying the necessary tech to render its images in a backpack, participants also wear haptic vests that vibrate when something touches them, providing another level of interaction between your real body and the virtual experience. The Void's mix of real and virtual takes the idea of VR to a different level, and it's perfectly suited to the Wreck-It Ralph franchise.
Ralph Breaks VR starts with participants disguising themselves as Netizens, the colorful folks who live in the internet in the movie, each with a different bit of personality--such as a stuffy nerd or surfer dude. With your new identity in place, you head onto the real stage, which matches the images you see in the headset. So as you move through darkened rooms or cross walkways high above the city streets, you're walking through physical places that you can actually run into.
The four participants in Ralph Breaks VR meet up with Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), who take them on a guided tour of the internet, although it's mostly an experience of playing games with and against the other people in your group. Look at your virtual wrist in the experience and you'll see a watch displaying the names of everyone in the session, along with the points they accrue as they play, giving the whole thing a light air of competition.
The first stop is a TRON-like area of the web, called Dunderdome, that is dedicated to video games, where you play a version of arcade classic Space Invaders. But instead of running the game on a screen and battling extraterrestrials with a controller, participants find themselves at the ground level of the game, using a control panel to move around the tanks normally found at the bottom of a Space Invaders screen. Broken into teams of two, one player controls the tank's movement and fires its main gun, while the other controls air strikes and protects the tank from attackers.
Once the game of life-size Space Invaders is over, things take a turn--the software that protects the internet flags the humans as viruses and sets out to eradicate them, while Ralph and Vanellope work to try to get them to safety.
In practical terms, that means players are quickly moving from room to room as they try to find their way out. Before long, you find your way into the mobile game Pancake Milkshake from the movie. In the film, Ralph invades the game, which is about feeding pancakes to a bunny and milkshakes to a kitty, where he overstuffs the rabbit to the point of explosion. Ralph Breaks VR expands on the concept with the bunnies and kitties out for revenge as they whip their favorite treats back at the participants. Luckily, you can pick up a blaster that fires both foods, so you can return fire as you dodge incoming sweets. The scenario even gives an extra nod to the film by awarding you with more points if you zap the right food at its corresponding animal. With Ralph and Vanellope's help, participants fight their way out of the internet and back to safety.
Ralph seems like a unique fit for The Void's VR experiences. That's what both the Void team and ILMxLab, Lucasfilm's immersive experience company, thought as they began working on the project, which is part of a six-experience deal with Disney.
"[It was] serendipity, and it's such a great property, as far as how it fits into what The Void as a platform can do," said Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The Void. "There's something that I think is really fascinating about putting on this equipment and going into VR. You are stepping into a video game in a sense, and what story really encapsulates that? Wreck-It Ralph."
The experience is also full of Easter eggs for Ralph Breaks The Internet fans. The Void and ILMxLab worked closely with the movie's screenwriter, Pamela Ribon, who wrote the experience's story as well, to keep Ralph Breaks VR true to the movie on which it's based. The VR world is full of visual callbacks from the movie, such as the signs scattered throughout the internet cityscape. And Reilly and Silverman reprising their roles as Ralph and Vanellope deepens the experience even more.
VR technology is breeding a lot of interesting ideas like The Void, but is still developing its hardware to be less expensive. While it's not clear exactly where VR will go in the future, experiences like Ralph Breaks VR offer something that doesn't exist anywhere else. It's particularly fun if you're a big fan of the Ralph series, but you don't have to be: beaning cute animals with pancakes is a good time no matter who you are.
On the first Tuesday of each month, Sony makes a new set of games available for free to PlayStation Plus members. We've passed that milestone for December, which means the month's free PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games are now available. Add them to your library, and they'll be yours to download and play as long as you have an active PS Plus subscription. You can get all of the free games right here.
On PS4 this month, you can grab Soma, a game that's decidedly not filled with holiday spirit. In this atmospheric horror game, you're tasked with exploring a seemingly deserted underwater facility to discover what happened to the human and AI occupants. The other PS4 freebie is Onrush, an off-road online racing game that's more about takedowns and teamwork than about finishing first.
On PS3 this month, you can grab Steredenn: Classic, a pixelated space shooter that mixes retro-arcade action with procedurally generated levels and massive boss fights. The other PS3 freebie is SteinsGate, an anime-style visual novel about teenage scientists who discover a way to send messages to the past--which you can bet begin to affect the future.
This month's PS Vita games are the customs agent sim Papers, Please and the Metroidvania-style side-scroller Iconoclasts, the latter of which is also playable on PS4 thanks to Cross-Buy. Make sure to grab your free games by Tuesday, January 1, because that's when a new batch will come and take their place.
The Black Armory, Destiny 2's first expansion of the post-Forsaken era, goes live today, along with a new update to the game that patches in a few minor changes. Bungie outlined what the expansion entails last month--instead of focusing on a new story campaign, it's focusing on new locations and activities. That means a heap of new loot to get as players reignite three special Forges across the solar system, and a full new Raid on its way on December 7.
The big notable additions in The Black Armory, the Forges, sport a new horde mode-style activity that will include matchmaking and special rewards. The expansion brings five new Exotics, four of which Bungie has detailed so far, and new Pinnacle Weapons for players willing to put a lot of time and skill into Gambit, Strikes, and the Crucible. The Black Armory also increases the Power Level cap to 650, giving players a reason to jump back into the endgame grind--and with the Scourge of the Past Raid on its way on Friday, many players will want to be climbing that hill as quickly as they can.
The launch of The Black Armory accompanies Patch 2.1.1.1, which includes a host of small tweaks and balancing changes, as Bungie explained on its blog. It notably reduces Gambit's Heavy ammo boxes for Linear Fusion Rifles from five rounds to three, which should reduce the effectiveness of the many, many folks using The Queenbreaker in those matches.
Players below Power Level 550 will get some help catching up to endgame players with the new patch, as Destiny 2 will now drop Prime Engrams and their Powerful gear more frequently for players rushing to catch up. And Raiders in Scourge of the Past and Last Wish will now have the option of deleting their checkpoints in those activities if they want to restart them.
There are also a host of changes and issue fixes throughout Update 2.1.1.1. Check out the full patch notes below.
Sandbox
General
Chaos Reach
Tuned Chaos Reach's deactivation cost so that it consistently retains Super energy from deactivating early.
Previously, Chaos Reach allowed Players to save Super energy when deactivating the Super early by charging a flat Super energy cost upon deactivation (~65%). This meant that in order to save Super energy, you'd have to deactivate within the first second or so of the Super's duration.
With this change, Chaos Reach's deactivation will now always save you some Super energy. Deactivating the Super is no longer a flat energy cost but, rather, now works on a curve. The intention is to reward players for skillfully timing their deactivation.
Fixed an issue where the overshield granted upon respawning in Crucible would not negate damage right away
Increased damage required to destroy Nightstalker Tethers prior to their activation
Fixed an issue where the Biotic Enhancements buff would apply too much of a damage multiplier when standing in a Well of Radiance
Armor/Weapons
Fixed an issue where Scavenger perks could be used to generate heavy ammo off of team mates who fell to self-inflicted misadventure
Fixed an issue where high impact scout rifles were not firing at 150 RPM
Fixed an issue where the impact stat bar for Fusion Rifles was not updating when upgrading a charge time masterwork for the weapon
Gwisin Vest
Fixed an issue where kills were not required to extend Super uptime
Fixed an issue where Super was not extended after 10 or more kills
Chromatic Fire
Fixed an issue where explosions were doing less damage than intended
Reduced the amount of ammo gained from the Machine Gun Scavenger perk to bring it in line with other Power weapon scavenger perks
Fixed an issue that caused the Black Armory weapons to sometimes roll two of the same perk
Duplicate perks have been replaced in each weapon's talent grid
Crucible
General
Fixed an issue that caused The Mountaintop to drop above appropriate power levels for players who do not own Forsaken, making it unequipped unless pulled from collections
Fixed an issue that caused Valor Ranks to display different values from what their rank actually was
This is strictly a visual fix, ranks have worked properly since Season of the Forge began
Gambit
General
Fixed an issue where the wrong team would sometimes be credited for killing the Ascendant Servitor Primeval
Reduced the amount of ammo that Linear Fusion Rifles receive from the Power Ammo crate in Gambit to from 5 to 3 rounds
Sleeper Simulant still only receives 2 rounds
Players who die with fewer than 2 rounds of special ammo will now always respawn with 2 rounds, to help alleviate special ammo starvation
Fixed an issue where players would be held in a loading screen if another player was inspecting items in inventory
Vanguard
General
Fixed an issue where Protheon, the Modular Mind grew three times larger than intended in Update 2.1.0
This strike has been reintroduced to Matchmaking, and can be launched once again from the Director
Raids
Leviathan & Raid Lairs
Removed "Normal Mode Completion" requirement for launching Prestige Modes for Leviathan, Eater of Worlds, and Spire of Stars
Last Wish
Fixed an issue where Destiny 2 would crash during the Morgeth fight
Clans
General
Fixed an issue where the "Hawthorne's Heroes" Clan Perk was not providing the proper rewards
Items & Economy
Collections
The "Hecuba-S" exotic Sparrow no longer requires Annual Pass ownership to reacquire from Collections
The "Mimesis Drive" Sparrow now properly requires Annual Pass ownership to reacquire from Collections
Shader reacquisition time reduced from 3 seconds to 1 second
General
Prime Engrams will now appear more frequently for players under 550 power, and provide larger power benefits when decrypted
Fixed an issue where the "Harbinger's Echo" sparrow was locked out for players who destroyed dragon eggs across multiple characters.
We are currently developing a fix for an upcoming patch to address players who have already destroyed all eggs prior to this update. Update 2.1.3 is tentatively planned for December 18. 2018
Seed of Light added to the drop table of the Blind Well Heroic
The "Lest Ye Be Judged" Trophy/Achievement can be completed by visiting Xur
Fixed an issue where the "Riddle Me This" Triumph was not unlocking properly
Fixed an issue where Amanda Holliday had an improper notification waypoint
Fixed an issue where Festival of the Lost armor could not be masterworked
Fixed an issue where items could not be masterworked if players did not have Enhancement Cores in inventory, even if the masterwork cost did not require cores
Fixed an issue where Amanda Holliday's inventory did not refresh at the proper times
UI
General
When selecting a Last Wish or Scourge of the Past on the Director, players can now delete their current checkpoint before launching the activity
Fixed an issue where the Vanguard node on the top-level Director was not displaying active challenges
Overwatch will be kicking off its annual "Winter Wonderland" event starting next week, and lasting throughout the month and into January. A short teaser video revealed the dates from December 11-January 2. The teaser also showed a portion of the Blizzard World map done up in holiday decorations.
Last year's Winder Wonderland event included a new boss fight Brawl called Mei's Yeti Hunt and the return of Mei's Snowball Offensive Brawl. The Yeti Hunt pitted teams of five (all Mei) against one Winston in his Yeti skin, for an asymmetrical multiplayer experience similar to games like Evolve or Friday the 13th. This year we may see another new Mei-based mode, along with the return of one or both of the previous ones.
The showpiece of any new Overwatch seasonal event are the new skins. Most of these annual events let you catch up on old skins you may have missed, as well as a host of new skins. Since last year's Winter Wonderland, Overwatch has added Brigitte, Wrecking Ball, and Ashe. Those three are particularly likely to get some fashionable new holiday duds, along with filling out holiday looks for the rest of the roster.
Alongside Ashe, Blizzard introduced a big under-the-hood overhaul for Overwatch. Its central mechanic for obtaining new cosmetics is under scrutiny now, though, as both the US and Australian governments are considering investigations into loot boxes.
By Anonymous on Dec 04, 2018 09:30 pm Play as Ada Wong in Resident Evil 2 Remake as she explores mysteries and faces off with a foe who fans of the original game simply can not wait to see. Captured on PS4.
2018 was a fantastic year for video games, a non-stop hit parade of amazing titles all over the scene--AAA blockbusters, indies, and everything in between. If you've got a Windows machine with the right hardware, you're already in a good position to experience the overwhelming majority of it. The PC has continued to be an outstanding place to play video games in 2018, and with some companies making interesting technological headway this year, it's also the place where the first steps to the next generation of games are already taking place.
The Walls Between Console And PC Continue To Fall
If you only have a PC, you might find yourself feeling left out when a major console release rolls around. That's certainly still the case with Sony and Nintendo, but Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative, introduced in 2017, continued to see a small handful of Xbox One releases come to Windows 10 as well. The critical consensus was mixed on Sea Of Thieves and State of Decay 2, though both have seen continual content updates since launch. Forza Horizon continued to be a welcome asset though, so we're looking forward to seeing what Microsoft Game Studios has in store for 2019, especially with its current focus on acquiring major developers.
Meanwhile, Japanese third-party publishers like Capcom and Sega continued to recognize the value of their PC audiences, and we saw more traditionally console-only franchises make the transition to Steam. Ports and remasters of existing games like Yakuza 0, Devil May Cry, Shenmue I & II, and Katamari Damacy appeared, but we also got significant new releases like Valkyria Chronicles 4, and the mammoth Monster Hunter: World, and we also have Devil May Cry 5 and Resident Evil 2 Remake to look forward to. With the higher potential power of gaming PCs, multiplatform titles overall continue to perform better, too, and there were few instances of dodgy PC ports this year. At least, not to the extent of Nier: Automata in 2017.
There was one incredibly notable third-party game that didn't make its way to PC, however. Red Dead Redemption 2 released to near-universal acclaim in October, but Rockstar hasn't made any comments about the potential for a PC version just yet. The PC version of Rockstar's previous game, Grand Theft Auto V, was announced roughly a year after its initial release.
The Battle Royale For Battle Royale Intensifies
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds dominated PC gaming talk in 2017, capturing a lot of attention and spawning many imitators. But while PUBG hit its absolute peak popularity on PC in January of 2018, its player base diminished drastically throughout the year.
The obvious reason is likely Fortnite, which dominated the talk of 2018 to a much larger and more unprecedented scale than PUBG ever did--it's become a mainstream cultural phenomenon. But PUBG itself is also to blame. The game had numerous bugs, technical issues, matchmaking problems, and a general jankiness that never really went away.
PUBG's raw, early-access feel was endearing at first. When the concept felt new and exciting, it was easier to overlook its problems. But the charm started to wear off through 2018, especially since its competition was a more polished alternative. PUBG developer Bluehole eventually acknowledged that the game had numerous issues, launched Fix PUBG, a development roadmap that let everyone know that it is listening, they are working on it, and they want to be transparent about it. But that hasn't stopped its player base from shrinking.
Sure, the major consoles have their exclusive titles. But there's one genre that you absolutely need a PC to experience the best of: strategy and management games. Statistics, spreadsheets, intricate battle commands, economies, sewerage systems--these games keep you obsessing over the smallest decisions and keep you up all night.
2018 saw the release of some exceptional new strategy titles, like the phenomenal Into The Breach, the slow and deliberate Battletech, the perilously stressful Frostpunk and the frantic They Are BIllions. These games brought engaging new ideas to the already stalwart genre roster available on PC. We also got great new releases from familiar series--Thrones of Britannia represented a successful, smaller-scale experiment for the Total War series, Football Manager 2019 once again did its thing, and Two Point Hospital was a pitch-perfect spiritual successor to Bullfrog's classic Theme Hospital.
The company behind Steam, Half-Life, and Dota 2 among other things released its first new game in years during 2018, the trading-card game Artifact, based on the Dota 2 universe. It was designed by the legendary creator Richard Garfield (the person responsible for Magic: The Gathering and Netrunner), but its release was surrounded by heated discussion over its unique monetization model. While the base game costs $20USD, the only way to get new cards is to either buy more 12-card packs at $2USD each, or purchase them individually from other users on the Steam marketplace. This model mimics the real-world collectible card game market, but i seemed to irk players who are used to the more generous free-to-play model of its competitors. However, Artifact's defenders tout that the relative cost of achieving a full set of cards compared to other games is comparable, and in cases better given the ability to resell on the Steam marketplace.
In more positive and less contentious Valve news, the company this year acquired Campo Santo, the independent studio behind Firewatch and the upcoming In The Valley Of Gods, so expect to see another Valve published game in 2019.
Discovering Indies And Early Access Games Is Still Best On PC
Though Xbox began experimenting with early access games in 2017, the PC is still the best place to try out a large variety of the freshest new game ideas. Wading into the early access pool naturally has its own perils (we're talking about unfinished games, after all), but there are always games whose concepts are so enticing and executed so well that they demand your attention even before they're finished.
Significant early access darlings that gained popularity this year included the widely celebrated Dead Cells, which finally came out of early access in August, the deck-building roguelike Slay The Spire, space survival game Astroneer, the aforementioned RTS They Are Billions, Crytek's competitive western game Hunt: Showdown, among many others.
Elsewhere, Star Citizen is still in development, seven years later. The ever-growing spiritual successor to Wing Commander reached over $200 million dollars in crowdsourced funding in November of this year, and its scope continues to be almost incomprehensible. The 2013 phenomenon DayZ also reached its fifth year of Early Access, though we're not sure if anyone is still playing that.
On the indie front, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have all been getting better in bringing indie games to their respective platforms, and other publishers like Devolver Digital are making sure their titles get released in as many places as possible. But, if you're interested in the independent scene, the PC is still the place to be. Certain high-profile 2018 titles are PC only, like the exceptional Return To Obra Dinn, and others, like Into The Breach, released on PC long before getting announced for any other platform. Additionally, PC-exclusive services like Itch.io are still the best place to check out smaller-scale experimental titles.
New Technology Is Here. The Future Is Here.
2018 was the year that GPU manufacturer Nvidia took its next big step and revealed the Geforce RTX 20 series of graphics cards at Gamescom, which can very comfortably run modern games at their highest detail levels in 4K resolutions and at 60fps. But even though the raw jump in performance might not seem that drastic on paper, and the cards themselves are expensive, the 20 series pushes GPU tech forward with the introduction of a couple of notable technologies that look to the future of graphics rendering.
The 20 series boasted a major advancement in the form of real-time ray tracing, essentially a superior and realistic-looking way to render lighting, shadows, and reflections, though only a limited number of games are currently able to actually utilize this technology (Battlefield V is the only one at the time of writing). The 20 series also uses a new form of antialiasing, called Deep Learning Super-Sampling (DLSS), which uses a form of artificial intelligence to perform better polygon rendering without the huge computational strain that it typically requires.
Elsewhere, Google unveiled a limited test of its cloud streaming service, Project Stream in October. The company teamed up with Ubisoft to let a selection of users play Assassin's Creed Odyssey through the service, which streams game through the Google Chrome browser, and by GameSpot's own accounts, this actually runs pretty damn well.
With rumors of new consoles on the horizon, these two disparate advancements in both local and remote computational technology give us some good ideas of what to expect. We know a number of major games companies are looking towards cloud streaming as an option (if they don't already have an active service), and we know that there's always been a bit of a hardware arms race between Sony and Microsoft concerning who gets to boast about having the better graphical quality. So, to see functioning examples of both kinds of advanced technologies this year on PC feels like we're already getting a taste of the next few years of gaming.
Other Matters, In Brief
Valve's annual Dota 2's tournament, The International, once again broke its own record of the largest prize pool in esports history. The final total was $25,532,177
Valve's Steam Link hardware was discontinued and run out at trivial prices during Black Friday. The company plans to continue its Steam Link technology as a software-only platform, utilizing existing smart device technology from other manufacturers.
It's unsurprising that the versatility and open nature of the Windows PC platform continues to make it the best place to play a large variety of games. Third party publishers are continuing to support their PC audiences, and it's the platform with the biggest variety of independent and early access games. Big console exclusives from Sony and Nintendo will continue the elude PC audiences, but Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative continues to be a positive idea that will hopefully pay off with their recent studio acquisitions. Additionally, the PC still sees its fair share of platform exclusive games, especially in the strategy genre.
2018 was a great year for games, and because you can play the overwhelming majority of them on your computer, it was a great year for PC gaming.
The Good
The Bad
An increasing number of traditionally console-exclusive games make the transition
Some disappointing revivals of classic PC games
A strong year for PC-centric strategy games
Red Dead Redemption 2 hasn't been announced, yet
Variety of indies and early access games is still largest on PC
Nvidia paves the way for Ray Tracing support in the future
This year was an interesting one for WWE. In many ways, it was a year of rebuilding, as for the first time since his debut, John Cena was largely absent. His schedule has been shrinking in recent years, but he was more of an afterthought than ever in 2018.
In his absence, though, so many have stepped up to potentially become the new face of WWE. The world of professional wrestling is different now than when Cena rose to stardom--just as his arrival was different than when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was announced as the top star--and what fans expect from the king--or queen--of the hill has changed. It's not just character that matters nor is it simply technical wrestling ability.
Instead, it's a hybrid of the two being found under the exact right circumstances that finds viewers flocking to certain superstars. Becky Lynch's character is on fire, even with a broken face, but if she couldn't deliver "The Man" in the ring, would anyone care? AJ Styles may consider himself "the face that runs the place" on SmackDown Live, but if he wasn't able to deliver intense and compelling promos, in addition to his stellar in-ring work, that show could wind up faceless.
So who had the best 2018? Luckily for you, GameSpot's intrepid wrestling nerds--Mat Elfring, Chris E. Hayner, and Kevin Wong--have watched far more WWE than you'll ever need to and have figured out exactly who won the year. Take a look at our 10 best WWE wrestlers of 2018 and sound off in the comments with who you think should take top honors this year.
While there is a lot of focus on Ronda Rousey's transition from MMA into WWE, what Shayna Bazsler is doing in NXT is what every former-mixed martial artist should strive to be. 2018 was a huge year for her, as her televised in-ring debut was in early January--aside from her appearing on 2017's Mae Young Classic. Her character was well-defined from the get-go: she was ruthless, attacking other competitors in and out of the ring and cold-hearted. After a few matches, which ended with Bazsler attacking her opponent afterwards, the Queen of Spades won the NXT Women's Championship from Ember Moon at NXT Takeover: New Orleans.
Then, Bazsler began her ongoing feud with Kairi Sane. The two couldn't be any more different as competitors inside and outside the ring. They are polar opposites, but the feud works exceptionally well. While Bazsler did end up losing the title to Sane, she regained it back at WWE Evolution, in one of the best matches on the card that evening. When Bazsler eventually gets called up to the main roster, she's going to bring and intenseness and level of character work the women's division hasn't seen yet. -- Mat Elfring
10. Kairi Sane (tie)
You cannot talk about Shayna Bazsler's year without mentioning what a great year Kairi Sane had as well. The two faced each other in 2017's Mae Young Classic, in which Sane won the tournament. While Bazsler is an MMA fighter, Sane is a pirate. No, really, she's a pirate. After she first won the NXT Women's Championship from Bazsler at Takeover: Brooklyn IV, Sane kept the title in a treasure chest. Stylistically, the two couldn't be more different, which makes the rivalry work exceptionally well.
While she has been--before she got sick--competing weekly on NXT, her match of the year came from the WWE PPV Evolution, the company's first-ever all-women's PPV. Sane turned heads during that match, but that wasn't her only appearance on this year's main roster. She also had a spot in the women's Royal Rumble match and in the Women's Battle Royale at Wrestlemania. More than likely, we'll be seeing her on the main roster, which is great because she brings so much to the ring. -- Mat Elfring
9. AJ Styles
You don't hold the WWE Championship (the real one, not the fake one) for 371 consecutive days, and not make it on this list. Not since The Rock has a wrestler so thoroughly made WWE Smackdown his own; it truly is, in 2018, the house that AJ Styles built.
Styles began 2018 with a feud against Shinsuke Nakamura, whom he wrestled in a legendary match years ago, when both men were signed to NJPW. It culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Money in the Bank, which he won after kicking Nakamura in the balls (he had it coming, followed by a Phenomenal Forearm from the ring to the announcer's table to the floor.
He recently lost the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan on Smackdown, which is a shame. Such a winning champion deserved more closure, a bigger stage to lose it on, than that. -- Kevin Wong
8. Elias
Elias followed a reliable playbook to become one of the top babyfaces on raw; he started as a heel. His character was an rude, entitled singer/songwriter, who would only be fit for the worst dives and coffee shops along Route 66, Elias even released an album's worth of music, just to get himself and his opponents over
And slowly but surely, despite Elias insulting people's hometowns and telling the audience to shut their mouths, fans started rooting for the drifter. And now that he's a babyface with some great skits (he began singing songs about his opponent instead of the hometown), he needs some great matches to go along with them. A run at the Intercontinental championship could be a good start. -- Kevin Wong
7. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Live may have The Miz as its best heel, but Raw has "The Goddess" herself, Alexa Bliss. Miss Five Feet of Fury has proven time and again to be one of the most effective villains in all of WWE. She's a cheater, a bully, a "mean girl," and also one of the more dominant WWE Women's Champions of 2018. Not bad for the woman who spent the beginning of her NXT career championing "glitter, glitz, sparkle, Bliss."
After all, let's be honest. Before Ronda Rousey showed up and became the centerpiece of the Raw women's division following WrestleMania, Alexa Bliss was the best thing going on the red brand. Her promos are fiery, she's exciting to watch in the ring, and her real-life love of cosplay has made her one of the best-looking characters in recent memory. And somehow, even after being pulled from active competition due to injuries in late 2018, she's managed to still sit at the top of the mountain, dragging every woman on the roster while having others do her dirty work. Alexa Bliss is a villain in the absolute best way and hopefully that's something that doesn't change anytime soon. -- Chris E. Hayner
6. Charlotte Flair
Over the past couple of years, Charlotte has tweaked her public image in two seemingly contradictory ways. The first is that she went from being called "Charlotte" to being called by her full name, "Charlotte Flair." The second is that she dropped her father's signature taunts and showboating moves. No more "Flair Flops." No more "Flair Flips." No more references to herself as "genetically superior."
In other words, she's learned to emphasize the right things about her lineage: the name, and all the grandeur that signifies, but none of the comedy spots and pratfalls of The Dirtiest Player in the Game. Charlotte is a consummate athlete who can (and should!) physically dominate and win cleanly. She had the best match at Wrestlemania 34 against Asuka. She had the best match at WWE Evolution against Becky Lynch. She might be the showstealer again at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs when she faces Lynch again.
Charlotte is the establishment's champion; other women will hold the title and take it from her but it will always, in the end, come back to her. -- Kevin Wong
5. Tommaso Ciampa
Who knew Tommaso Ciampa had it in him to be the biggest and best heel going in NXT--and possibly all of WWE? Turning on Johnny Gargano in 2017 was the best possible thing for Ciampa, as he worked his way to the top of the card and has been one of the most dominant NXT Champions ever? What's more, he did it while making the audience absolutely hate him, something that's hard for any heel to do in 2018.
We could talk about Ciampa's incredible in-ring work all day, but what earns him a spot on this list is the character he's created. From his crazy-person beard to his time walking to the ring with no entrance music--while he basked in the jeers from the crowd--to his despicable acts, which include pulling up the mats on the floor to perform moves onto solid concrete, Ciampa is heel personified. And he's the kind of character WWE needs more of. -- Chris E. Hayner
4. Johnny Gargano
When DIY broke up, there was some fear that either Tommaso Ciampa or Johnny Gargano would become the Marty Jannetty of the duo. Thankfully, the answer was neither. Both superstars got exponentially better and more popular following the breakup and, for my money, Gargano just barely edged out current NXT Champion Ciampa.
Seeing this babyface underdog refuse to give up again and again as he got so close to the title, only to be denied was compelling TV. Matched with his in-ring skill, and it's hard to find a bad thing to say about this stretch of Gargano's persona other than something would have to change eventually. Then something changed. His attack on Aleister Black, which is now turning him full-blown heel, adds a wonderful new dimension to Johnny Wrestling and one I can't wait to see taken even further in 2019. -- Chris E. Hayner
3. Velveteen Dream
When the character of Velveteen Dream was first introduced on NXT, I wasn't a fan. He
played too much like a hacky '90s Attitude Era role, I thought. Boy, was I wrong. The Dream has become the most exciting person to watch on NXT and seems destined to be just as big of a deal when he finally makes it to the main roster.
The idea that an over-the-top character inspired by Prince would make sense in the more reality-driven modern era of professional wrestling seems ridiculous. Thankfully, Dream marries a dedication to his persona--from entrance and music to in-ring mannerisms--with wrestling skills that make him second to almost none. When a Velveteen Dream match is on the card, you can bet you're in for something special. Now NXT just needs to give him a title. -- Chris E. Hayner
2. The Miz
While he may not have had the winningest of years in 2018, it's hard to imagine a more important male superstar in WWE at this point than The Miz, which is kind of shocking if you think about it. The Miz was destined to fail from the very beginning when WWE chose to loudly remind everyone he was a reality TV alum. Miz, though, took that identity and turned it into perhaps the best heel persona on the modern era-and one that gets better every week.
While he is criminally underused and isn't where he belongs--in the WWE Championship picture--The Miz is, by far, the most dependable player the company has and is showing no signs of slowing down. That, as they say, is awesome. -- Chris E. Hayner
1. Becky Lynch
No one in wrestling has had a bigger year than Becky Lynch. She kicked off her 2018 losing at the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, and Money In The Bank, which seemed par for the course for the Lass Kicker. However, her career then took a turn for the better after months and months of losing at PPVs. This led the very babyface Lynch to take on Charlotte and Carmella at Summerslam for the Smackdown Women's Championship, and of course, Lynch didn't win, but she did turn on Charlotte, becoming a heel in the process. Lynch truly realized her full potential in the following months, beating Charlotte for the Women's Championship at Hell in a Cell. Charlotte's father's, Ric Flair, motto was "To be the man, you have to beat the man." After Lynch beat Charlotte, she took on the moniker of "The Man."
In the past few months, Lynch has dominated everything on Smackdown, leading up to Survivor Series, and cut some of the best promos of her career. She could not have been more over, but after her nose was accidentally broken while invading Raw, somehow, Lynch became easily the most talked about WWE superstar, even though she was not medically to participate at Survivor Series. This also lead to the massive Twitter-feud between her and Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, which has really shown just how ahead of the curve Lynch is as a performer and a wrestler that completely embraces her character. There is no one in WWE right now more in-tune with sports entertainment as a whole than The Man. -- Mat Elfring
There's nothing scary about the familiar. Whether it's being lurched at by the shuffling zombies, set upon by mutated alligators, or stalked by skinless Lickers, in each subsequent play of Resident Evil 2 its frights are just a little less effective. This makes the challenge Capcom faces in remaking the game all the more tricky.
Resident Evil 2 is a beloved survival horror title and, if you're anything like us, you'll have walked the halls of Racoon City's Police Department enough times to call it home--albeit one overrun with gruesome creatures and an abundance of coloured herbs. Capcom is clearly mindful of this and, in reimagining the game for a modern audience, has made numerous smart changes that will keep returning veterans on their toes.
As a baseline, there is a level of familiarity in the broader layout of the environment that will stoke nostalgia from fans. But Capcom has also remixed item locations, enemy placement, and--most importantly--how it feels to be in RPD. We recently went hands-on with the game and found that there was a pervading sense of tension throughout. Zombies felt like they took more ammo to bring down, so the resource management that's so vital to Resident Evil was even more critical. Lickers seemed to wait in the shadows for opportune moments to strike, ensuring we never really felt at ease, and the close-up camera seemed to smother us, creating a sense of claustrophobia that we couldn't shake.
However, undoubtedly the most unnerving part of Resident Evil 2 Remake was the presence of the Tyrant, a seemingly unstoppable force of nature. This towering menace was always bearing down on us, following us throughout the police department in an attempt to corner and crush Claire Redfield. Even when we tried to put some space between us and the Tyrant, the distant stomp of his footsteps served as an ever present reminder that we were never really safe. In all honesty, it was quite overwhelming, and that's exactly what fans of Resident Evil and survival horror as a genre want from this remake.
In the video above, GameSpot's Resident Evil superfans Adam Mason and Tamoor Hussain talk through their experiences with the remake, discussing both the similarities to the original title and what Capcom has done to reinvent it. Our demo included sections where we were also able to play as Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong, in addition to Claire Redfield, and we discuss some of the differences in gameplay their sections provide.
Resident Evil 2 Remake is set for release on January 25 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Obsidian Entertainment, hot off the heels of being acquired by Microsoft, has announced when we'll see the first glimpse of its next project. The studio's homepage now shows a series of teaser images counting down to Thursday's Game Awards.
The images show retro-style advertisements from two fake sponsors: Spacer's Choice and Auntie Cleo's. Spacer's Choice attaches to a retro-futuristic gun, while Auntie Cleo's attaches to a collection of ointments and creams. The images don't tell us much about the project, but they do set a particular tone.
Each of the fake ads teases more news at The Game Awards, the awards event coming this Thursday hosted by Geoff Keighley. The show has been teasing ten new game announcements along with updates for existing games. And of course, it will offer lots of celebrity guests and presenters, and the awards themselves.
Whatever announcement is coming, it will probably be exclusive to Xbox One and PC. Microsoft bought Obsidian as part of a larger ongoing effort to shore up its first-party production, so whatever it produces will now be owned by Microsoft. The studio has long specialized in RPGs--having made Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Pillars of Eternity--so whatever this retro-futurist space theme is, it's likely to fit into that genre.
Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, has announced its own marketplace to compete directly with Steam. The Epic Games Store will roll out soon for PC and Mac, with plans to expand to open platforms and Android in 2019. It's already detailing some developer-friendly moves.
The most significant part, for devs, is that they'll earn 88% of their revenue. According to the announcement there are no tiers to the profit-sharing: it's just an 88/12 split between developers and Epic for listing on their marketplace. This is the most striking challenge to Steam, which now takes 20-30% based on a tiered earning structure. If a developer is using the Unreal engine, Epic will cover the 5% engine royalty out of its own 12% cut. Though Epic is encouraging use of its own Unreal engine with profit incentives, it says games developed on any engine are welcome.
Purchasing a game on the Epic store will automatically subscribe players to the game's newsfeed for easy communication, and developers are in charge of their own game page on the news feed. It promises no store ads or cross-marketing on a game page, and no paid ads in the search results.
Epic is also encouraging developers to work with streamers and bloggers, letting them set a revenue share for referrals. Epic says it will cover the first 5% of creator revenue sharing for the first 24 months to help get the ball rolling.
The company promises more details to come at The Game Awards on Thursday.
Each Monday, Microsoft refreshes its weekly sale on digital Xbox One and 360 games on Xbox Live. This week's sale is up on the site, so let's take a look at some of the best games you can get for low prices. Note that some of the discounts are reserved for Xbox Live Gold members, while others are available to everyone.
There aren't a lot of big games on sale this week, but if you don't mind picking up racing games that aren't the latest in the series, you can save some serious cash. Need for Speed and Need for Speed Rivals are on sale for $5 each. A bundle containing Forza Horizon 3 and Forza Motorsport 6 is down to just $32--significantly less than if you wanted to pick up racers of a more recent vintage.
All episodes of the mystery adventure game The Council are on sale, but if you're in for a penny, why not go for the whole pound and grab the complete season for $20? And for those whose interests span both football and fantasy (the Tolkien kind), Blood Bowl 2 will be right up your alley; it's on sale for $5.
But not every game needs to last dozens of hours. It's always nice to have a few smaller games you can play for 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there. A number of those are on sale right now, including Clustertruck for $7.50, Coffin Dodgers for $4.80, and the king of them all, Peggle 2, which is on sale for just $2.40. Do yourself a favor and pick that one up if you don't have it.
You'll find more games on sale this week below, or you can view the whole list on Major Nelson's blog.
There are some huge movies just around the corner--the next few weeks will see the release of Aquaman, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Mary Poppins Returns, and Bumblebee. But, like last week's, it's another quiet one. That's not say the movies lined up in the US are bad--both Vox Lux and Mary Queen of Scots arrive with big stars (including Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Margot Robbie) and good reviews, but they are unlikely to last long on screens before these huge studio monsters roll in.
The UK sees the release of several movies that already hit US screens back in the Fall, including the brilliant satire Sorry to Bother You and Robert Redford's final movie, The Old Man & The Gun. There's also the release of the first My Hero Academia movie, Two Heroes, which is a must-see for anime fans.
Over on Netflix, the big budget Jungle Book adaptation Mowgli makes its streaming debut. This lavish, star-studded movie is directed by Lord of the Rings/Planet of the Apes star Andy Serkis, and is a darker take on the classic novel. There's also the Young Adult adaptation Dumplin', starring Jennifer Aniston and featuring the songs of country legend Dolly Parton. So here's the week's new releases in the both the US and UK.
Vox Lux
See it in US and UK theaters on December 7
As an actor, Brady Corbet is best known for acclaimed movies such as Mysterious Skin and Melancholia, but he is now emerging as one of the most interesting young directors working. Following his amazing period drama Childhood of a Leader, we have Vox Lux. This is a satire about the perils of fame, starring Natalie Portman as a former teen pop star having to deal with her fading career, a teenage daughter, and various traumatic events that have shaped her life. The movie also stars Jude Law as a sleazy manager and rising star Stacy Martin, and reviews suggest it is a strange and engrossing look at the dark side of celebrity.
Mary Queen of Scots
See it in US theaters on December 7
This historical drama was originally set to Scarlett Johansson back in 2007, but then languished in development hell for a decade before Suicide Squad-star Margot Robbie and Lady Bird's Saoirse Ronan were cast in the lead roles. Ronan plays the title character, with Robbie as her cousin, rival, and English monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. While the story of their rivalry has been filmed before--most notably in the Cate Blanchett-starring Elizabeth: The Golden Age, this version tells it more from Mary's point of view. It's the movie debut for acclaimed theater director Josie Rourke, and the cast also includes former Doctor Who David Tennant, Guy Piece (Iron Man 3), Jack Lowden (Dunkirk), and Gemma Chan (appearing in the upcoming Captain Marvel).
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
See it in UK theaters on December 4
This is the first movie from the popular superhero anime and manga My Hero Academia, and it has already proved to be a big hit in Japan and the US. It's set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the anime, but also works as a standalone story. In his review for GameSpot, Dave Klein described the movie is "missed opportunity," in that it didn't develop any of the characters, but nevertheless stated that "if you're looking for a fun extra dose of My Hero, Two Heroes is is certain to satisfy that craving."
White Boy Rick
See it in UK theaters on December 7
Yann Demange's tense Irish thriller '71 was one of the best and most gripping independent movies of the last few years, and his US debut, White Boy Rick, arrives in UK theaters this weekend. It's got a great cast--including Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Eddie Marsan--and a fascinating strange-but-true storyline. It focuses on Richard Wershe Jr. (played by newcomer Richie Merritt), a teenager who, at age 14, became the youngest ever FBI informant.
The Old Man & The Gun
See it in UK theaters on December 7
Legendary actor Robert Redford has confirmed that this crime drama will be his final movie. It's a moving, elegiac way for him to close his career and focuses on the real-life story of Forrest Tucker, a bank robber who was arrested at the age of 76, having performed more than 80 hold-ups in his life. The film is directed by David Lowery, who made last year's beautiful and moving fantasy A Ghost Story.
Sorry To Bother You
See it in UK theaters on December 7
Boots Riley's Sorry To Bother You is an absurd, ambitious, hugely imaginative dark sci-fi comedy, and one of 2018's best movies. Atlanta's Lakeith Stanfield plays an African-American telemarketer who discovers that using a white accent on the phone causes him to excel at his job. Soon he is climbing the corporate ladder but finds himself embroiled in a sinister conspiracy. Riley assembles a stellar cast--including Tessa Thompson, Forest Whitaker, Terry Crews, Danny Glover, and Armie Hammer--and directs with flair and imagination.
Mowgli
See it on Netflix on December 7
This adaptation of the classic novel The Jungle Book was originally due to arrive in theaters back in late 2016. But following the huge success of Disney's own Jungle Book movie, the rival version was delayed, and ultimately sold to Netflix. Directed by Planet of the Apes and Black Panther star Andy Serkis, the all-star cast includes Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Serkis himself, and it is a darker take on the story than the Disney version. With Disney's own sequel also in development, it remains to be see how many Jungle Books the public actually wants, but at least this offers something a little different.
Dumplin'
See it on Netflix on December 7
Dumplin' is based on Julie Murphy's popular 2015 Young Adult novel, and stars Jennifer Aniston as a former beauty queen who now runs her own pageant. When her lovestruck daughter Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald) enters the pageant to prove her self-worth, an inevitable clash between mom and daughter occurs. Director Anne Fletcher previously made the hugely popular teen dance hit Step Up, and Dumplin' should prove to be a similarly successful mix of drama, comedy, and music. The movie's positive teen message is supported by a soundtrack by none-other than country legend Dolly Parton, who sings 12 songs, six of them brand new tunes for the movie.
Apple has unveiled its editorial selections for the best apps of the year across its various devices, including game selections on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. They include some pretty well known names, particularly in the mobile space.
Apple's iPhone Game of the Year is Donut County, the wondrously weird game that riffs on the legacy of Katamari Damacy. Rather than grow an ever-larger ball of junk, though, you control a growing hole that swallows up everything around it. The iPad Game of the Year is Gorogoa, the image manipulation puzzler. On Mac, the award goes to The Gardens Between. Finally, the Apple TV Game of the Year is Alto's Odyssey.
The announcement also included chart data for the most popular games of the last year. The top free iPhone and iPad game alike was Fortnite. Other top contenders on iPhone included Helix Jump, Rise Up, PUBG Mobile, and Hole.io. Many of those ranked high in the free iPad chart as well, joined by others like Roblox.
The top paid game on iPhone was Heads Up!, the party game, followed by Minecraft and Plague Inc. Minecraft also ruled the roost on iPad, followed by Geometry Dash and The Game of Life. Check below for all the game charts.
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