This year was filled to the brim with incredible superhero comics, from the classic to the experimental, the horrific to the hilarious. With plenty of major pop cultural touchstones to tie into and spring off from, Marvel and DC brought their absolute A-game to the mix with new and continuing ongoing series and limited runs that managed to encapsulate everything we love in cape-and-cowl stories.
With books that elevated the relatively obscure status of characters like Mister Miracle to the already classic likes of heroes like Captain America and the Justice League, this year was a veritable smorgasbord of stories for both genre newcomers and dyed-in-the-wool True Believers. If you just walked out of a theater after falling in love with Tom Hardy's quirky Eddie Brock? We've got a title for you. If you've been a lapsed X-Men lifer trying to get back in the game? There's a book for you, too. Just want to jump into some good old fashioned action or horror? That angle's covered, too, don't you worry.
Of course, these are only ten of the dozens and dozens superhero books that released or persisted through 2018--did your personal favorite make the cut? Let us know what your picks are for best superhero title of the year in the comments below, and keep checking back here at GameSpot for the rest of our year's end coverage, from movies to tv and beyond.
It may seem like low hanging fruit to give Carol Danvers her very own stand alone miniseries right on the even of her big screen debut, but Margaret Stohl and Carlos Pacheco's The Life of Captain Marvel managed to go for anything but the obvious. Half an effort to give new readers an easy introduction to one of Marvel's most popular--and most complicated--female heroes, half a complete reevaluation of Carol's origin story from the ground up, The Life of Captain Marvel succeeded on every level for both Captain Marvel newcomers and veterans alike. If you're excited to meet Carol for the first time on the big screen, this is one of your very best options as both a starting point and a springboard for the larger Captain Marvel mythology.
9. Immortal Hulk
On the surface and especially for fans who know the character exclusively through the MCU, it may seem like the Hulk isn't all that complex a guy--he's Bruce Banner sometimes, he smashes other times, he's the strongest there is,and not much else to it, right? Wrong. According to Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's Immortal Hulk, there's a lot more lurking just below the surface of Marvel's not-so-jolly green giant, and it's anything but campy and fun. Returning in the most literal sense to Hulk's 60s roots of existential horror, Immortal Hulk posits that there's a much, much darker side lurking just beneath the surface of Bruce Banner's radioactive curse--and it's delightfully creepy and deliciously ominous every step of the way.
8. West Coast Avengers
You've probably heard of the Avengers--you may have even heard of the West Coast variation on the team, but you've definitely never seen them quite like this. A team comprised of a perfect mix of classics Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, America Chavez and wildcards like Quentin Quire and Gwenpool, Kelly Fitzpatrick and Stefano Caselli have managed to perfect the perfect balance of hilarious character moments and over-the-top superheroic stakes--and it's only just begun. With a gorgeous, vibrant look and the tone and punchlines perfect for off setting some of the denser, more die corners of the Marvel universe, West Coast Avengers is an absolute delight.
7. Justice League
Long-time Batman writer Scott Snyder left Gotham this year, and brought fan-favorite artist Jorge Jimenez with him as they took over the DCU's heavy hitting core team, the Justice League. Spiraling out of the equally impressive, universe-shattering Dark Knights: Metal, Snyder and Jimenez's Justice League has gone for broke from issue one, and shows absolutely no intention of slowing down. Weaving in cosmic catastrophes with offbeat humor and charmingly quirky gags (seriously, Starro is a baby kept in a jar, nicknamed 'Jarro'--it's a whole thing), the Justice League finally feels like the heart and soul of the DC Universe again, after a long post-Flashpoint absence from the limelight. What's more, the book has also introduced the Legion of Doom--yes, the team from those vintage Saturday morning cartoons--into the mainline DCU for the first time ever, in case you needed any more reason to give this book a shot.
6. Venom
Everyone's favorite pile of symbiotic alien goo has actually had a pretty great year, all things considered. Not only did Venom get his very own movie--which, despite some less than stellar reviews wound up being a major success--he also got a brand new ongoing comics series by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. The book, which focuses on Venom's original host, Eddie Brock--who's been sitting on the sidelines for a while--has done some serious legwork in updating and expanding Marvel's symbiote mythology and fleshing out the weird and wonderful connection between Venom and Eddie himself. It's horrific, over the top, and just a little romantic--everything a great Venom story should be.
5. Superman/Action Comics
The news that long time Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis was making the jump to DC last year sent major shockwaves out through the comics community, rivaled only by the announcement that he'd be taking over both Superman and Action Comics moving forward as part of his new contract. Having only dabbled in the DC Universe briefly, fans were anxious to see what Bendis would bring to the table with Big Blue--and were not disappointed by the results. Together with his co-creators Ryan Sook and Ivan Reis, Bendis has ushered in a new era of Superman titles for the Rebirth DCU, diving deep into Clark Kent's multifaceted history, personal life, and family while providing plenty of classic cape-and-cowl goodness.
4. Rogue & Gambit
There's nothing quite like a genre fusion, especially when those genres are superhero, romcom, and spy comedy. Kelly Thompson and Pere Perez took everyone's favorite on-again-off-again mutant couple of, well, Rogue and Gambit (surprise!) and tossed them into a hilarious and heartfelt caper involving some tried and true tropes: couples retreats, messy break ups, misunderstandings, you name it. Rogue & Gambit managed to strike the perfect balance of sweet and spicy while playing to the duo's strengths and providing laugh out loud gags, all in service of setting up one of the major X-developments of the year: Remy and Rogue's eventual marriage (and subsequent spin-off) Mr. & Mrs. X. Clocking in at an easily bingable five issues, Rogue & Gambit is the perfect way for returning fans to jump back into the X-Men side of the Marvel Universe, or for new fans to get their foot in the door with a book that's as approachable as it is charming.
3. Mister Miracle
On the slightly heavier end of the spectrum, Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Mister Miracle brought twelve issues of philosophical and existential dread to the DC Universe. Diving deep into the dense, cosmic world of comics legend Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga, Mister Miracle examined the life and times Scott Free, a superhuman escape artist and god from the otherworldly dimension called New Genesis and his wife, Big Barda, a god from the hell-adjacent realm of Apokolips as they split their time between the endless war waging on their home planets and their mundane day-to-day lives in Los Angeles. Told almost exclusively in nine panel grids, Mister Miracle managed to be poignant, poetic, and surprisingly hopeful, shining a worthy and well deserved spotlight on corners of the DCU that have long since been ignored by the mainstream.
2. Batman
Writer Tom King has been on a roll with the mainline Batman title since the dawn of DC's Rebirth era in 2016, and this year just continued the trend. From the (eventually ill-fated) marriage proposal of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle to Bruce's subsequent emotional breakdown, 2018 in Batman has become a slow burning conflict with Bane complete with the looming threat of an even more dangerous puppet master lurking just out of sight. Bolstered by King's trademark prose and his roster of all-star collaborators like Mikel Janin, Joelle Jones, and Clay Mann, Batman has become as much a superhero comic as it is an art piece, digging deep into the fractured and disparate pieces of the Dark Knight in ways that make it feel as classic as it does fresh. We're half way through King's planned 100+ issue run on the character, and things are showing absolutely no sign of slowing down.
1. Captain America
2017 was a bit of a controversial year for Captain America on the comics front, after the Secret Empire event rewrote a substantial amount of his history and ignited a global war, he was left in something of a lurch with little direction and a time travel follow up story that seemed to only take him further off course. Thankfully, 2018 saw a massive return to form with a creative team switch up and a new #1. Ta-Nehisi Coates and Leinil Francis Yu have taken Steve Rogers down a path that has forced him to confront both the fallout of Secret Empire and the nature of his own identity in the climate of America today, making for what is sure to be a Cap run for the ages. Gorgeous, expansive, and unafraid to pick at the edges of Steve's more dubious symbolism, Coates and Yu's Captain America is our favorite superhero comic of 2018.
Given the success of standalone battle royale games like Fortnite, the inclusion of a battle royale mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was not a major surprise. But its announcement did immediately raise questions about whether that mode, Blackout, would be permanently bundled with the full game. And now, sure enough, Activision is experimenting with separating that content out--though not quite as fully as some might have expected.
Activision has announced the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle edition. This is available now exclusively for PC, and it's essentially a discounted version of this year's CoD game with the Zombies mode stripped out. What that means is you get access to both Blackout and the suite of standard multiplayer modes. It's priced at $40/£35, although until January 6, you can pick it up for $30/£27. It's only sold through Battle.net, Blizzard's Steam-like client that serves as the home for the PC versions of fellow Activision Blizzard titles Black Ops 4 and Destiny 2.
These are not stripped-down versions of Blackout or multiplayer; you get access to the full modes, just as if you bought the standard version of Black Ops 4. If you go this route but end up wanting Zombies, you can upgrade to the digital standard edition to receive access to that along with 1,100 Call of Duty Points and some digital edition bonuses.
"The Black Ops 4 Battle edition is a great way to bring even more new players into the game and allow them to jump into the incredibly fun Multiplayer and Blackout modes which fans have loved so much since day one," said Rob Schonfeld, Activision's senior VP of global digital and mobile commerce.
Black Ops 4 was notable for leaving out the traditional single-player campaign, though the overall package was still strong, as you can read about in our review. Breaking out Blackout appeared to be an inevitable move, not unlike selling the remaster of Call of Duty 4 as a standalone product after it was initially bundled with Infinite Warfare. As for the possibility of a PS4 or Xbox One release of the Battle edition, there's been no official word yet, but we've contacted Activision for a statement and will report back with anything we learn.
2018 was a terrifying year, and not just because of the horror movies and shows on this list. If anything, having so much great horror to watch was a welcome distraction from the terrors of real life. Thank Paimon for escapism, right?
Whether you wanted to get terrified in theaters surrounded by like-minded horror fans, or simply scare the crap out of yourself sitting on the couch with the lights off, 2018 had you covered. Do you like your horror dressed up as family drama? Would you rather go all-out insane with a battle axe and some macaroni and cheese? Or how about simply revisiting some of the classics in new and bone-chilling ways?
Horror remains the best escape from the real world that we have, because great horror demands all your attention. It gets your adrenaline pumping and keeps you glued to your seat. For a couple of gripping hours--or many more, in the case of the great longer-form horror we get on TV these days--it keeps your mind hostage, preventing you from thinking about anything else.
The Haunting of Hill House if scary, sure. It's filled with jump scares, hidden haunts that you won't see until it's too late, and so much tension that you'll spend the entire time on the edge of your seat. More importantly, though, The Haunting of Hill House is an impeccably made family drama.
While it belongs firmly in the horror genre, what makes this Netflix original so special is that it's not the scares that drive it. Instead, it's the story of this family falling apart in the aftermath of a traumatic event and being forced to reckon with it years later. It's hard not to feel for every member of the Crane family as they confront their demons, both literal and figurative, in an attempt to simply live their lives.
When it's at its best--which happens quite often throughout the season--that's the element The Haunting of Hill House leans heavily on. Every year there's plenty of well-made horror projects, including those that trade in the same type of scares as this. It's rare for any of them to have the emotional punch of this series, though, and it's that raw emotional terror that makes Hill House such a compelling thing to watch. -- Chris Hayner
2. Annihilation
It's tricky to describe Annihilation in any way that does it justice. Part cosmic horror, part sci-fi thriller, part existential meditation on the nature of personhood, director Alex Garland took Jeff VanderMeer's experimental novel of the same name and pushed it to its absolute limits. With an all female starring cast made up of powerhouse actors like Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson, supported by Oscar Isaac doing his best trope-reversed damsel in distress, Annihilation is at once a minimalist art piece and robust creature-feature with tension to spare.
Ostensibly the story of a team of scientists setting out to explore the mysterious "Area X," an anomalous area of swamp land struck by what may or may not have be an alien artifact, Annihilation rapidly warps itself into a dream-like, surrealist painting where animals and plants have mutated into impossible hybrids. Worse yet, as the team soon discovers, the same phenomenon is happening to them--and there's nothing they can do to stop it. The end result is as bloody and as horrifying as you might expect.
Despite being more than a little challenging to watch at points for the squeamish among us, Annihilation never stops being beautiful, and never forgets its own desperately human core--even when that human element is rapidly transforming into something else entirely. -- Meg Downey
3. Suspiria
When it comes to remakes, the horror genre has the all around best track record of any category. Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of Dario Argento's classic 1977 Italian Horror genre film is arguably the greatest to date. In a Kubrickian fashion, Guadagnino borrows the pieces he personally finds most alluring from the original, discards the rest, and brings them to life with his own vision. The result is that Suspiria is a fundamentally new and original masterpiece in its own right.
Suspiria's myriad achievements and quirks should not be overlooked by any serious cinephile. The centerpiece--or pieces--of this achievement are the several performances by Guadagnino's long-time collaborator Tilda Swinton. But no horror film is complete without the horror itself. To this end, Suspiria gracefully turns dance into gruesome torture, depicts people or objects as twisted as any Cronenberg film, and paints an outside post-war world fraught with tragedy that mirrors the inner turmoil of its characters to an almost stifling degree. -- Ryan Schubert
4. Hereditary
A dysfunctional family isn't a particularly original source of horror, and Hereditary doesn't blow the genre open with some revolutionary new take. It's just gripping, white-knuckled, old school horror that never, over more than two hours, lets you get comfortable for long, despite the familiarity of its themes and tropes.
Hereditary is one hell of a horror movie, but it's also a family drama that explores how tragedy and grief can twist people into unrecognizable shapes. The movie examines how people deal with grief; the reactions of the Graham family--Toni Collette's Annie, Gabriel Byrne's Steve, Alex Wolff's Peter, and Milly Shapiro's Charlie--run the gamut when Annie's mother (Peter and Charlie's grandmother) dies. The tragedy unravels them in a slow burn that makes the ending--where the story finally descends into utter, terrifying chaos--no less than traumatic. But the real twist comes in the first act, when an unbelievably shocking development reveals exactly what kind of movie Hereditary is. First time feature director and writer Ari Aster here proved himself a master of horror in a single stroke, and we can't wait to see what he does next. -- Mike Rougeau
5. Halloween
Some classic film franchises get a remake. Others get a reboot. But the Halloween franchise got a retcon. With Halloween (2018), the filmmakers wiped out seven sequels to the original Halloween (1978), and told a standalone "40 years later" story. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as a traumatized Laurie Strode, now a grandmother, who's protecting her family from an aging, escaped Mike Myers.
Monsters are terrifying when they're unknown to us. And the new Halloween restores that dark ambiguity. We don't need to know who Mike Myers is related to, or the granular motivations for why he does what he does. He just needs to kill. And in this film, which is a slasher through and through despite some darkly funny scenes, he does so with teeth-shattering, brutal efficiency. -- Kevin Wong
6. Mandy
Was Mandy's Red Miller the role Nicolas Cage was born to play? Who knows, but it sure was a triumph either way. Cage is best when he fully embraces characters that play back into his meta meme-made-human persona, and director Panos Cosmatos' Mandy--a f***ed up fever dream about revenge, forging battle axes, and macaroni and cheese--was the perfect vehicle for that.
Trying to make sense of this movie misses the point. The experience of watching it is simply enough. Throw the normal rules of cinema out the window; Who cares if half the dialogue is unintelligible? Why shouldn't the movie's breakout star be a fake pasta mascot who appears in a commercial in the background for a few seconds? What if Cage spends a whole scene screaming, chugging vodka, and trashing a bathroom? Mandy abounds with themes and moods that are deep as an ocean, and often as inscrutable. But it's a heady trip just to see it at all. -- Mike Rougeau
7. Overlord
Overlord has the makings of B-movie badness: A squad of everyman US soldiers has to infiltrate a Nazi-occupied French village on the eve of the D-Day Normandy invasion. The village hides a secret, though: The Nazis have transformed the church's undercroft into a secret lab where they're creating unkillable, zombie-like supersoldiers. Naturally.
But Overlord works on basically every level. Jovan Adepo and Wyatt Russell lead a likeable cast of characters, while Mathilde Ollivier's not-so-helpless villager Chloe meets them tit-for-tat. The war action thrills and the horror chills, and the movie makes excellent use of the tropes of its setting and genre while bringing plenty of new ideas to the table as well. All in all it made for one of the most fun movie experiences of the year. -- Mike Rougeau
8. A Quiet Place
Who'd have thought that Jim from The Office would deliver one of the year's best horror movies? John Krasinski might be better known for his acting roles--which also include the recent Amazon thriller Jack Ryan and Michael Bay's 13 Hours--but he's emerging as a great director too. A Quiet Place is his second movie, and he takes a simple horror/sci-fi concept and wrings every last drop of tension from it.
A Quiet Place is an incredibly tense thrill ride with some unexpectedly powerful emotional moments. It's impossible not to be drawn into the story of a family trying to survive in a world where even the slightest noise could bring on an attack from a species of savage, hungry mutant creatures. The stylish direction and brilliant use of sound makes the movie scary, but what really helps it stands out is the moving human drama, delivered by a superb cast that includes Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Krasinski himself. The movie was justly rewarded with big box office returns, and a sequel is on the way--let's hope it's just as good.--Dan Auty
9. Apostle
Apostle is the latest movie from The Raid: Redemption director Gareth Evans, and it saw him move from martial arts madness into dark horror territory. Apostle is set in 1905, and stars Legion's Dan Stevens as Richardson, a man who infiltrates a religious cult on a remote island with the intention of rescuing his kidnapped sister. This is very much a movie of two halves, and the first plays out more like a spooky mystery than a straight horror movie, as Richardson becomes part of this deeply religious society.
But if the main influence of the first half is creepy British folk-horror films like The Wicker Man, then the rest simply tosses everything else into the mix. The movie leaves the realm of the "real" and embraces the supernatural, throwing in some horrific torture, surreal, nightmarish imagery, and even a couple of bone-crunching fights along the way. It's inevitable that this throw-it-at-the-wall approach will create elements that don't always work; the climactic scenes feel a little rushed, and even at 130 minutes, there are plot points that seem a little under-explained. But in an era of generic, formulaic horror, there weren't any other movies quite like Apostle in 2018. -- Dan Auty
10. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The first season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina really caught us by surprise. It's nothing like the TGIF sitcom we remember. Instead, it's like someone took Riverdale and injected a lot of Satan and a fantastic cast. Sabrina has a gothic horror aesthetic and a supply of spooky creatures running through it as it unravels the story of a young girl town between two worlds--the mortal world and the bewitching world. It's the kind of adaptation modern Sabrina comics deserve and, thankfully, it's not slowing down anytime soon. Season 2 is currently in production. -- Chris E. Hayner
11. Cam
This gripping chiller was one of the most original horror movies of the year. It's set in the world of adult web cams, and focuses on Alice, a cam girl who's life is changed when someone--or something--with her name, face, and live cam login starts occupying her channel. On paper, Cam's mix of sex and horror suggests that it will be an exploitative film, but while it's definitely disturbing, it also presents a sensitive, intelligent view of the live cam industry as well as some insightful observations about how we interact with modern technology.
Cam is definitely a horror film, but it ultimately has more in common with the surreal work of David Lynch and the tech-satire of Black Mirror than a more conventional scary movie. There are no jump scares and there's little violence, and most of the movie either takes place in daylight or in the brightly-lit glare of Alice's studio. But for horror fans bored of the clichés and predictable scares of the genre, Cam is an ambitious, scary treat. -- Dan Auty
12. The Purge
TV, it turns out, is the perfect medium for The Purge's particular combination of slasher-esque horror, social satire, and ridiculous-but-worrisome premise. The idea of trying to survive a single night of lawlessness every year doesn't really hold up to intense scrutiny, but that's not the point--Purge Night in the franchise is an effective vehicle to make comments about the real world, while also putting characters in dreadful and frightening situations. And at that, the TV version of The Purge excels. With the added runtime a 10-part series affords, Universal's The Purge show is able to dig into a lot of ideas the movies so far have only hinted at.
For a show about scary masked psychos turning America into a Mad Max-style warzone, The Purge is a pretty intelligent, multi-layered show. And when it's not making you think about America and society, it's throwing some intense action and horror your way. There's a lot to like about The Purge, not the least of which is how it engages your brain while freaking you out. -- Phil Hornshaw
13. Terrified
The streaming service Shudder released a number of superb new horror movies this year, and this Argentinian shocker is perhaps the best. It's not what Terrified is about--this tale of possession and paranormal infestation sounds fairly standard on paper--but how it's done. Director Demian Rugna throws everything at the wall; there's no time wasted in the build-up, and within ten minutes a bloodied woman is being thrown around a room by some unseen evil.
From then it's a relentless onslaught of supernatural madness, as three people--a veteran cop, a paranormal investigator, and her old colleague--are brought together when they investigate strange goings-on on a normal suburban street. Featuring more scares per minute than anything else released this year, and packed with bizarre and disturbing imagery, Rugna takes a load of familiar horror tropes and delivers something truly wild. It's the most aptly titled movie of 2018, and a must-see for horror fans. -- Dan Auty
14. Revenge
While the ordinary title and basic plot might not suggest that this French movie is going to be anything special, the movie is one of the wildest, goriest action/horror hybrids for a long time. A young woman named Jen is brutalised and left for dead in the desert by three men; unluckily for them, she survives and returns to exact her bloody vengeance. Coralie Fargeat's debut film quickly abandons reality to deliver a hypnotic, exciting, ultra-stylised and hyper-violent thriller. As the film progresses, it starts to have more in common with the likes of Mad Max or The Terminator than any conventional horror movie, with minimal dialogue and just an incredibly exciting series of chases and confrontations as Jen picks off her attackers in increasingly outlandish ways. Matilda Lutz delivers a stunning performance as the party girl who transforms into a superhuman killing machine. -- Dan Auty
15. Goosebumps 2
No, of course Goosebumps 2 isn't filled with gore, horrific jump scares, and shocking psychological terror that will traumatize you for days. However, it's one of very few "horror" movies you can watch with your kids who might not be ready for the likes of Hereditary or Mandy just yet. This sequel to the last Goosebumps film sees Jack Black return as author RL Stein and manages to pack in some relatively fun thrills and chills that should keep you and your family entertained, if you're looking for an easy-to-digest scary movie for all ages. What's more, there are some nice shoutouts to horror classics sprinkled throughout, including Halloween III: Season of the Witch. -- Chris Hayner
16. Hold the Dark
Jeremy Saulnier followed his dark thriller Blue Ruin and Green Ruin with this bleak, ambitious Netflix movie. It's set in a small Alaskan town, where a young mother is coming to terms with the the abduction of her child by a pack of wolves. She contacts renowned a wolf expert to track and kill the animal that took her child, but with her soldier husband on the way home from Iraq, a bloody reckoning is inevitable.
With a superb cast that includes Jeffrey Wright, Riley Keough, and a terrifying Alexander Skarsgård, Hold The Dark is a stunningly acted, intense, and ambiguous movie. The striking locations, stunning cinematography, and droning music help create an environment that is unforgiving and almost otherworldly--while nothing actually supernatural happens, Hold the Dark often feels like a horror movie than a straight thriller. But that's not to say it's always a slow-paced, open-ended mystery. Saulnier might like his narrative ambiguity, but he also loves to deliver visceral action, and there are moment of shocking violence, including a harrowing, brilliantly-directed shoot-out sequence. For those who like their thrillers to provoke and challenge as well as thrill, Hold the Dark is an impressive achievement that isn't quickly forgotten. -- Dan Auty
17. The Terror
When it came to serious, claustrophobic horror, it was hard to beat The Terror on TV this year. This adaptation of Dan Simmons' novel presents a fictionalized account of what happened to a pair of ships, the Terror and the Erebus, that mysteriously disappeared in 1848 while attempting to find a trading route through the Arctic. Over the course of 10 episodes, the show builds up an intense, gripping story as the crews of both ships learn to survive in this harsh environment.
The Terror is slow, serious, and uncompromisingly bleak, which might account for the fact that it didn't have the profile of some other scary series this year. But for those who go on this journey, it is utterly engrossing viewing. It features one of the best ensemble casts of the year, with incredible performances from a host of recognizable faces, including Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ian Hart, and Ciarán Hinds. And while it never relies on predictable scares, it absolutely delivers the horror goods too, with giant ice monsters, murder, madness, and cannibalism all on the menu. -- Dan Auty
18. Unsane
Director Steven Soderbergh has made a wide variety of movies over the years, from big commercial films such as Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, and the Ocean's 11 series, to small, weird, low budget experiments. This year's hugely entertaining horror thriller Unsane straddles both camps. It has a major star in Claire Foy, best known for Netflix's The Queen and the recent The Girl In the Spider's Web. But it's far from a conventional movie. This is a creepy, uncomfortable film that Soderberg decided to shoot entirely on an iPhone.
While an obvious smartphone look is hardly going to suit every movie, in Unsane it really works. Foy plays a woman recovering from a trauma who is involuntarily admitted into a psychiatric hospital, where she encounters the very person she has spent the last two years trying to escape. Unsane plays with themes of delusion and mental instability, and the iPhone's familiar, ultra-real look removes that layer of distance that a traditionally-shot movie has, and allows Soderberg to really get up close--both figuratively and literally--to his characters. Foy gives a magnetic performance as the woman trying to keep her mind together, and there's strong support from Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project), Juno Temple (Suicide Squad), and Amy Irving (Carrie). It's a gripping, unpredictable, weird, and funny movie, and one of the year's best. -- Dan Auty
19. Ghost Stories
Ghost Stories probably went under a lot of people's radars in 2018, but it's well worth checking out. Set up as an anthology of three supernatural tales, this quintessentially British horror film is an effectively creepy chiller that features one hell of a satisfying twist. Following paranormal debunker Phillip Goodman--don't let the surname fool you--as he investigates three cold cases, Ghost Stories successfully weaves each short story into the greater narrative. While all three tales have their moments, it's the haunting of a night watchman, gruffly brought to life via an understated performance from Paul Whitehouse, that is the most effective.
Writer-director-star Andy Nyman and his co-director, Jeremy Dyson, create a wonderfully creepy atmosphere across the three ghostly narratives conjuring up a palpable sense of eerie dread among all the set piece scares. Couple that with a roster of great performances from an all star cast and you've got yourself a great British horror. --Adam Mason
Taking nods from a number of design elements endemic to traditional trading card games and combining those with the flexibility and ease of digitized play fields, Artifact brings a uniquely compelling twist to the TCG formula. The bulk of this comes from Valve's tentpole franchise of late: Dota 2. Artifact remixes many of the core ideas, focusing on the essentials of MOBAs to bring new layers of tactical complexity to great effect. Establishing a broad number of possibilities allows for near-limitless experimentation and development of new and complex styles of play.
Those unfamiliar with the free-to-play behemoth, Dota 2, and its competitors (League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, etc.) won't need much additional context, but a grasp of the basics can go a long way. As with standard MOBAs, you'll have three lanes that you share with your competitor. Monsters, heroes, creeps, and items all get funneled into one of these passages and are pit against one another. Each of you will vie for control of all three in succession, starting from left to right, marshaling what forces and powers you can to overpower your opponent and topple the tower sitting at the end.
In essence, the lanes act like as distinct play areas, though you do share a hand across them. Besides that, though what happens in one lane stays there. To win, you'll either need to claim two of the three lanes, or manage to bring down your foe's "ancient," which appears only after you've taken a lane.
These basics are sticky to explain, but mercifully, pretty easy to grasp once you see them in action. Artifact offloads a good chunk of its calculations to computers, allowing it to be a lot more complex than a traditional card game. By taking some of that extra grunt work off of you, it broadens the possibility space beyond anything comparable. Because any number of monsters or heroes can be in each lane, it's possible that you'll end up with 10 combat rounds or more across three lanes in a turn. That sounds like a lot, but Artifact offers up battle previews, detailing what will happen if you don't respond. Likewise, the playable cards in your hand will glow a gentle blue, so you can save time and consider the ramifications of the play instead of burning your thoughts attempting to figure out what you even can play on top of what effect it would have.
Play proceeds in a series of rounds, where you'll pass over each lane and resolve whatever relevant cards in sequence. Between each, though, you'll have a chance to buy items and equipment to help in the next go around. Each creep you take down yields one gold, whereas an enemy hero yields five. Neither are necessary objectives in themselves, but creeps and heroes guard the towers, so most of the time you'll need to be chipping away at them anyway, and the extra payout is a useful bonus that will--on occasion--affect which lane you choose to press through and when.
In truth, there's a litany of micro-decisions like those that Artifact relies on to build itself into a fully fledged and shockingly nuanced trading card game. The fineries of play will take quite some time to master, and not because they are obtuse or particularly convoluted, but because of the tension between where, how, and when you choose to play. It can be to your advantage, for instance, to make one big push through a single lane if you don't believe you can spread your forces effectively enough to nab two. But, even then, you'll still need a capable defense to prevent your towers from being overrun.
All of this is covered in the tutorial, but developing a genuine sense of the game takes quite a while, simply due to the nature of its play. Normally this would be a positive trait, and the fact that learning nuances over time is encouraged is a helps create a satisfying, growth-oriented style of play. But that clashes a bit with Artifact's pricing structure.
Buying the game gets you a starting deck as well as several booster packs to round out your starting set. But from there, you'll either need to trade and sell cards on the real-currency marketplace to fill out your decks, or compete incredibly well to win them. Competing would be fine, too, but the number of matches you need to win and the rewards you get from there are scant enough that most new players will need to put in some extra cash.
The fineries of play will take quite some time to master, and not because they are obtuse or particularly convoluted, but because of the tension between where, how, and when you choose to play.
This has been helped somewhat by the post-launch addition of a free draft mode (previously it had been behind a paywall). Here you can play all you want and experiment with whatever cards come up in the draft. Players looking to build their actual decks, though, may be disappointed. I say may because the market's prices are extremely variable, shifting quickly as the market gets more and more rare cards and the metagame evolves. It isn't clear, however, at this stage, what developer Valve will be doing in terms of restricting card rarity to keep prices stable down the line--or if there are any such plans at all. It may be that in two weeks' time, competitive decks are dramatically cheaper to field. As it is, Artifact is dramatically cheaper than high-end Magic or Hearthstone, but it may feel less welcoming to passive fans who want to avoid any significant financial investment.
In aggregate, though, Artifact works far more often than it doesn't. While the volatility of the market is one thing, play on its own is more challenging and engaging than many of its contemporaries. Play moves remarkably fast, too, shuffling between the lanes and then back to the start sometimes in under a minute. It's a lot to keep track of, but it's put together well enough and propped up by enough card playability hints and subtle calculations that it rarely ceases to delight.
Production and animation help a good chunk with that, too. Play will frequently shift between the board as a whole and the specific play space on which you're focusing. Between lanes, though, you'll have a fluttering imp that manages your deck, carrying it seamlessly to the different play areas between rounds. They don't affect play, only adding to the aesthetic presentation of the game and the visual language of how your deck and hand move across the board to each miniature arena, but they're a nice touch. Similarly, the crack of a spell or the soft trickle of the stream that runs the length of the board are engrossing touches that bind the field together and give the game an added visual flair.
All-told, Artifact is a capable reimagining of modern trading card games. It plays quite a bit differently than just about any of its contemporaries--digital or not--and while the marketplace is volatile to say the least, there's little evidence that the pricing is straight-up predatory. Just note, however, that the game is not free-to-play and be prepared to spend some additional bit of money coming in. It would be nice to see some more extensive options for those wanting to play by themselves or in non-competitive settings, but beyond that, Artifact is a great showing.
Now that Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode beta has been live for a week now, Rockstar is beginning to implement changes based on player feedback. The goal of the changes, Rockstar says, is to create "a more balanced, fun, and rewarding overall experience." As a thank you to everyone who has played the Red Dead Online beta, Rockstar is offering free in-game money and gold bars.
Anyone who played the beta between when it first started and tonight, December 6, at midnight PT (3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT / 7 PM AET on Friday, December 7) will receive a gift of RDO$250 and 15 gold bars to spend on anything they'd like. These items will begin arriving today and will finish rolling out to all eligible players by December 14.
Much of the criticism of Red Dead Online has been based on the pricing of in-game weapons and other items. To that effect, Rockstar says it will increase the cash and gold payments for various activities as well as decrease the prices of many weapons. If you already purchased a weapon that's getting a price cut, the difference will automatically be refunded to your balance by December 10. You'll also receive an alert message to that effect.
The values of various items and animal parts will be rebalanced soon, and Rockstar is working on bug fixes that should be addressed in the coming weeks. If you have feedback about the Red Dead Online beta, you can submit it here.
As for our experience with the game so far, we loved the campaign but have found the online experience to be much more hit or miss.
By Anonymous on Dec 06, 2018 11:40 pm Everyone is here! Using our official copy, we show of everything you want to see in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch.
Season 7 of Fortnite has begun on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Following the release of the big 7.00 update, a load of new content is now available in Epic's hit battle royale game, including a new vehicle, skins, challenges, other cosmetics, and much more.
With the arrival of Season 7 comes a new Battle Pass to purchase. As before, this costs 950 V-Bucks and grants players immediate access to two new skins: Zenith and Lynx, both of which can be leveled up throughout the course of the season to unlock new styles. The Battle Pass itself can be leveled up as well by completing weekly challenges, which in turn will unlock new rewards and cosmetics. As an added bonus, those who own the Season 6 Battle Pass will start off with five free tiers when you purchase Season 7's.
More than 100 new cosmetic items are available through the Season 7 Battle Pass, ranging from skins, emotes, toys, adorable new pets, and more. Epic has also introduced a new type of cosmetic this season called Wraps. These resemble wrapping paper and can be applied to vehicles, weapons, and other items you find in the game to customize their look. You can see all the new items up for grabs in our Season 7 Battle Pass rewards gallery.
Every week in Season 7, Epic will roll out a new set of weekly challenges to complete. Just as in Season 6, these are divided up into two categories. Free challenges are available to all Fortnite players, while Battle Pass challenges are reserved for those who've purchased the Season 7 Battle Pass. You can pick up a Battle Pass at any point during the season and will retroactively unlock any rewards you've earned based on the tier you've reached, but there's a benefit to buying it early--namely, Battle Pass owners can earn extra XP for completing any four challenges each week, allowing you to level it up more quickly.
On top of the standard weekly challenges, there are also new Snowfall challenges--Season 7's equivalent to the Hunting Party challenges from Season 6 and the Blockbuster challenges from Season 5. These are completing by clearing all of the objectives from a given week. In turn, they'll unlock a special loading screen that features a cool piece of artwork as well as a clue pointing to a free Battle Star hidden somewhere around the island, so you'll want to complete as many weekly challenges as you can in Season 7 to snag these rewards.
All season long, we'll be putting together guides on all of the trickiest challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale to help you unlock those precious Battle Stars more quickly and easily. You can find all of our Season 7 challenge guides to date below, but be sure to check back regularly as the season rolls on and we add more guides to the list.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 7 Challenges
Week 1
Free
Pick up an item of each rarity (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance in different forbidden location (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with at least one elimination (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Dance on top of a crown of RVs (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal headshot damage to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Star
Stage 1: Search ammo boxes in a single match (5)-- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in different named locations (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Reward: 5K XP (after completing four challenges, only for Battle Pass owners)
As of November 2018, the PlayStation 4 is five years old. In gaming terms, Sony's flagship gaming device has well and truly reached middle age, and after a brief mid-life crisis in 2017, the current year has been a good one for the market-leading console. It's got itself in shape at the spider-gym, bought itself an android servant, and even had a son. Has this metaphor been stretched far enough yet? Good. Let's take a look at the year that was for the PS4.
Games, Glorious Games
PS4 exclusives have come thick and fast in 2018. Shadow of the Colossus kicked the year off with the nostalgic thud of giants hitting the ground, before God of War smashed its way into every PS4 owner's living room. Kratos was back, having generated a son, a great beard, and--of all things--a conscience since our last adventure with him. And what an adventure this current-gen one turned out to be. God of War is easily one of the best games of the year, marrying satisfying combat with an engaging story, all while turning a character who was once an over-the-top caricature akin to The Simpsons' Angry Dad into a complex, fascinating, and mature man.
Next, Detroit: Become Human saw David Cage being David Cage again, causing everyone who likes David Cage's games to exclaim how this was so David Cage! and everyone who dislikes David Cage's games to bemoan how this was so David Cage… Whatever you think of the French auteur's writing, his stories are unlike anything else in the medium, and the games industry is a stronger and more diverse tapestry with his wool woven into it. Detroit's "What if the humans are the bad guys?" storyline might be a little on-the-nose, but its detective gameplay and interesting cast makes it a unique and worthy addition to the PS4's catalogue of exclusives.
The final big exclusive of the year was Spider-Man--yet another video game reboot of our friendly neighborhood superhero. It was a game about a comic book character that managed to satisfy both newcomers and hardcore Marvel fans at the same time. Crucial to developer Insomniac's success was how satisfying Spidey's iconic swinging felt when traveling throughout New York, and we can't wait to swing back there with the game's final DLC chapter, Silver Lining.
It looked like the end of the year might be a little sparse for PS4 owners--until two PSVR games came from nowhere to blow everyone away. First, Astro Bot Rescue Mission proved to be one of the most charming, inventive platformers in years, despite Sony barely whispering its name from the rooftops prior to launch. Sony Japan Studio's delightful family game was followed in November by Tetris Effect. "Tetris?!" I ignorantly exclaimed when I saw people getting excited about the ancient franchise's latest iteration. "What could Tetris possibly do differently in 2018?" Oh how wrong I was.
Unfortunately, beyond these and the early 2018 triumphs of Moss and The Inpatient, PSVR owners may feel a little deprived of reasons to keep hold of their headsets going into 2019.
Elsewhere, PlayStation gamers enjoyed exclusivity over Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Tetris Effect, Iconoclasts, and more, while many other blockbuster titles had some sort of deal with PlayStation this year. Whether it was Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's early DLC drops, FIFA 19's kits, or Red Dead Redemption 2's bundles and early bonuses, it was without doubt a vintage year for third-party games on PS4--plus, PUBG finally came to PS4 with exclusive cosmetics. Unfortunately, Days Gone and Dreams did not launch in 2018 as planned--here's hoping they light up 2019 instead.
Uneventful
Sony's E3 2018 was a disappointment, with only a handful of games shown off at a bumbling, disjointed stage show. "Maybe Sony is gearing up for a huge Gamescom," speculated the imaginary people inside my head. Uh, well, the publisher didn't have a show in Cologne at all this year. Paris Games Week? Nope. PSX? Canceled. The Game Awards? Naughty Dog is busy that night.
Then came the news Sony is skipping E3 2019. All signs point to the platform holder preparing for an inevitable PlayStation 5 announcement, but it's hard not to feel a little short-changed in the meantime. Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us: Part II, and Death Stranding are all on the way, but we've no idea precisely when they'll arrive--and crucially, we now don't even know when we'll see any more of those big upcoming titles.
It's entirely possible Sony will hold some event of its own--potentially in the same vein as EA Play or even Nintendo's Directs, or perhaps something harking back to the PlayStation event in 2013, where the company first revealed the PS4. Either way, we're hoping there's a hardware reveal of some sort in 2019, or it could be a fairly slow year for PlayStation news.
In early 2019, however, Sony will stop giving away PS Vita and PlayStation 3 games as part of PS Plus, and they won't be replaced by additional PS4 titles. This is worse than it initially appears since many of those PS3 and PS Vita titles were part of Sony's Cross-Buy scheme--which means PS4 versions came at no extra cost. With those PS3/Vita freebies stopping in March, the quality and profile of the two remaining games given away each month had better improve further, or people will understandably be disappointed with getting less bang for their buck.
PlayStation Now could also benefit from some TLC from Sony--it's a revolutionary platform that has been almost forgotten about since its launch in 2015. The company has allowed it to fall by the wayside to such an extent that Xbox Game Pass--with its cheaper entry point and day-one access to first-party titles--seems to have overtaken PS Now in many people's minds. If utilized correctly--with better promotion, more games, and a lower asking price--Sony's streaming service could be huge, especially now it's added the ability to download titles as well as play them instantaneously via the cloud.
Hear, Hear
Last year, I wrote how a worrying amount of hubris seemed to be setting into Sony's strategy amid its incredible success with the PS4. Another lackluster E3 and a continuing backwards compatibility policy that looks greedy when compared to Microsoft's more consumer friendly offering are signs that point to this arrogance having not totally disappeared, but Sony has taken positive steps forward in 2018.
Cross-play had become an increasingly sore topic for Sony: Microsoft and Nintendo's willingness to allow cross-play between their ecosystems made the PlayStation publisher look like the bad guy. It took a true phenomenon in Fortnite to change Sony's mind, but eventually the platform holder agreed to let PS4 owners play online against their Xbox One- and Switch-owning friends. Right now, it's only Epic's battle royale game that works with the feature--which is still in the beta phase of testing--but more games are expected to be added soon.
Another announcement welcomed by Xx_Ssnipezz_69_xX and many more PSN users around the world was the ability to change your PSN ID finally being available. Again, it's only in beta right now, with a full rollout scheduled for early 2019, but I am so glad to be getting rid of my existing (and embarrassing) PSN ID.
These developments are great in and of themselves, but perhaps more importantly, they indicate Sony is listening to its customers, and that's a promising sign as we head towards the next generation of consoles. Arrogance gave us the PlayStation 3, while humility gave us the PlayStation 4. Stay humble, Sony.
Other Matters, In Brief
The PlayStation Classic was a huge disappointment, lacking a number of key PS1 titles and display options. The miniconsole is a poor way to play the 20 included games, but you'd have to be anything but poor to buy it thanks to its $100 / £90 / AU $150 price tag.
PS4's system software update 6.00 arrived, though you'd be forgiven for not noticing: the patch changed basically nothing, despite the grandiose number.
RIP, PS Vita.
The Verdict
This year has arguably been the PS4's strongest yet. A stellar list of exclusives, typically strong third-party support, a couple of standout PSVR titles, and some fan-pleasing announcements form a 2018 in which Sony has played the right card at almost every turn. Outside the PS4 ecosystem, the picture is decidedly less rosy--Sony's no-show at a number of events and barebones PlayStation Classic mean this has been by no means a perfect year, and 2019 is looking a little bare at present--but the PlayStation 4 itself is in better shape than ever.
The Good
The Bad
Some amazing games came to PS4 this year, with many of them--particularly God of War--likely to go down as some of the best games of this generation.
PSVR could still do with some more love.
Sony appears to be listening to its fans again, and the air of arrogance that had crept in to the company's messaging last year seems to have been curtailed.
PlayStation Now's potential remains unfulfilled.
PlayStation Plus remains good value--for now, at least.
The PlayStation Classic felt like a rush job that does not offer the best the 20-year-old console has to offer and presents it in a lackluster way.
It's been more than seven years since the release of Id Software's Rage, one of the company's few non-Doom, non-Wolfenstein, and non-Quake titles. A post-apocalyptic shooter with vehicle combat, Rage was an outlier for the developer--it was its first attempt at open-world sensibilities, and while it packed some strong first-person shooter mechanics from a company known for such things, it struggled as an open-world game and in turning the broad strokes of its world into an engaging setting.
With Rage 2, Id is returning to a world full of mutant bad guys and Wild West-esque survivors, and this time it has help for the open-world side. Id teamed with Avalanche Studios, the developer behind the Just Cause series and Mad Max, to nail down the open-world component of the package. In theory, that's going to allow both developers to focus on what they do best in Rage 2.
Meanwhile, it looks like Rage 2 is taking a more vibrant approach to its visuals and design, leaning into the explosiveness of its shooting while moving away from the brown, drab look of the world in the first game. Technological improvements in the years since Rage was released should also allow Id to get closer to the original conception of that game in its sequel.
Here's everything we know so far about Rage 2, from its story conceits to its release window.
Release Date And Platforms
There's no hard-and-fast date yet, but Bethesda says Rage 2 will hit Xbox One, PS4, and PC in Spring 2019.
Story and Setting
The broad strokes of story carry over from the original Rage, in which an asteroid struck the Earth in 2029, basically turning it into a post-apocalyptic hellscape. While there were some survivor communities scattered around the world, much of it was populated by mutants and roving bands of outlaw scavengers, making it a dangerous place in general. Much of the game world in Rage was desert thanks to the cataclysm, and survivors contended with the Authority, a technologically advanced faction that considered itself the overall government of the Wasteland. It turned out the Authority was responsible for awful experiments on people, some of which resulted in the mutants.
The first game was all about Arks, specialized suspended animation pods hidden underground that were supposed to help certain people survive the asteroid and rebuild civilization, as part of the Eden Project. As an Ark survivor, you emerged way behind schedule in 2135. The Authority was created by an Ark survivor who sabotaged the project so that only Arks containing those loyal to him would surface on time while the others stayed buried indefinitely.
The first Rage ended on a pretty unsatisfying cliffhanger, with the remaining dormant Arks all getting activated in hopes of bringing all those survivors to fight the Authority. It doesn't appear that Rage 2 is doing much to complete that story, although elements from it still exist in the world and might hint at what's going on. Instead, it jumps 30 years into the future, when the planet is finally starting to recover from the catastrophe. You play as Walker, a resident of a settlement called Vineland and a member of its survivors, the Rangers. The Rangers use Nanotrites, an element from the first game, to give themselves special abilities. You're forced to leave Vineland when the Authority comes knocking, and it seems Walker becomes the last of the Rangers after that attack.
In the Eden Assault Rage 2 gameplay trailer, you are sent to find Dr. Kvasir, a character from the original game and a former Authority scientist, who sends you to an Eden facility to activate Eco-15, a machine orbiting the Earth from before the asteroid impact. What's not clear is how these elements factor into the overall plot.
What we do know is that the recovering world now sports more biomes, like jungles and wetlands, that offer up new environments to explore. Those will also help make Rage 2 a whole lot less brown than its predecessor--although vehicular combat through desert landscapes like those of Mad Max: Fury Road are also definitely a big part of the experience.
A Faster Gameplay Style
It looks like Id Software learned quite a bit from the acclaim that followed the release of Doom in 2016. Rage 2's gunplay looks altogether faster, more kinetic, and more ridiculous than that of the original. An element from the first game, Nanotrites, make a return, and basically grant you superpowers, with moves that let you jump high into the air and slam the ground to send enemies flying, or project them through the air with energy from your hands. You can also build up and access something called Overdrive, which lets you become even more of a juggernaut, pushing both your body and your guns "beyond their limits" to wreck enemies. The overall effect seems like a mix of Doom, the first Rage, and Bulletstorm, with lots of opportunities for creative kills.
Making its return from Rage is the Wingstick, a deadly boomerang-like weapon you could throw at enemies that returns to your hand. Rage 2's Wingstick has been upgraded to take down multiple targets and to track enemies around corners, giving you new options for dealing with guys in the thick of battle. There are also other spiffy trinkets like grenades, and some kind of items you can throw at enemies that create suspension fields that float enemies and can be used to catapult yourself up to the proper height for a powerful ground-pounding Slam move.
If You See It, You Can Drive It
Vehicular combat is also back in a big way, and it seems that driving around in an armored car covered in guns is probably how you'll engage with the open world most of the time. In trailers, Rage 2's vehicular combat looks a lot like what Avalanche put together in Mad Max, and it all has a very Fury Road effect as you wreck members of different factions as they try to blast you with energy traps, explosives, bullets, and more. For your part, Id's trailers for the game show the player driving a vehicle bristling with a variety of weapons, including mounted machine guns and mortars--but you'll also be able to drive any vehicle you come across in the world.
Id has also said that Rage 2 has improved its open-world gameplay significantly over the previous game. Instead of a "go here, do this" approach, the pairing with Avalanche has increased the sort of emergent gameplay and freedom of choice that's a signature of the open-world genre. Expect to see that translated into events like races to participate in, as well as having to deal with roaming enemies in vehicles as you try to get around.
All Sorts Of Enemies
Like the first Rage, you'll go up against a host of bad guys in Rage 2, which compose a number of different factions. First and foremost are the soldiers of the Authority, which are mutants married with technology that lets them fly around or challenge you with powerful weapons.
Id has also mentioned the Goon Squad in trailers, a group of insane, punk-looking folks who are mostly just excited for murder. There's also the Immortal Shrouded, a more technologically advanced faction that uses camouflage and machinery to try to get the drop on their enemies. There are other factions, including the River Hogs, which Id hasn't detailed yet, and it sounds like there might be more enemy factions that haven't been revealed yet. There are also a variety of enemies, including the Mutant Crusher id showed off in the Eden Assault video, which looks to be an Incredible Hulk-sized pink goon bent on crushing you.
Moving Away From Multiplayer
The first Rage had a couple of multiplayer modes, but that won't be the case in the sequel--it's a single-player-only game. That's a result of the game being "so damn big," according to director Magnus Nedfors.
Will There Be Loot Boxes?
Apparently not, according to Nedfors. Player progression beyond new Nanotrite abilities, which in the Eden Assault trailer came from the Eco pod players called down from orbit, is a bit of an open question. Id apparently has elements in the game meant to keep players engaged over the long haul but hasn't revealed many details about what they might be.
Anthem is the latest game from fan-favorite RPG studio BioWare. Following in the footsteps of the studio's previous work, Anthem is a third-person action-RPG. You play as a Freelancer, someone who pilots an exosuit called a Javelin in order to explore an alien world and defend its inhabitants from dangerous creatures and wandering hostile marauders.
The game was first revealed at Microsoft's E3 2017 presentation. Since then BioWare has released a smattering of details concerning Anthem's systems and a handful of gameplay footage. To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Anthem, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: how it plays, its release date, and more.
Anthem bears a resemblance to games like Destiny and The Division, in that it's a shared-world multiplayer shooter where you create a custom character, complete missions, collect loot, and upgrade your character's weapons and equipment. All the while, there's a main story campaign packed with NPCs with their own unique stories who you can build relationships with. There's some player choice thrown in, but don't expect the same multi-branching dialogue choices seen in previous BioWare games.
While inherently an online cooperative multiplayer game, it's possible to experience all of Anthem by yourself. That said, both camps can be affected by live events, which alter the world in subtle yet significant ways. For example, reality-distorting rifts known as Shaper Storms are random events that can cause unexpected dangers. A day-and-night cycle and dynamic weather system also serves to mix up gameplay experiences, affecting the types of enemies you encounter.
When you're not out fighting or exploring the world of Anthem, you're spending time in Fort Tarsis, a safe haven that acts as the game's central hub. When in the fort, you can customize your Javelin, acquire new missions, rest in your personal home base, and interact with other players. In an intriguing shift from normal play, you assume a first-person perspective when inside Fort Tarsis. Refer to the E3 2017 footage above for a brief taste of what it looks like to accept a mission request in Fort Tarsis and then deploy into battle with your Javelin.
You're not completely blocked from customizing your Javelin when out in the field. You do have access to a Stryder, a forward operating base where you can tinker and rest in-between expeditions.
Release Date And Closed Alpha
Anthem is set to launch February 22, 2019. However, a closed alpha will run from December 8-9. If you're interested in jumping in, you can fill out EA's Playtesting form. If you pre-order the game, you'll receive access to a pre-launch demo. For more details on how to purchase Anthem, check out our pre-order guide.
What Are The Javelin Classes?
The focus of Anthem is its Javelins, which are super-powered Iron Man-like suits that act as player classes. There are four types in total at launch: Ranger, Colossus, Interceptor, and Storm. Each have their own particular abilities, weapons, ultimate attacks, as well as a laundry list of strengths and weaknesses depending on your playstyle. You may equip two weapons to their loadout at a given time and can cycle out different sets between missions. It's also possible to switch Javelins between missions. Below you can find summaries of each Javelin class.
Ranger: The Ranger is the all-rounder exosuit that's the most versatile of the bunch, appearing to be able to handle most combat situations effectively. Aside from heavy weaponry, it can equip nearly every weapon type under the sun. It balances both ranged and melee attacks and can switch between them in the thick of battle with relative ease. This is the definitive Javelin for beginners.
Colossus: If your interests lean towards heavy weaponry--something that the Ranger isn't readily capable of--then the Colossus is the suit you'll want to spend time with. It is the brute of the game, possessing all manner of firepower, like homing missile launchers, mortars, flame throwers, and heavy cannons. Not to mention it can also topple enemies in its path with its massive chassis and shield. While slow in its movement speed, it does have jet propulsion that can help you get out of harm's way if a battle becomes too hot.
Ranger, Colossus, Interceptor, Storm
Interceptor: The Interceptor is the polar opposite of the Colossus in that it's all about agility and mobility. It's incredibly proficient at melee attacks and abilities that can weaken enemies, so expect a lot of hit-and-run tactics when using this flashy and acrobatic Javelin.
Storm: The Storm bears similarity to Destiny's Warlock in that it appears to be Anthem's mage class. As you'd expect from its name, Storm makes use of lethal elemental attacks. Unlike other Javelins, it can effortlessly float above ground for extended periods of time, so as to hail down a barrage of elemental damage. With such power at its fingertips, it has little in the way of defensive capability, which very much makes this Javelin best suited for advanced players.
How Does Matchmaking Work?
Before heading out into the world with your Javelin, you have the option to matchmake with up to three other players. You can choose to either invite friends, fellow guild members, or other like-minded players; you needn't worry about player levels amongst the group as you can join up with anyone without consequence to experience and loot earnings. It's also possible to simply jump out into the world on your own without assembling a squad.
Regardless of how you choose to proceed, you're then prompted to pick either an objective on the map to accomplish or choose Free Play mode where you can explore the world at your own pace. You catch a brief glimpse of matchmaking in the E3 2018 footage above.
What's The Loot System Like?
Like its shared world contemporaries, Anthem features a loot system. The quality of loot you receive is determined by your current pilot level, so even if you're paired with higher-level players, you'll only obtain loot that corresponds to your pilot level. Some loot is drop-specific from certain enemies, while others are earned by completing certain questlines. It's worth noting that loot is instanced, and therefore cannot be stolen by other players.
Loot is divided into six categories denoting its rarity. The names of the loot tier list are as follows: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Masterwork.
Will There Be Loot Boxes? Microtransactions?
There will be not be loot boxes in Anthem. That said, you can purchase cosmetic items for your Javelin with real or in-game currency--with the exception of cosmetics included with special editions of the game. There will also be armor packs that change the appearance of your Javelin.
General Impressions
We haven't had many opportunities to play Anthem, but we did get a chance to try out the game at E3 2018. Below you can find some brief impressions about how it felt to play.
The launch of Red Dead Redemption 2's online multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, quickly resulted in complaints about how the in-game economy works. Rockstar was quick to acknowledge that feedback and it's now outlined the first wave of changes it's implementing--including a free gift of money and gold bars for players.
Although real-money microtransactions are not yet available, progression felt both slow and confusing out of the gate, with the relative value of different items making little sense. With a new update, Rockstar says, "Today we are starting to implement the first set of adjustments to the game including changes specifically geared towards creating a more balanced, fun and rewarding overall experience, across all modes and missions."
It's tackling this in a variety of ways. That includes increasing how much money and gold you earn from various activities, reducing the price of "most" weapons, and adjusting the value of certain items. Regarding the price reduction of weapons, that may sound like frustrating news for those who have done the grinding needed to buy them, but Rockstar will offer refunds to compensate for the difference. Those refunds should begin arriving today but may take until December 10 to be deposited.
"Of course our efforts to improve and balance the Red Dead Online Beta will continue," Rockstar said. "We are conscious of and still evaluating an assortment of further adjustments based on feedback from the community. We are currently working on fixes for some persistent bugs that are causing some players to be kicked from sessions, and we aim to have fixes for these live next week. We will also continue to review all the feedback and suggestions so please keep them coming to reddeadonline.com/feedback."
Alongside the changes outlined above, Rockstar will offer an apology of sorts with a free gift to everyone who has logged into Red Dead Online between launch and tonight, December 6, at midnight PT (3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT / 7 PM AET on Friday, December 7). If you're eligible, you'll receive $250 of in-game cash and 15 gold bars. This will be available to some players today, and everyone who qualifies should have their freebies by December 14.
Red Dead Online is currently in beta, and Rockstar warned ahead of its launch to expect things to not go entirely smoothly--and we've found the experience to be lacking so far. There was some indication that progress could be wiped, but as of now, Rockstar doesn't have plans to do so. For more on what to expect in the new update, read the patch notes below.
Red Dead Online Week 1 Update Patch Notes
Increasing the cash and gold payments across a number of different activities including Free Roam Missions, Free Roam Events, replays of A Land of Opportunities Missions, Showdown Series modes and more.
Reducing the prices of most weapons in the Wheeler, Rawson & Co Catalogue and Gunsmiths. For players that have already purchased weapons at the previous prices, we will automatically deposit the difference to player balances starting today - please look for an alert message the next time you log in to the Red Dead Online Beta to notify you of this change, refunds may take up until Monday, December 10th to reach all eligible players.
Balancing the values of select pelts, skins and fish as well as horse reviver and pamphlets.
Over the years, The Game Awards has become one of the biggest events in the industry. This year's ceremony is happening tonight, December 6, at 8:30 PM ET (5:30 PM PT). You can expect to see accolades showered on the makers of some of the best games of 2018, along with new trailers for upcoming games, plus 10 game announcements. To celebrate the event, Microsoft has decided to put on a special sale on Xbox One games between now and December 9.
Some of the year's biggest titles have gotten the discount treatment, including Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which is down to $40 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, on sale for $48. Anyone looking to jump into Destiny 2 can grab the Forsaken Legendary Collection for $36, which comes with nearly everything that's been released so far. But if you want all that, plus the upcoming year's worth of content updates to go with it, you can get the Complete Collection for $70.
Smaller games are discounted as well. One of the biggest indie games of the year, Dead Cells, is down to $17. And it's safe to say Yoku's Island Express is among the best pinball-meets-Metroidvania games ever made; it's on sale for just $7. And for fans of the Blue Bomber, Mega Man 11 is down to $24.
You can find more of our picks below, or check out the full list of discounts on Xbox Live.
The Game Awards will kick off soon, providing loads of trailers and game reveals alongside the accolades and a look back at the year that was 2018. You'll probably want to check it all out live to see the events as they happen, and you can do that right here. The event kicks off tonight, Thursday, December 6, at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT / (Friday at 1:30 AM GMT / 12:30 PM AET).
While there are sure to be plenty of surprises, some studios have already begun teasing their upcoming announcements. Obsidian will be showing off an apparent space-themed game, Ubisoft teased a Far Cry announcement with a bang, and we're going to see something big for Fortnite unrelated to the kickoff of Season 7. Other companies have dropped hints that could suggest announcements on the way too, so check out everything we know or think we know.
Meanwhile, some other publishers have gone out of their way to point out they won't be showing anything new. Those include The Last of Us 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. Rocksteady also pointed out that it won't be bringing its unannounced project, and in the process dispelled some persistent rumors that it was working on a Superman game.
The Fortnite grind keeps on rolling. Season 6 came to an end this week, but just mere hours later Season 7 launched. This means there's a new Battle Pass with new cosmetics, and Battle Stars to earn through doing challenges. Fortnite's Season 7, Week 1 challenges are live, and if you've spent V-Bucks to get a paid Battle Pass there's one challenge that may prove tricky to complete.
Said challenge asks the player to "dance on top of a crown of RV's" in exchange for five Battle Stars. The dancing part doesn't need explaining, you're probably very familiar how to bust some moves in Fortnite. However, locating those crown of RV's is the difficult part. To take the pressure off, we've done it already and we can point you in the right direction. In the list below you'll find three options for where you can find the RV's. There's also a map to show you exactly where to go, and if you watch the video above you can see how we completed the challenge.
Fortnite Season 7, Week 1 Crown Of RV's Locations
RVs - South of Paradise Palms, at the edge of the map near the desert village.
Metal Turtle - North of Lonely Lodge
Submarine - Mountain East of Frosty Flights
The other more difficult challenge for the week is available to everyone and involves dancing in seven different forbidden locations. Again, dancing is the easy part, it's finding the right place to do the dance that's difficult. Just like with this challenge, we've got a detailed guide on exactly where you need to go to complete the challenges. Here's Fortnite's forbidden locations--get to dancing.
As previously mentioned, the new season brings with it a new Battle Pass and over 100 cosmetics for players to unlock. We've gone through the entire Battle Pass and put together a gallery to show you everything it there. You can see all of Fortnite Season 7's new Skins, Back Bling, Emotes, Sprays, and more here.
The Fortnite Season 7 update is available now and is packed with new content. Arguably the most important of it all, however, is the introduction of two new pets: Hamirez and Remus. The former is a chubby little hamster: "Give her a wheel and she's be your best friend," Epic says in her description. Hamirez is wide-eyed and loving life, from the looks of it. Occasionally she'll swing from her wheel, falling off and scrambling back up in very cute fashion.
Remus, meanwhile, is a husky that is described as being "untamed and unafraid." He hangs out in a little basket, constantly looking in different directions and occasionally getting on his hind legs to take a peek at what's happening in the distance. Again, another adorable addition to the pet selection. Both Hamirez and Remus have alternative looks, which you can check out below.
Click image to view in full screen
New pets are just a small part of what Fortnite Season 7 offers. The new Battle Pass includes over 100 cosmetic items that can be unlocked by doing challenges to score Battle Stars, which then level up your pass. We've gone through the entire Battle Pass and put together a gallery featuring all Fortnite Season 7's new Skins, Back Bling, Gliders, Sprays, Harvesting Tools, Emotes, and more. Check it out to see if there's anything that tickles your fancy.
If you do spot something that you want, the best way to get it is to start knocking out those challenges. Season 7, Week 1's challenges are available now, and one of them is quite tricky. It requires you to dance in a number of forbidden locations, and if you don't know where they are you could spend hours looking. Lucky for you, we've put together a guide to the forbidden locations to make this challenge a breeze.
Another major new addition to Fortnite that comes alongside Season 7 is Creative. This is an extension of the Playground mode Epic Games experimented with during Season 6. When you boot up the game now, you'll find a third option alongside Battle Royale and Save The World. In Creative, players are given their very own island where they can build Fortnite experiences to their taste. This can be done alone or with friends, and creations are saved from session to session. You can learn more about Fortnite Creative here.
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