By Anonymous on Jan 28, 2019 11:52 pm The Blackout Club is a co-op horror game where the adults have been brainwashed, and it's up to the kids to figure out what's going on.
Another one of this year's biggest releases is skipping Steam in favor of the Epic Games Store. Publisher Deep Silver has announced that the PC version of its upcoming first-person shooter, Metro Exodus, will be available exclusively through Epic's digital storefront when it launches next month on February 15.
Prior to this announcement, PC players were able to pre-order Metro Exodus through Steam. These pre-orders will still be honored, but the game will be delisted from Valve's storefront today, January 28, due to the new exclusivity agreement, which Valve blasts as "unfair to Steam customers." In a statement on the Metro Exodus Steam page, the company wrote:
"Later today, sales of Metro Exodus will be discontinued on Steam due to a publisher decision to make the game exclusive to another PC store. The developer and publisher have assured us that all prior sales of the game on Steam will be fulfilled on Steam, and Steam owners will be able to access the game and any future updates or DLC through Steam. We think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers, especially after a long pre-sale period. We apologize to Steam customers that were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date, but we were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know."
One of the major factors that has enticed developers away from Steam and to the Epic Games Store is its revenue terms; unlike Steam, the storefront gives companies 88% of their revenue while Epic only takes 12%, and it appears that split had a bearing on the decision to bring Metro Exodus exclusively to the platform.
"Epic's generous revenue terms are a game changer that will allow publishers to invest more into content creation, or pass on savings to the players," Deep Silver CEO Klemens Kundratitz said. "By teaming up with Epic we will be able to invest more into the future of Metro and our ongoing partnership with series developer 4A Games, to the benefit of our Metro fans."
As another consequence of Epic's more developer-friendly revenue terms, Deep Silver is selling the PC version of Metro Exodus in the US for $50--$10 cheaper than the usual $60 price tag most new releases carry. However, the game will still cost €60 in most European countries.
Metro Exodus isn't the only major PC release that will be bypassing Steam entirely. Earlier this month, Ubisoft announced that its upcoming shooter, The Division 2, will also skip Steam in favor of the Epic Games Store and its own storefront.
Just when you were getting excited to chase down The Last Word, one of Destiny 1's best guns, as it makes its return to Destiny 2, Bungie goes and teases an even bigger deal: Thorn.
Bungie released a trailer for its next in-game event, The Draw, for those who purchased its annual pass, which confirmed that players will be hunting down the Exotic hand cannon The Last Word. That's a Destiny 1 gun many have been wishing would make a return, and it's one that has a ton of lore and story tied to it.
A hero's weapon makes its triumphant return.
Prepare to add the Last Word to your holster when The Draw Exotic quest goes live 1/29. pic.twitter.com/8DjyE17jPi
In fact, The Last Word is one part of a famous duel, in which a heroic Guardian hunted down and killed a murderous one who'd fallen to the Destiny version of the Dark Side of the Force. If you're hazy on one of Destiny's best stories, check out our lore catch-up ahead of The Draw.
The Draw already looked like it would be continuing that story, which Bungie has also been advancing throughout its big Year Two expansion, Forsaken. But in the final moments of the trailer for the new event, Bungie dropped a bombshell in teasing the return of Thorn in Season 6, which starts in March.
Destiny 1 players will remember either fondly or with abject disgust the weapon that often dominated the original game's competitive Crucible. Thorn fired bullets that did delayed damage over time, which meant plenty of players disparaged it and its users as being low-skilled--but that didn't harm its popularity.
While Thorn's return seems all but confirmed by Bungie's trailer for The Last Word, the question of when it's coming to the game is still unanswered. Bungie previously gave us a sense of when things are happening throughout Year Two with its content map, which also breaks down which events are free to all players and which are exclusive to people who purchased the annual pass. Since The Draw is an annual pass event, it seems likely Thorn will be too--but outside of it happening sometime in Season 6, it's not clear when we can expect one of Destiny's evilest guns to once again invade the Crucible.
Capcom's highly anticipated Resident Evil 2 remake is finally here, but there is still some more content in store for the survival horror game. The publisher has announced it will release a free Ghost Survivors DLC starting February 15, which will give players a chance to experience the game from three new perspectives.
According to Capcom, Ghost Survivors will "explore 'what if' stories of three unfortunate souls who never made it out of Raccoon City." In No Time to Mourn, players will be cast as the gunshop owner; in Runaway, they'll play as the mayor's daughter; and Forgotten Soldier places them in the boots of the soldier.
Resident Evil 2 launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 25 and has already proven to be a big success for Capcom. In the UK, the game debuted at the top of the physical sales chart. The title has also garnered near universal praise from critics, including GameSpot; we awarded it a 9/10 in our Resident Evil 2 review and called it "a terrifying experience like no other."
"Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it's also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series' finest entries," wrote critic Alessandro Fillari. "But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story's conclusion."
Nintendo Switch owners may soon be able to enjoy one of Ubisoft's biggest franchises on their portable systems. According to retailer listings, a new collection of Assassin's Creed titles is coming to Switch in just a couple of weeks.
Czech store Herni-Svet has listed a Switch game titled Assassin's Creed III: Liberation Collection, with a release date of February 15. This follows an earlier product listing from German retailer Media Markt for an Assassin's Creed collection on Switch.
In response to these latest listings, Ubisoft told GameSpot it does not comment on rumors or speculation, though the publisher's CEO, Yves Guillemot, told GameSpot last year that no mainline Assassin's Creed game would launch in 2019. Perhaps this new collection is a way for the company to plug that gap while it works on a brand-new game for next year.
Ubisoft has not yet announced any plans to bring its hit series to Nintendo's portable console, except for last year's Odyssey, which came to Switch as a Japan-exclusive cloud-streaming game. Other than that, the last Assassin's Creed game to launch on a Nintendo console was Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag on Wii U. Assassin's Creed III, the title apparently part of this new Switch port, also came to Wii U. The other apparent Switch title, Liberation, initially launched as a PlayStation Vita exclusive in 2012, before later coming to PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
The maker of a popular Dark Souls mod has opened his own studio. Peter "Durante" Thoman, who created the "DSfix" mod for the PC version of Dark Souls, has founded his own company with two colleagues, specializing in PC ports and providing consulting services.
PC Games N reports that his company is named PH3, after all three founding members holding PhD degrees. The company just finished all the paperwork in its home company of Austria, leaving him free to make the announcement. He plans to tap his expertise and experience as a computer scientist for the new work.
Thoman said he doesn't plan to license games, which he calls "a whole other can of worms" with its own kind of technical expertise. Instead, he says fans will still have to request ports they may like to see from publishers directly. "But if you gain traction, you can certainly suggest they consider our services," he said.
Dark Souls was a notoriously buggy PC port, to the point that even director Yui Tanimura called it "half-assed." DSfix was widely adopted by the community as a must-have add-on to make it run properly. Later Souls ports were less slipshod, as he promised. Similarly, Demon's Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki recently said he was open to another studio handling a remaster of the original genre-defining classic, but expressed disinterest in handling it himself.
While the status of the Suicide Squad sequel is uncertain, we do know that the first movie's breakout character--Harley Quinn--is set to return to screens in 2020. Margot Robbie is reprising the role in Birds of Prey, which will team her up with other female heroes from the DC universe. The movie is now in production and a first look video has been released.
The video is only 20 seconds long but actually packs quite a lot in. It starts with shots of Harley and--judging from the crossbow--Huntress walking into a large, empty room. Hypnotic electronic music plays and then there's a very quickly cut montage of the movie's characters. There's shots of Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Huntress), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Black Canary), Ewan McGregor (Black Mask), Ella Jay Basco (Cassandra Cain), Chris Messina (Victor Zsasz), and Rosie Perez (Renee Montoya). Check it out above.
This video follows an image that Robbie posted on Instagram that also highlighted Harley's new look. The movie is directed by Cathy Yan, and releases in February 2020. In November it was revealed that the movie actually has a much longer title than just Birds of Prey--an image of the script cover revealed that it is in fact named Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The film is written by Christina Hodson, who recently scored a big hit with the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee.
In May last year, Robbie spoke about her plans for the movie and described it as an "R-rated girl gang film." She also explained why it was important that Harley's second movie wasn't a solo film. "Harley loves interacting with people, so don't ever make her do a standalone film," she said. "She's got to be with other people, it should be a girl gang. I wasn't seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space. So that was always a big part of it."
A direct sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad was previously in development, but in October it was announced that James Gunn had been hired by DC to write--and possibly direct-- a reboot of the property. Gunn previously worked for rivals Marvel, but was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 last summer.
Marvel's Spider-Man is already bursting with fashion options for your wallcrawler, but Insomniac has introduced two more today with the latest update. After teasing "something fantastic" for the game, comic fans concluded it must be an homage to one of the times Spidey has teamed up with the Fantastic Four. The only question was if we would see the Future Foundation suit or the Bombastic Bag-Man suit. As it turns out, the answer is both.
A post on the PlayStation Blog announced the 1.14 update for Spider-Man, which adds both iconic suits to the game. The Bombastic Bag-Man immortalizes the time the webhead was left suit-less at F4 headquarters and had to resort to a paper bag to hide his secret identity. The Future Foundation suit is from a more recent story when the group rebranded itself and welcomed new members, including Spider-Man himself. It's a bit less goofy.
Along with the Sam Raimi movies suit, this shows Insomniac continuing to provide support for its blockbuster well after launch--and after the three DLC packs that introduced new suits have come to a close. Insomniac will be hosting a Twitch stream showing the suits today, January 28, at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM GMT (9 AM AET on January 29).
Spider-Man was one of the biggest hits of the year, especially for Sony which recently announced the exclusive had sold 9 million copies. That was as of November 25, so it may have passed 10 million following the gift-giving holidays. It was also the fifth best-selling game of the year in the US, despite every other game in the top 10 (besides fellow PS4-exclusive God of War) appearing on multiple platforms. It was enough to help lift Sony's financial forecast, and the sales tracking firm NPD mentioned it as one reason total video game spending increased. For more on how Spider-Man came together, check out our in-depth post-mortem.
Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake has debuted at the top of the UK physical sales chart for the week ending January 26. Sales monitor Chart-Track says the PS4, Xbox One, and PC horror title is Capcom's biggest launch since Resident Evil 7: Biohazard two years ago and the biggest UK launch of 2019 so far.
Below Resident Evil 2, the chart paints a familiar picture. Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 each climb one position to finish No.2 and No.3, respectively, while last week's No.1 falls three places as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe finishes at No.4. Aside from Resident Evil 2, no new titles entered the chart this week.
Capcom's remake has gone down well with critics and was awarded a 9/10 in GameSpot's Resident Evil 2 remake review. "Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it's also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series' finest entries," wrote critic Alessardo Fillari. "But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story's conclusion. Though Resident Evil 2 has its roots firmly in the past, it reworks the familiar horrors into something that feels brand new and all its own."
It's that time of year once again. The road to Wrestlemania has begun as the WWE's first pay-per-view of the year, the Royal Rumble, has arrived. This is the show that sets the stage for WWE's biggest show of them all, as contenders for world titles set decided. Who's going to Wrestlemania?
It's a question GameSpot's resident wrestling nerds--Mat Elfring, Chris E. Hayner, and Kevin Wong--are here to answer. Of course, we also have many, many thoughts about this year's Royal Rumble, for better or worse. Take a look at the match results, as well as our thoughts about every single match on the show. Yes, even that weird Raw Tag Team Championships bout that made no sense.
Royal Rumble 2019 match card:
Roode & Gable vs. Scott Dawson and Rezar (Raw Tag Team Championships: KICKOFF SHOW)
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami (Cruiserweight Championship: KICKOFF SHOW)
Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship: KICKOFF SHOW)
The Bar (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
Women's Royal Rumble
Men's Royal Rumble
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship)
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Balor (Universal Championship)
Roode & Gable (c) vs. Rezar & Scott Dawson (Raw Tag Team Championships)
Winners: Roode & Gable
Well then, no one knew this match happening, and the teaming of Rezar and Scott Dawson is truly bizarre. From the moment the competitors came to the ring, this felt like filler, which is weird since it's the first match on the Kickoff Show. Because there's nothing behind the match, it has the excitement and storytelling of an undercard bout on Sunday Night Heat. If you wonder why Raw's tag division is failing, it's because of booking like this. This match was mediocre, predictable, and nothing more than a pee break.
3/10 -- Mat Elfring
This is bad. And pointless. And why are Rezar and Dawson teaming? And why is this taking up airtime? I get wanting to have some kind of match happening as the arena fills up to keep people busy, but is this the first impression you want to make to a stadium filled with people? Is this Royal Rumble Kickoff or an episode of WWF Jakked from 1999? Literally everyone involved, and the tag partners left on the sideline, deserve better than this. Raw's tag division is in bad shape.
1.5/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
That was baffling. Why are Dawson and Rezar teaming, and why should we care? What makes The Revival and The Authors of Pain work is their teamwork; one guy distracts the ref, the other thumbs the opponent's eye. They do power moves, side-by-side. This match had no coordinated spots because it was thrown together at the last minute (literally; this was unannounced prior to the Kickoff Show). This is a terrible way to "kick off" the show.
3/10 -- Kevin Wong
Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship)
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
You know how to get me really excited about Nakamura/Rusev on the Kickoff Show? Have it follow a pointless Raw Tag Team Championship match. My only question is, "Who is the babyface here?" Is it Nakamura or Rusev? Actually, does that even matter, since their styles are so different in the ring? While the match itself is fun to watch, there are so many close call two counts. Everything is almost a three count. Very quickly, however, the match turned into a "powerhouse vs. technician" match, which worked extremely well for the storytelling here. Of course, nothing can really go to plan when you have Lana hanging on the outside of the ring, and it ends up costing Rusev his title. It was fine. This match was a little better than I expected it to be, considering the story behind these two fighting was non-existent. However, I feel much better living in United States of Nakamerica than having Rusev as champ right now.
5.5/10 -- Mat Elfring
Rusev and Nakamura are two very interesting and very similar superstars. They both got over huge with audiences to the point where you might expect them to be in the world title picture--and at least one of them should be. However, they seem to be toiling in the midcard and now, one year after winning the Royal Rumble, Nakamura is on the kickoff show. Their feud has been pretty boring, with no real fire to keep it going other than Shinsuke wanting his title back. That said, even without an engaging feud driving this match, these two men delivered a pretty good match--certainly one that could have been great with a few more minutes to play out and a spot on the main show. Giving Nakamura back the title is fine, but doesn't really do him any favors. He should be in the main event, tangling with Daniel Bryan over the WWE Championship.
5/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
Considering that these two have no real, personal reason to fight beyond the title itself, this was a good match from both performers; it was well-paced with solid, "real"-looking moves. Nakamura is United States champion again, which is great. But damn, what a fall from grace to go from winning the Royal Rumble to fighting on the pre-show the following year. Also, I remember when Lana used to be an essential part of Rusev's schtick. She was a sharp-tongued, cool strategist, the only one who could control Rusev and get him to release his Accolade finisher. Now, she serves little purpose other than to wince at the high spots and fall off the apron. She used to be more clever than this.
6/10 -- Kevin Wong
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami (Cruiserweight Championship)
Winner: Buddy Murphy
Time for the cruiserweights, and if you've been paying attention to their matches in the past, then you know the potential is there this one to be a showstealer. These four competitors are delivering some fantastic high spots, and they know how to get the crowd riled up. The spot where everyone kept kicking Hideo in the face was awesome, and it got a good chuckle out of me. From start to finish, this was the perfect lead-in to the Royal Rumble to get the crowd going. While the final outcome wasn't what I was hoping for, this was still an awesome match.
8/10 -- Mat Elfring
This match was every bit as good as you would want it to be. The action was fast-paced, there were some nice high-flying moves tossed in, and all four men threw everything they had at each other. The pseudo superkick party at the end was very entertaining and a nice way to get the crowd pumped for the end of the match. Meanwhile, Kalisto's vicious hurricanranas were terrifying and cool. It's hard to argue against Buddy Murphy retaining, as he's been a good cruiserweight champion. However, this would have been a great chance to spotlight Hideo Itami, who has yet to hold WWE gold even though he's one of the most talented cruiserweights on the planet. However, commentators made a point of mentioning the conflict between Murphy and Itami, so here's hoping for a one-on-one Wrestlemania match.
8/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
Unbelievable athleticism for an unappreciative audience. There was a dangerous circus spot near the beginning of the match, where Kalisto dove between Itami's legs, through the middle ropes, and took out Tozawa and Murphy at the same time. It put at least three of their lives at undue risk, and the audience barely responded. The same was true for a headfirst suicide dive by Tozawa. Thankfully, the audience woke up for the last three minutes gave the match (some) of its due. Every performer in this match shone brightly. It's a crime that this was left off the main card.
8/10 -- Kevin Wong
Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Winner: Asuka
Normally, I'd be furious that Becky is on early, but I want her to win the Royal Rumble, so this makes sense. Well, I want her to win the women's and men's Rumble matches, but I think only one of those will actually happen. When you see women's matches on the card, you want them to be this good. This match made both of them look like fierce competitors, and most importantly, it kept Asuka as champion. Even though I love Lynch, she needed to lose this one--so she can win the Rumble. Regardless of booking, these two put on an amazing match, and we'll be talking about this one the rest of the year.
9/10 -- Mat Elfring
If Becky's match is on first because she's going to be in the Rumble later, she's certainly not taking it easy and conserving her energy. One of the things I love about a Becky match is she can acclimate to her opponent's style--something many in the women's division can do. She can have a very serious technical match with Charlotte Flair, and an incredibly rough brawl with a striker like Asuka. These two are spending the match beating the hell out of each other and it shows just how competitive this division can be. This match was fantastic, aside from one scary looking spot that saw Asuka dumping Becky on the outside of the ring. Thankfully, neither seemed to be phased by it and continued to deliver on what's already a contender for match of the night. Asuka won but both of these women just proved why they're better than practically anyone else on the roster.
9.5/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
What really stood out to me while watching this match was how "off-script" these two women were. They were way out of their comfort zone, performing moves that we don't usually get to see. There was a Tarantula/Asuka lock in the ropes. There was a frightening suplex off the apron to the floor. The finish of the match, filled with reversals and reversals of the reversals, ended with an inverted, bridging Asuka Lock (at least, that's what I'm going to call it). They knew this was a special important moment in the larger picture of the women's division, and they absolutely delivered it.
9/10 -- Kevin Wong
The Bar (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Winners: The Miz & Shane McMahon
I sure do love the Miz, but I am not a Shane McMahon fan. It's a nostalgia act featuring "I'm about to die" spots, and that just doesn't rev my engines. It's one of the few times where I wanted a match to be over. I'm not a fan of the outcome either. I don't like the two as champions. It further hurts the division. Anyway, as for the match itself, it was mediocre up until the shooting star press, which was a cool move to see again in the ring. Regardless of that, there was nothing here that really stood out in the match.
3.5/10 -- Mat Elfring
I don't hate the idea of this match, I just don't understand it. After Shane McMahon won the WWE World Cup, it seemed like he was primed to go on a heel run. Instead, he's wound up in this makeshift tag team with The Miz, who deserves so much more than he's given by WWE. Yes, it keeps Miz with a storyline that includes a top talent--they definitely consider Shane a top talent--but it's wasting him. This guy should be in the world title picture, not teaming with Shane O'Mac for some reason. As for the match, Miz bumped all over the place and Shane got in his typical offense, which isn't any more intimidating now than it was in 1998. Meanwhile, The Bar's run as champions is at a serious low point because there's simply nobody else to have them face on Smackdown. Bonus points to Shane McMahon for looking even sillier during the Cesaro swing as he spent the entire time trying to keep hit shows from flying up. However, a billion points taken away for whoever thought Shane and Miz winning the tag titles was a good idea.
2/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
I don't buy this entire Shane/Miz premise. It feels like the entire storyline was reverse engineered to Give Something For Shane To Do as we head into Wrestlemania season. It doesn't say much for the competitiveness of Smackdown's tag division that this match is happening, nor does it look good that Shane is getting the hot tag, laying out both Sheamus and Cesaro with his cartoony Attitude Era punches. It was a decent match, with thrilling high spots, in a self-contained bubble. It's an awful burial of the tag division in a bigger context. Poor Cesaro and Sheamus. These two lost to the formidable team of Braun Strowman and Nicholas at WrestleMania 34. What further indignities await them at WrestleMania 35?
5/10 -- Kevin Wong
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
Winner: Ronda Rousey
There are two ways to play this match off. You can have Rousey dominate or put her in the hope spot by having Banks put up a really good fight. Creative chose the latter and it worked. Ignoring the green moments from Rousey, she continues to put on entertaining matches, although Banks pulled a good amount of weight during the match. While the outcome was extremely predictable, it raised Banks' stock. She looks like she should be in the championship picture. Once again, Rousey has a great match with a great competitor to cement her legacy, up until she loses the title at Wrestlemania to Becky Lynch.
8/10 -- Mat Elfring
Well, at least this wasn't a Rousey squash. We, the fans, know Sasha Banks is one of the absolute best in-ring performers. Now Ronda's character knows it too. It's rare these days that Sasha gets to show just how good a professional wrestler she is, since she's been largely removed from the Women's Championship picture over the last year. However, this match may very well have been Rousey's best yet and Banks is the biggest piece of that puzzle. Ronda won but both looked like stars in the end.
8/10 -- Chris E. Hayner
One of the underrated parts of Rousey's prodigal rise in WWE is her selling ability. Rousey is an Olympian; she's in the 99.999 percentile of athletes in the world, and yet, she and Banks put on a competitive, believable match—not because Banks outmuscled Rousey, but because Banks worked smart, and because Rousey sold consistently. It all started when Rousey missed a punch on the outside and slammed her fist directly into the ring post. For the rest of the match, Sasha worked that hand, and made what seemed like a foregone conclusion into a potential upset. Kudos to both women.
8.5/10 -- Kevin Wong
Women's Royal Rumble
Winner: Becky Lynch
Excitement for this bout aside, this started off exceptionally slow with plenty of blunders. Now, no Royal Rumble match is supposed to move at breakneck speed but what happens in the ring should be smooth and there should always be action in the ring. This was not the case for roughly the first third of the event. There were sloppy spots and times where nothing was happening. As the event moved on, things got smoother and overall, the event was a lot more fun. Let's say that started after the dumb "hat spot" between Maria and Alicia. As things progressed, the final five were exactly who we wanted to see, and even more so for the final two. Charlotte/Becky was the perfect way to close out their story together. The battle between the two was perfect.
Best Moments:
Becky getting injured and making it back into the ring
Nikki Cross adding some flavor to what had been a dull match to that point.
Billie Kay waiting for Peyton Royce to come into the ring.Zelina Vega's entrance outfit.
No legends. As fun as they're great to see, WWE focussed on the future of the company with NXT additions this year.
Worst Moments:
The Alicia/Maria hat bit
Numerous times where people were laying around and there was NO in-ring action.
No Chelsea "Hot Mess" Green.
The opening chunk of the match was not good and full of botches.
-- Mat Elfring
7.5/10
The first-ever women's Royal Rumble match was a cool and historic moment. It was filled with legends and plenty of feel-good moments. This one, though, blew it out of the water. In fact, I dare say it's one of the best Royal Rumble matches, men or women, we've ever seen. There was plenty of drama, some really nice NXT introductions--the world deserves something as pure and good as Kacy Catanzaro, the wrestler--and plenty of drama that had my eyes blud to the screen the entire time. And in the end, Becky did it. Becky Lynch is going to Wrestlemania and nothing else matters.
Best moments:
Candice LeRae introducing Zelina Vega to her patented Violence Party, which she learned from Super Dragon.
Literally everything the Iiconics did.
Kacy Catanzaro and Naomi's creative ways of staying in the match.
Nikki Cross coming to play.
Becky Lynch getting the spotlight she deserves.
Worst moments:
Maria Kanellis being in the match in general. She's not particularly known for her wrestling ability and stuck out like a sore thumb
Maria and Alicia's hat fight, which was an utterly pointless waste of time.
Some early parts of the match were a little sloppy.
-- Chris E. Hayner
8.5/10
Sloppy at times, with too many mistimed spots. But here's what counts; there was never a prolonged period where this match was not engaging or fun, in some way. And the finish, with Bayley finding her grit, Nia getting her comeuppance, Charlotte losing her cool, and Becky Balboa overcoming the odds, was WWE storytelling at its best.
Best moments:
Lacey Evans gave a great opening promo to kick things off. She's a Southerner. She's a snob. I'm here for it.
Ember Moon selling like Ric Flair. She was completely selfless tonight, and spent most of her time in the Rumble flopping around, making everyone else look like a million dollars.
Nikki Cross charging in like a bull and giving the Rumble a much-needed shot of adrenaline
Sonya Deville continues to look like a champion in the making.
Alexa Bliss returning to in-ring competition.
Mighty Kacy with the handstand hero save.
Becky with the 11th-hour entry into the Rumble, taking an injured Lana's place.
The final two. Charlotte vs. Becky has been the best feud of the past 12 months. No contest.
Worst moments:
That extremely bizarre Alicia Fox comedy bit with the hat.
The botches that comprised the middle third of the match. One of the best things about this year's Rumble is that instead of featuring veterans, they chose to highlight new talent. The drawback was that there were several performers who didn't look ready for primetime.
-- Kevin Wong
8/10
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship)
Winner: Daniel Bryan
I made sure to consume no animal products while watching this match, in honor of Daniel Bryan. Match placement is important, and a bout this important shouldn't really follow a Rumble match. This would be a much better spot for a short and sweet Tag Team Championship match. Regardless, here we are, and although the crowd is dead, still riding the high from the Women's Royal Rumble, this really is a great match. Wrestling fatigue aside--we have two matches left?!--Bryan is working his new gimmick as a heel perfectly. He's slower moving and brutal when it comes to working Styles' limbs. The ending was completely out of the ordinary, but I liked it and it's only going to add to Bryan's story. This is a match you'll want to watch again, on its own, when it's not following a Rumble match.
-- Mat Elfring 8/10
This match was great, but the crowd was absolutely dead. After all, can you blame them with this following the women's Royal Rumble? Still, we all know Bryan and Styles can have great matches and this was yet another one. Bryan is slow and maniacal about everything he does and his methodical dismantling of Styles was exciting to watch. Styles, for his part, gave just as good as he got and had the champion close to defeat multiple times. The real wild card was the addition of Erick Rowan as an ally of Bryans who also helped him secure the win. This new wrinkle to Bryan's gimmick is intriguing but has me wondering if this means the Bludgeon Brothers are dead and buried.
-- Chris E. Hayner 8/10
I don't envy the wrestlers who have to immediately follow The Man's Rumble win. Inexplicably, this dream WWE Championship match between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles served as the cooldown match to the women's Rumble. The biggest pop was for the Yes Kicks, which, if we go by WWE logic, shouldn't be cheered for in the first place. None of this, however, is the performers' faults. At least Rowan came in at the end and spiced things up a bit. For years, that man's mask has been more over than him. Maybe this can be the start of something better.
-- Kevin Wong 7/10
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Balor (Universal Championship)
Winner: Brock Lesnar
There were a couple of moments where I almost thought, "Oh man. Balor is going to win this." Almost. We all knew what was going to happen here. But just why is WWE waiting until Wrestlemania for Lesnar to lose the belt? Who the hell knows? This was boring, and there were no surprises. Somehow, Lesnar retains the title he defends like four times a year. I hate this.
-- Mat Elfring
3/10 (All three points are awarded to Balor. None to Lesnar)
It's been 17 years since the 2019 Royal Rumble began. We've all been through a lot together, for better or worse. By worse, I mean, of course, Brock Lesnar is still Universal Champion. See you again in April, Brock! Kudos to the champ for at least making Finn look good in grisly defeat. Balor for in a lot more offense than I expected. I'll also say thanks to WWE for not having Balor go full-demon for this match, as watching Brock crush that piece of Finn's personality would have been pointless and sad.
-- Chris E. Hayner
4/10
Brock never really had a chance of losing this, ever. If Vince wants him in the title picture of Wrestlemania, then that's where he's going to be. It's also become clear that Brock's best matches are against people significantly smaller than him. His recent matches against Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman were dull plodding affairs with little chemistry. But these David vs. Goliath fights against AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and now, Finn Balor, have been late-career highlights for The Beast. He also pulled out some early '00s moves like that shoulder ram in the corner. Brock would be a lot less boring if he just mixed things up a little more. The "Suplex City" meme was the worst thing to happen to him.
-- Kevin Wong
7/10
Men's Royal Rumble
Winner: Seth Rollins
Eternity anywhere is hell, and as much as I love wrestling, I feel like I'm trapped in hell. This match happens to be my favorite one of the year, but this was a very long show, and I am very tired. Trying to stay awake and enjoy the show for what it was, the Royal Rumble match did have a lot of great moments, and overall, it was a lot of fun. Compared to the women's match, this one felt a bit smoother and the one comedy spot the men had wasn't weird and awkward. There weren't as many botches spots either and there was a little more in-ring storytelling. Both Rumble matches were a ton of fun, but this one was just a tiny bit better. It was nice to see Rollins get the win as Strowman's time has come and gone, and I'd personally rather see him against Lesnar at the big show.
Best Moments:
Curt Hawkins got an elimination.
Mustafa Ali eliminating Samoa Joe.
The surprise entrants were more NXT stars over Hall of Famers or Legends.
Nia Jax replacing R-Truth and causing trouble in the Men's Royal Rumble match was a fun moment. I'm just happy to see a woman in the men's Rumble match again.
Worst Moments:
Jeff Jarrett. I hate Jeff Jarrett and that segment went on forever.
I missed Johnny Gargano getting eliminated because I was updating the live results.
-- Mat Elfring
7.75/10
I am so tired. This Rumble has been on my TV for 39 days and there hasn't been a single break. Honestly, these marathon shows are too much. Wrestlemania runs 7 hours long, including the kickoff show. Royal Rumble doesn't need that length. Especially with throwaway matches like whatever that Raw Tag Team Championships nonsense was. When the show runs this long, matches lat in the evening lose importance. This match was fine, though weak compared to the women's Rumble. The Double J cameo would have been fun if the show weren't so long.
Best Moments:
The NXT appearances were great.
Andrade's impressive performance shows that WWE truly thinks he's something special. And he is.
Dolph Ziggler got to play a meaningful role in something!
Seth deserved the win.
Worst Moments:
The Nia Jax appearance just added more time to a very long show.
Same goes with the Elias/Jeff Jarrett bit.
-- Chris E. Hayner
7/10
It's nearly midnight in New York. This was a very long show, and perhaps, the final men's Rumble suffered for it. There were no real surprises this year, and like with the women's Rumble, WWE focused on the NXT up-and-comers instead of the Legends. That's probably a smart move in the long run. The WWE men's division feels like it's in a rebuilding phase; their top guy is out sick with leukemia. Some of their biggest stars, like AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, aren't getting any younger and need to pass the torch. Rollins and Braun are good representatives of the future, and appropriately, they were the final two.
Best Moments:
Double J cameo at the beginning of the Rumble. Ain't he great?
Pete Dunne comes in, twists people's fingers backwards, and cleans house
Aleister Black eliminates Dean Ambrose. Good sign of things to come
It's great seeing Shelton Benjamin. One of the most singularly talented guys to come out of the OVW developmental class.
Mustafa Ali continues rising up the card, eliminates Samoa Joe.
Andrade lasts until late in the Rumble
The right person won. Rollins has had a phenomenal year, and this is a well-deserved addition to that.
Worst Moments:
Telegraphed ending. The minute Rollins took the table bump from Bobby Lashley on the outside, we knew who would be winning this.
Mustafa Ali gets eliminated by Nia Jax in a drawn-out gimmick spot.
This year's Royal Rumble has come and gone, and if you're looking for the results or a review of the show, we have both of those for you. However, what people will be talking about are all the surprises that took place over the very long January 27 evening. Were there returning legends who popped up? What NXT superstars made their mainstage debut? Luckily, we have those answers for you.
During the course of the PPV on the WWE Network, there were two Royal Rumble matches: one for the men and one for the women. Each bout had a few slots open for surprise spots, and this year was a bit different. WWE focused more on the future rather than the past, meaning it was heavy with NXT superstars.
Much like Becky Lynch replacing Lana last minute in the women's Rumble, you'll find all the rest of the surprise entrants from both the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches below, including a few WWE Superstars you don't see anywhere on TV nowadays.
Xia Li
NXT Superstar Xia Li came to the ring in the #11 spot.
Kairi Sane
NXT's Pirate Princess entered her second Royal Rumble match at #14.
Maria Kanellis
The 205 Live manager of Mike Kanellis came to the ring at #15.
Candice LeRae
One half of "the World's Cutest Tag Team" and current NXT Superstar, Candice LeRae, came to the ring in the #17 spot.
Kacy Catanzaro
American Ninja Warrior Kacy Catanzaro entered as #19.
Io Shirai
NXT Superstar Io Shirai came in at #23.
Rhea Ripley
Part of NXT UK, Rhea Ripley entered at #24.
Jeff Jarrett
On the men's side of the Rumble, Jeff Jarrett entered at #2. He was the only Hall of Famer to compete this year.
Johnny Gargano
Johnny Wrestling debuted at the #6 spot and lasted quite a while in the Rumble.
Pete Dunne
From NXT UK, Pete Dunne entered at #18.
Aleister Black
It's only a matter of time before Aleister Black is on Raw or Smackdown weekly, and in 2019's Rumble, he entered at #21.
Nia Jax
In a weird turn of events, Nia Jax attacked R-Truth (#30) and took his spot. She got in the ring, had an elimination, and dominated the competitors for a few minutes.
While Resident Evil 2 has a number of challenges to face in the multi-scenario campaign, some of the game's toughest encounters come right after completing the main story. After finishing both Leon and Claire's scenarios for the first time, you'll unlock a new bonus mode titled The 4th Survivor--a reimagining of the original game's extra mission. Taking control of fan-favorite U.S.S. operative Hunk, you'll need to fight through a gauntlet of the game's toughest battles to make a clean getaway with the G-Virus sample.
Though the main story helped you get accustomed to the different threats in RE2, The 4th Survivor ups the challenge considerably, and you more than likely won't make it on the first few attempts. Considering how difficult of a challenge this can be, we've decided to offer up some tips to help you evade the mutants and the undead in this bonus game. Though Hunk is armed with several weapons, there are better ways to clear The 4th Survivor. And if you follow these 4 tips, you'll seldom have to fire a shot.
Learn To Read The Room
The best ways to make it through The 4th Survivor is to not only think ahead, but also to understand what you're dealing with. Despite the faster pace and wealth weapons, it's still a game about survival. As death is more than likely in this mode, you'll gradually learn more about the enemy patterns and layouts with each attempt. These never change, and with this knowledge in mind, you'll be able to better chart out a path through the many groups of zombies and mutated monsters--including anticipating when Mr. X shows up during your first entrance into the 1st floor of the Police Station.
Save Your Bullets
As a standalone mission, Hunk has all that he needs to make it past the many threats in the Sewers and into the Police Station. Though he's armed with a pistol, submachine gun, a magnum, and a shotgun--along with tons of ammo and support items--you're much better off saving them. It might seem inviting to unload into the undead, but you'll actually cover a lot more ground and save yourself some headache if you just stick with avoiding most fights. With that said, there may come a time to use your weapons--particularly the magnum--against the more high-risk enemies, such as the Plant Mutants that can instantly kill you with a grab. Use your best judgement to figure where and when it's best to fire off some quick shots.
Make Your Support Items Count
In addition to a set of weapons, Hunk is also armed with a suite of herbs, gunpowder, and sub-weapons. He's easily more well-armed than either Leon or Claire, however, it's also very easy to run through those items quick. Though the sub-weapons are useful to counterattack against grabs, which can happen a lot if you're not careful, they're far more useful as a tactical tool. One particular instance, the Underground Stairway section--shortly after leaving the Sewers--has eight zombies in close proximity. Running straight in will result in a number of grabs, costing you more time and resources. Situations like this are a great time to toss a flash grenade, stunning all nearby enemies and allowing you the chance to flee during the confusion.
Keep Pushing Forward
Throughout The 4th Survivor, you'll not only encounter every common enemy that appeared in the game, they'll also come in greater frequency. Some locations have 10 different monsters in a single space, which can cut your run short fairly quick. Though many of the monsters you face are extremely dangerous, especially when in packs, they're also very predictable. As stated previously, the encounters will never change, making it easier to learn particular patterns. It's far more preferable to bait common enemies into attacks and run around their blindspot to press forward. For instance, during the first stretch through the tunnel, the smarter thing for you to do is to push through and evade zombies by running behind them. They won't be able to react fast enough to grab, allowing you to make a break for it.
If you're able to stick with these key tips, you should be able to complete The 4th Survivor before you know it. After that's done, now you can attempt the game's hardest mission with The Tofu Survivor. Instead of Hunk, you'll play as Tofu, a giant sentient block of soy who's armed with only a knife. Good luck!
For more info on Resident Evil 2, including our story recap and where to find all the weapon upgrades, be sure to check out our other features on GameSpot.
As teased, Bandai Namco shared some big Dragon Ball-related news during the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals this weekend. In addition to announcing a second season of DLC for the fighting game, the publisher shared the first trailer for its new Dragon Ball Z action RPG.
The trailer, which you can watch above, doesn't showcase much in the way of gameplay, but it appears the game will recount the story of Dragon Ball Z. The video recreates some iconic moments from the series, such as the first time Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan during his battle with Frieza. We also briefly see him walking past a handful of familiar locations, including Capsule Corp. and the Kame House.
"True warriors are in a neverending search for the ultimate fight," the narrator says. "This is the story of the mysterious Dragon Balls. A story about determination, despair, and hope. This is the story of Goku, the one they call Kakarot."
The upcoming Dragon Ball action RPG is still without a proper title. Likewise, Bandai Namco hasn't pinned down a release date, but the game is slated to launch sometime this year for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. It is being developed by CyberConnect 2, the studio behind Asura's Wrath and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy.
In other Dragon Ball news, six more DLC characters are on the way to Dragon Ball FighterZ. The previously teased Jiren will launch later this week, on January 31, alongside the newly announced Videl, while Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta and Broly from the new Dragon Ball Super movie will follow "soon." The remaining two fighters have yet to be announced.
The Pride Trooper Jiren is the next DLC character coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ, but he won't be the only one. During the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals, publisher Bandai Namco announced a second FighterZ Pass, which will add five other warriors to the Dragon Ball fighting game.
In the trailer above, Bandai Namco confirmed that Jiren will be available this week, on January 31. Moreover, he'll arrive alongside another new DLC character: Videl. Based on the video, it seems Videl will be able to call in Gohan--naturally dressed as Great Saiyaman--for tag-team attacks, much like Android 18 is able to briefly summon Android 17.
Toward the end of the trailer, we also get a glimpse at two other upcoming DLC characters: Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta and Broly from the new Dragon Ball Super movie. No footage of either fighter was shared, but the trailer says both are "coming soon." The remaining two DLC fighters have yet to be revealed.
In a press release, Bandai Namco confirmed the FighterZ Pass 2 will cost $25. As before, each new DLC character can also be purchased individually for $5. The first FighterZ Pass cost $35 and added eight characters: Broly, Bardock, Vegito, Fused Zamasu, base Goku and Vegeta, Cooler, and Android 17.
In addition to revealing the new Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC, Bandai Namco showcased the first footage of its new Dragon Ball Z action RPG during the World Tour Finals. That game is being developed by CyberConnect2 and will recount the story of the Dragon Ball Z series. It will launch sometime this year for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
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