This week's PSN sale may be fairly underwhelming, but those aren't the only deals to be had on the PlayStation Store right now. Sony has kicked off a surprise PSN flash sale in the US, offering discounts on a ton of great titles for PS4, PS3, and Vita. But you'll need to hurry, as the deals won't be available for very long.
From now until January 21, more than 200 PS4 games are on sale for $20 or less. That includes the acclaimed platformer Hollow Knight, which is available for $9.89. Also on sale is Tearaway Unfolded, the PS4 port of LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule's Vita platformer; it can be yours for $10. Meanwhile, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition and LA Noire are down to $20 apiece, and Just Cause 3 is $8.
The PSN flash sale is scheduled to end at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET on January 21. The full list of deals can be found on the PlayStation Store and the PlayStation Blog.
Ubisoft has announced how PvP play will look in The Division 2. There will be two forms of PvP multiplayer in the game--the first of which takes place in the game's Dark Zones.
Similar to its predecessor's Dark Zone, The Division 2's three Dark Zones--of which there is an east, south, and west--are PvEvP areas where you can choose to take action against other players. In a blog post, Ubisoft explained how it has changed the way players will perceive you if you perform aggressive actions against others. There are three statuses you can hold if you attack other players in one of the Dark Zones.
If you're mostly performing aggressive, yet relatively harmless actions--such as stealing from other players or hijacking a supply drop--you'll be labeled as a Rogue. As a Rogue, you can enter Thieves Den, which operates as a black market that randomly moves around the Dark Zones. Exiting the Den returns you to your normal state, but killing a player while Rogue will cause you to become Disavowed.
Being Disavowed paints a target on your back. Any other player that kills you earns a bounty, so you'll have to be careful while exploring the Dark Zones. If you kill enough players, you'll be upgraded to Manhunt status. You'll still have to contend with bounty hunters while at Manhunt status, but you'll be able unlock huge rewards if you can reach one of the three random SHD terminals and clear your notoriety.
The Division 2's second form of PvP play is a more traditional, organized multiplayer called Conflict. Conflict is split into two modes, Skirmish and Domination. Skirmish is team deathmatch, while Domination is focused on capturing objectives and defending them from the other team. Ubisoft has announced three maps for both modes will launch with the game: Capital Ruins, Stadium, and Georgetown.
The Division 2 releases for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 15. The PC version of the game, previously scheduled for Steam, will now come out exclusively on the Epic Games Store. If you want to try out the game before deciding whether or not to buy it, there's a beta scheduled for all three systems that launches next month.
Alita: Battle Angel won't be in theaters until February 14. However, some cities are getting a taste of the upcoming manga adaptation early, thanks to a new interactive experience. Alita: Battle Angel - Passport to Iron City opens on January 23 in Los Angeles, with an installation in New York City following on January 25 and Austin on January 29.
Interactive experiences tied to movies are nothing new, whether it's the opening of Neibolt haunted house to promote the horror movie It or the Ready Player One event that sent visitors into the OASIS. After having the opportunity to try out the LA experience ahead of its opening, though, I can say with confidence that Passport to Iron City is unlike just about anything else.
The experience is a collaboration between iam8bit and TSG Entertainment, along with 20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment, that transports users from their world to Iron City, the cyberpunk city of the future in which the film is set. And right from the start, as writer and producer James Cameron explains, the entire 12,000 square foot space works hard to immerse you in the world of the film, starting with a stop at the Kansas Bar, which has been meticulously recreated to resemble the actual set used in production.
The bar actually serves wine and beer--including city-specific brews that are exclusive to the experience--for a fee. While the drinks, which include non-alcoholic options, aren't free, they do help in setting the tone that Kansas is an in-world pub you're free to hang out in. Like Iron City itself, Kansas is filled with actors playing characters and hints in the decor that could be very useful upon setting foot in Iron City, the proverbial "game board" of the experience, which is filled with elaborate sets and characters that are fun to interact with and filled with useful clues if you get them talking.
Once you're in Iron City, that's where the fun begins. Upon arrival, you're divided into teams that are competing to collect the most credits. The team that stands tall at the end--in the preview, it was my team--walks away with a special coin created for Passport to Iron City, which claims to be worth 1,000 credits.
How do you win credits, though? Great question.
The bulk of Passport to Iron City involves a series of team-based activities and scavenger hunts, each of which is worth a specified number of credits. They range from something as simple as piecing together a puzzle containing propaganda critical of the Factory--the in-world government--to digging through a tech scrapyard to find the highest-value items in an activity that includes some elements of an escape room.
What makes Passport to Iron City work, in this regard, is the challenges are all different enough that they appeal to different strengths. While one of the activities is based on how good your sense of smell is, another finds you tracking criminals on the loose in Iron City with the Factory's surveillance equipment.
Of course, you could just wander around the experience, admiring what's been built. Good luck with that, though, as Passport to Iron City has figured out how to turn the entire thing into a very competitive affair. Near the entrance of the experience is a scoreboard, which keeps real-time track of the credits earned by each team. I definitely didn't expect to find myself rushing around the play area trying to solve riddles and decipher words in other languages. After realizing that my team's score depended on it, though, it was hard not to get wrapped up in what was happening. Even as the experience came to a close with one final challenge involving all teams, everyone was shouting at and cheering on a game of motorball--Iron City's favorite pastime--as if we were watching a real sporting event unfold.
That all said, even those with no knowledge of Alita: Battle Angel--the movie or the manga it's based on--aren't going to be left out of the action. I know practically nothing about the franchise, but managed to easily figure out enough to operate within the experience. Still, fans of Alita will be able to pick up on small details scattered throughout the experience and may even have a bit of a leg-up in some of the challenges.
It's simply a fun and engaging experience set that draws you further into the world of the movie. I had very little interest in the film before visiting Passport to Iron City. Now I feel like I know the world a bit better and am curious to see how it unfolds on the big screen, even if I'm still unclear about how all of the cyborgs fit in.
What's more, I want to see other films take this approach to promotions. Yes, trailers and TV spots are still a useful tactic for many films, but as major blockbusters dive deeper and deeper into their world-building, why not take the audience into that world and let them explore pieces of it on their own?
Alita: Battle Angel - Passport to Iron City opens in Los Angeles on January 23, with New York and Austin locations following soon thereafter, with no announced end date. You can find out far more information and purchase tickets to the experience on the official website.
The Iron Banner is in full swing and the final Forge of The Black Armory has been unlocked, so there's plenty to do in Destiny 2 this week. As always, the weekend also means that Xur ventures back into the solar system, ready to sell to Guardians from his batch of Year One Exotic weapons and armor. If you're still chasing Izanagi's Burden and have to wait three more weeks to complete the Dreaming City's Shattered Throne, Xur's offerings might tide you over.
You'll find Xur on Io this week. Head to the Giant's Scar region, then ride your sparrow north to look for a cave in the northwest wall of the area. As is always the case, he's offering three pieces of Exotic armor, one for each class, and an Exotic weapon. While all copies of Exotic guns are identical, it's worth checking out Xur's armor: Each piece of Exotic armor gets random perk roles, which means you might be able to buy a more useful version of something you already have.
This week's Exotic weapon is Vigilance Wing, an Exotic pulse rifle that packs a punch. Instead of the usual three-round burst of weapons in the pulse rifle class, Vigilance Wing fires five rounds with each pull of the trigger. It also gets more accurate when you're the last living person on your fireteam, which includes amping up your recovery time to make you a little more likely to survive--which makes it great for Crucible.
In the armor department, Hunters can snag the Orpheus Rig boots, which give you more shots in the Moebius Quiver version of the Shadowshot super, and gives you back ability energy for each enemy you tether with your Shadowshot arrows. For Warlocks, it's the Varity's Brow helmet, which is great if you have an energy weapon you particularly like. The helmet restores grenade energy for each energy weapon kill you make, for nearby allies as well as yourself. Finally, Titans get Hallowfire Heart, a chest armor piece that amps up the recharge rate of your solar abilities, especially when your Super is active.
Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:
You can also buy a Fated Engram, if you can afford it. Dropping 97 Legendary Shards on the item will grant you one Year One Exotic you don't already have for that character. Xur also offers the Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.
The Iron Banner this weekend also means you have something to do while we wait on the next big event of Destiny 2's ongoing content rollout. That's another Exotic weapon quest, known as The Draw, which drops on January 29. If you're hungry for even more Exotics, check out our guide for hunting down Jotunn, one of The Black Armory's best.
Few game series carry such a reputation for obtuse and puzzling storylines as Kingdom Hearts. The series that began as an ambitious crossover project has produced a complex interwoven mythology. Compounding the difficulty is the series' tendency to add supplemental scenes out of sequence, and for several characters to appear in multiple distinct ways.
To help you navigate the convoluted tangle that is the Kingdom Hearts story, we've compiled this simple primer that will get you up to speed ahead of Kingdom Hearts 3's release on January 25.
Right now you're likely interested in the most important information you need to understand what's happening when you begin playing Kingdom Hearts 3.
As of the start of Kingdom Hearts 3, the Keyblade Master Xehanort has been reconstituted and plans to start a war that will force the warriors of light and darkness against each other. He hopes that, in doing this, he will reforge the original Keyblade, which will give him power over Kingdom Hearts, the source of all light and darkness. He needs seven beings of light--people who are pure of heart--to clash with his own thirteen beings of darkness to make this prophetic war happen, and previously he's attempted to do it by kidnapping seven Princesses of Heart--these are the recognizable Disney characters Alice, Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora, along with Kairi, a princess created by Square Enix for the series. Now that the heroes have caught wise to Xehanort's plans, however, it's much more likely that they themselves will be the seven beings of light--presumably hoping that if this plan does result in a reforged Keyblade, they'll be there to stop him from using it.
To that end, we probably already know the identities of the seven Guardians of Light: Sora, Riku, and Mickey Mouse from the numbered games, along with Ventus, Aqua, and Terra from the prequel games. Many of them are in different states of distress: Sora's power is diminished, Aqua and Ventus are both hidden away, and Terra's body was possessed by Xehanort, while his soul lives on. The heroes' story in Kingdom Hearts 3 will very likely involve marshalling the forces of light. It has been strongly suggested that Kairi, Sora and Riku's childhood friend, will be the seventh Guardian of Light.
While all this is happening, of course, Xehanort will be gathering his own forces. He needs all of his Organization XIII in place to serve as the agents of darkness for the battle to take place. His initial plan fell apart, and his new plan is to gather versions of himself from across time to fill the roles.
With that, you know all you absolutely need to in order to begin playing Kingdom Hearts. If you want more detail, to fully understand all the background and how the characters reached this point, read on.
Chronological Story Summary
In sum, the story of Kingdom Hearts can be confounding for a few reasons. One of the largest factors is that the story itself has been told wildly out of sequence, with games released representing various points in the timeline, and even extra story sequences in special editions adding other pieces of plot in a completely different time. Telling the entire story chronologically helps clear up this layer of the confusion.
The Prophecy and the Dandelions
In the earliest point of the timeline, the world was pure. In this time we only know of seven named characters: the original Keyblade wielders. These were a band of six apprentices following the tutelage of the Master of Masters. Together they protected the source of all light and wisdom in the universe, Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts existed in a symbiotic relationship with the legendary weapon, the original Keyblade (commonly referred to in the series as the χ-blade). All Keyblades in the series are modeled after this original weapon, but none of them can unlock Kingdom Hearts like it can.
After warning of a prophecy that a cataclysm would destroy the world, the Master of Masters vanished and left his apprentices to form Unions, with their own Keyblade pupils and distinct tasks to perform. These assignments were ostensibly meant to protect the world, but it actually sowed distrust and pitted them against each other. The resulting Keyblade War killed nearly all the Keyblade wielders, and in the process, shattered the χ-blade into 20 pieces: seven pieces of pure light and thirteen of pure darkness. Without the χ-blade to protect it, Kingdom Hearts disappeared.
All Keyblades in the series are modeled after the legendary original Keyblade, but none of them can unlock Kingdom Hearts like it can.
The site of the great battle became the Keyblade Graveyard, a sprawling area filled with the Keyblades of fallen warriors. But they weren't entirely gone. One disciple named Ava had secretly assembled and trained a new team of Keyblade wielders, with explicit instructions to escape rather than take part in the battle. This group was called the Dandelions.
The intentions of the Master of Masters are left ambiguous in all of this. He appears to have intentionally engineered the Keyblade War, but he also instructed Ava on the plans to organize the Dandelions and escape. This new class of Keyblade Masters would be the only ones left to remember the perfect world as it was, and created Union χ to work together to protect the light.
As time passed and only a select few remembered the world as it was, the Keyblade War became the stuff of legends, and people began building their own Keyblades in an attempt to tap the legendary power of Kingdom Hearts.
TL;DR Summary: In ancient times, a group of guardians were manipulated into fighting among themselves, and in the process of the battle the original Keyblade was shattered and Kingdom Hearts vanished. But a few had secret instructions to escape the battle, and started anew.
The Rise of Xehanort
Xehanort was a resident of Destiny Islands, just like our eventual protagonists, and he set off on his own to become a Keyblade Master. In his research, he concluded that the war had left the world unbalanced in favor of light. In order to rebalance the world, he attempted to begin a new Keyblade War, so that light and darkness would clash and forge the χ-blade.
Meanwhile, three other Keyblade wielders were undergoing training of their own. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus were learning under Master Eraqus. In secret, Xehanort was already manipulating them. He encouraged Terra to embrace the darkness, and he likewise used the darkness in Ventus to create his own apprentice, Vanitas. Then Terra and Aqua, as the older trainees, took the Mark of Mastery exam together, and Terra was rejected due to the darkness in his heart.
When creatures called the Unversed started to attack various worlds, Master Xehanort vanished. Terra was sent to find him and to defeat the Unversed. Ventus had an encounter with his dark counterpart Vanitas, not realizing his origins, and was convinced to follow Terra as well. Eraqus sent Aqua to watch after both of them and to bring Ventus back safely.
While on his mission, Terra fell in with a dark crowd of Disney villains, who offered to trade information on Xehanort for helping them with their own schemes. Terra rationalized this as necessary to complete his mission, and tried to act as a double agent still on the side of good. He fed Aqua information about Xehanort's plan to kidnap the seven Princesses of Heart, and tried (but failed) to help Aqua convince Ventus to go home.
During this sequence of events, the trio briefly met with the younger versions of the eventual protagonists of the numbered Kingdom Hearts games: first helping Kairi strengthen the light in her heart, and then seeing potential in Sora and Riku. At this point Sora created a strong bond with Ventus, which becomes important later in the story.
Ventus found Xehanort, and learned of his plans to use Ventus's own heart to create the χ-blade. He claimed that Eraqus had known this all along, so Ventus went to confront his Master. Through a series of misunderstandings, Terra attacked Eraqus to protect Ventus, then realized his error too late. Xehanort killed Eraqus, and encouraged all three to go to the Keyblade Graveyard.
At that final confrontation, he explained his plan to the three and then badly injured Aqua and Ventus. The resulting rage from Terra opened his heart to darkness, allowing Xehanort to take control and use his body as a new vessel, referred to as Terra-Xehanort. Terra's mind transferred to his suit of armor and battled against Terra-Xehanort, defeating him. But meanwhile, Vanitas merged with Ventus to create the χ-blade. Aqua destroyed the χ-blade while Ventus' will did battle with Vanitas' will in their body, and the resulting burst of energy sent all involved scattered to different locations.
The heroes became separated, with Ventus rendered unconscious and unable to wake up until his heart returns. Aqua made sure he was safe inside a special chamber for the time being. She then went to confront Terra-Xehanort again, but an attempt to unlock his heart erased his memories and drew him towards the Realm of Darkness. Aqua sacrificed herself to save Terra-Xehanort and fell into darkness herself. Ventus' heart found its way to Sora and took refuge inside of him.
TL;DR Summary: Years later, the nature of Keyblades and Kingdom Hearts is the realm of scholars and researchers. A Keyblade Master and researcher named Xehanort had plans to reforge the χ-blade and use it to rebalance the world. In the process of enacting his plan, he took over the body of a young apprentice named Terra and in the process, Xehanort lost his memories. The apprentice's friends, Aqua and Ventus, were left worse for wear: Aqua was lost in the Realm of Darkness, and Ventus was rendered unconscious after being separated from his heart. His heart found a new home in a young boy named Sora, who he had forged a bond with previously.
Xehanort and Organization XIII
In a new body and lacking his old memories, Xehanort was discovered by a benevolent ruler named Ansem the Wise, who was conducting research into the nature of darkness. Ansem took Xehanort under his wing while conducting his experiments, but as Xehanort slowly regained his memories, he began his own experiments in secret, and kept records of the research posing under the king's name. Ansem ultimately shut down his research, deeming it too dangerous, but Xehanort led a rebellion of the other darkness-obsessed researchers and banished Ansem the Wise into the Realm of Darkness.
At this point in the story, the nature of Xehanort's corporeal form becomes complicated. He had fully regained his memories, but he was still in the body of Terra. So he gave his own heart over to the darkness completely, creating two distinct identities: his Heartless form, called Ansem, and his Nobody form, called Xemnas. Ansem appeared as a dark form of the wise king, while Xemnas looked like a dark form of Terra.
It's crucial to understand that a Heartless and Nobody are complimentary pieces of one whole being. A Heartless is a heart that has given itself over completely to the darkness, while a Nobody is a body that has lost its heart. Therefore, when someone gives their heart to the darkness, their heart becomes a Heartless, and their body becomes a Nobody. These often appear as monsters, but particularly strong-willed individuals can have their Heartless and Nobody forms develop their own distinct personalities, as in the case of Xehanort.
At this point in the story, the nature of Xehanort's corporeal form becomes complicated. He created two distinct identities: Ansem and Xemnas.
These two distinct identities would later exercise their own unique plans to take control of Kingdom Hearts, which laid the groundwork for the two core games. Ansem struck an alliance with the villain Maleficent to gather hearts of pure light. Meanwhile, Xemnas founded Organization XIII and filled its membership with the Nobodies created when the other researchers gave their own hearts to darkness.
Xemnas intended for these members to hold pieces of his own dark heart, to serve as his thirteen agents of pure darkness. To complicate matters further, though, Ansem sensed that Xemnas' new apprentices would develop their own personalities and wouldn't be accessible as vessels. So, he traveled backward through time and taught a young Xehanort the secrets of time travel, so that he could use it to gather different incarnations of himself to fill any necessary spots in the XIII. The young Xehanort wasn't left with specific memories of the encounter, but retained the skills.
TL;DR Summary: Xehanort split himself into two beings: Ansem, a Heartless modeled after the benevolent king who had helped him recover his memories; and Xemnas, his Nobody. Both personalities began undertaking their own actions, including the forming Organization XIII from the Nobodies of researchers who had lost their hearts--and learning the secret to time travel so that he could fill out the organization's ranks with versions of himself from different time periods as a backup plan.
The Quests of Sora and King Mickey
Finally the story has reached the core numbered games, which introduced the main protagonists and plot threads that will be developed and resolved in Kingdom Hearts 3. And it all starts, simply enough, with a few friends living on Destiny Islands: Sora, Riku, and Kairi.
Sora, the primary protagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series, began experiencing strange events--first a disturbing dream, then an encounter with a hooded figure. When the island was attacked by Heartless, Sora lost his friends, who had been scattered to various lands. Meanwhile, King Mickey Mouse left his kingdom to look into the darkness that was encroaching on the world, and instructed Donald Duck and Goofy to find a special key. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all met in Traverse Town, and resolved to travel together to find their friends.
Maleficent and a cast of other recognizable Disney villains were seeking seven Princesses of Heart to unlock a door to Kingdom Hearts. She recruited Riku by promising to help him find Kairi, and turned him against Sora. When Riku eventually did find Kairi, her heart was gone. Sora eventually confronted Riku, and the two argued over who was the proper wielder of the Keyblade. Riku was chastened, but his shame over the ordeal only drove him further toward the darkness. He encountered the dark Ansem and allowed his heart to be possessed.
With this newfound power, the possessed Riku revealed important parts of his plan. He told Sora that Kairi was the final Princess of Heart, and that her catatonic state was rendered when her heart transferred inside Sora during the attack on their home. To save Kairi, Sora released his own heart with Kairi's inside of it, and temporarily turned into a Heartless. When Kairi's heart returned and she regained consciousness, she used the strength of her own heart to turn Sora back into a human.
In a dramatic final confrontation, Sora, Donald, and Goofy faced Ansem. He explained his master plan to claim the power of Kingdom Hearts. He believed Kingdom Hearts was a dark power, and so when he was defeated in battle, he attempted to tap into its power to help him defeat the heroes. But in a final irony, the door Ansem had worked so hard to open finally unlocked and revealed the power of Kingdom Hearts was actually light, and it destroyed the dark Ansem.
Inside the door, King Mickey and Riku emerged and began to help Sora close the door. But the area was becoming overrun with Heartless, so Mickey and Riku remained inside to help seal it. Mickey and Sora worked together with their Keyblades to seal the door. At this point, Riku and King Mickey were lost, and Kairi was transported back to Destiny Island. Sora, Donald, and Goofy set out on a quest to find their friends again, chasing after Mickey's dog Pluto.
In a brief epilogue, Riku confronted a previously unseen character, later revealed to be Roxas from Kingdom Hearts 2.
TL;DR Summary: A young boy named Sora teamed up with Donald and Goofy from King Mickey's kingdom and embarked on a shared quest to find their friends. In the process they learned about the nature of the Heartless--and Sora became one himself for a short time. They all banded together to save Sora's friends Kairi and Riku, and eventually confronted and destroyed the dark Ansem. But they were separated in the ensuing chaos, and so the quest to reunite started anew.
The Bridge Between Hearts
Between the events of the first and second numbered Kingdom Hearts games, a supplemental story took place--partially overlapping with both. These events, as depicted in Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days are mostly table-setting for Kingdom Hearts 2, though they also start to establish important secondary characters.
Simultaneous to some of the events in the original Kingdom Hearts, we have the story of Roxas--the Nobody created when Sora briefly became a Heartless. Because of the piece of Ventus in Sora's heart, Roxas looks identical to Ventus. Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, found Roxas and dubbed him the thirteenth member of the cabal. He apprenticed under Axel, and went on missions to defeat Heartless in hopes of eventually summoning Kingdom Hearts so they could become whole people. Shortly after, Organization XIII received a fourteenth member, named Xion, whose physical appearance was different for each member of the Organization, almost as if she had a shapeshifting qualities. Axel and several other members were assigned to oversee a mission at Castle Oblivion.
After following Pluto down a path, Sora, Donald, and Goofy found themselves in Castle Oblivion. This area had them relive distorted versions of their memories, while slowly erasing the original memories. As they progressed through the castle, they discovered Namine, a Nobody created from Kairi's heart when Sora returned it to her body. Namine planned to take Kairi's place in Sora's heart by replacing his memories. All of this was being done at the direction of Organization XIII, which wanted to trick Sora into becoming loyal to them. In the process, Sora encountered several members of Organization XIII for the first time: Axel, Marluxia, Larxene, and Vexen.
Meanwhile, Riku was battling his own existential demons, fighting off the temptation to give in to the dark Ansem, who left a piece of himself inside Riku. Other members of Organization XIII were attempting to use Riku against Sora, as part of their group's ongoing infighting. Riku also met the mysterious DiZ at this point--the benevolent King Ansem in disguise.
Finally, Sora defeated Marluxia and Namine offered to put him into a deep sleep to restore his memories--the process of which would erase all of his memories of Castle Oblivion.
While Axel and some of the other Organization XIII members were busy at Castle Oblivion, Roxas was partnered with Xion. The two grew close, but then Roxas fell into a coma when Sora was put to sleep in Castle Oblivion. When he woke, he learned that all of the XIII sent to Castle Oblivion were eliminated, aside from Axel. The three remaining--Roxas, Axel, and Xion--became friends, even as Roxas' growing memories of Sora's life made him suspicious of the Organization's true purpose.
Xion discovered that Xemnas had created her from Sora's memories, as something of a backup plan if Sora resisted obeying the XIII. She left the Organization in a quest to become a true person, followed by Roxas, who also wanted to find himself. Xemnas intercepted Xion and turned her against Roxas. After defeating her, the two reconciled just before she died peacefully. The memories used to create Xion returned to Sora, and Roxas carried her Keyblade in her memory.
Roxas was suddenly confronted by Riku, who had been sent by DiZ to capture him and restore Sora's memories. Riku was forced to tap into the darkness in his heart to defeat Roxas, proving the piece of Ansem was still lingering there. Riku brought Roxas' unconscious body back to DiZ, who digitized Roxas and placed him in a virtual simulation. Finally, DiZ helped Riku draw out the memory of dark Ansem to defeat him and purify his heart, and he continued on his journey with King Mickey.
TL;DR Summary: Sora's brief transformation into a Heartless created the Nobody Roxas, who was tricked into joining Organization XIII. The Organization had several schemes going at once, but many of their members were wiped out during a single mission against Sora and Riku. The kind King Ansem was still alive, having taken on a disguise as "DiZ." He helped Riku conquer the darkness in his heart, and organized a mission to recover Roxas and place him in a simulated reality.
Sora vs Organization XIII
Inside his simulated world, Roxas began to question his reality. He acquired his own Keyblade and encountered Axel and then Namine, who explained that he was a Nobody. Soon after he met DiZ, who put him on the path to discovering digital versions of Sora and his friends Donald and Goofy sleeping. At this point Roxas understood his nature and merged with Sora, who was awoken.
Back in the real world, Sora and his friends briefly encountered Mickey Mouse, who rushed them onto a train. The train took them to the Mysterious Tower, and set them on a mission to stop the Heartless and Organization XIII. As Sora continued on his quest, he learned more about the nature of Roxas and heard that Riku could be alive. Meanwhile, Axel abducted Kairi.
After a massive battle against the Heartless, Sora learned the truth about Xehanort--that the Ansem he defeated was Xehanort's Heartless, and Xemnas was his Nobody. He also learned at this point that the real King Ansem had been overthrown and was still missing. He caught wind of the Organization's plan to create a new Kingdom Hearts in order to restore their own hearts and become full beings again.
This led to a series of internal struggles that revealed even more to Sora. He battled Roxas within his own heart, and then learned the nature of Roxas and Namine as his and Kairi's Nobodies. He then fought through the Organization and reunited with Riku and Kairi. King Ansem's machine, which he had been using to digitize data, became overloaded and Ansem sacrificed himself to save Sora and the others. Similarly, Maleficent and Pete allied themselves with Sora and held off the Heartless so that he could confront Xemnas.
Sora defeated a series of Organization XIII members, culminating in a fight against Xemnas. While he seemed incapacitated, Namine merged with Kairi, and Roxas with Sora. Xemnas got his strength back and Sora and Riku teamed up to defeat him and close his newly created Kingdom Hearts. The two found themselves reunited in Destiny Islands with all of their friends: Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey. Meanwhile, Xehanort enacted a new plan to fill the new Organization with manifestations of himself from throughout time.
TL;DR Summary: Sora learned about the true nature and plans of Organization XIII, Ansem, and Xemnas. Roxas merged with Sora, making him whole. Sora and Riku teamed up to defeat Xemnas. The Organization was fractured and the newly reconstituted Xehanort was forced to use his backup plan: finding incarnations of himself from throughout time.
Preparing for Battle
Following the events of Kingdom Hearts 2, a few more supplemental story pieces have set the stage for the third installment.
The sorcerer Yen Sid gave Sora and Riku the Mark of Mastery exam, which included a mission to restore several more worlds from creatures called Dream Eaters. During this quest, Sora encountered a young Xehanort, who revealed that he had been visited by his older self and taught the secrets of time travel. With that knowledge, he has been hopping throughout time looking for various incarnations of himself to create a new Organization XIII. Sora fought Xemnas, one of the incarnations of Xehanort brought back through time, but the battle left him unconscious and Xemnas abducted him, with plans to place a piece of his own dark heart inside Sora's body.
Meanwhile, several of the former Organization XIII members awoke in their own original bodies after the destruction of their Nobodies. Several more were missing, though, so Lea (the real form of Axel) went looking for them.
Riku attempted to save Sora, and was eventually flanked by several allies including Lea, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Riku brought Sora back to Yen Sid and helped revive him. Once Sora regained consciousness, Yen Sid named Riku a Keyblade Master--but not Sora. Sora left on his own quest, having lost most of his power from nearly becoming a vessel for Xehanort. Lea found he was able to summon his own Keyblade for the first time. Ventus, though still asleep, began to regain consciousness. Finally, Yen Sid asked for Kairi to come and undergo her own training.
TL;DR Summary: Xemnas abducted Sora with plans to turn him into a vessel for Xehanort, a process that left Sora severely weakened. Riku became a Keyblade Master. Lea, the real form of Axl, wielded his own Keyblade for the first time, and set off to find the real identities of several missing Organization members. Kairi has been summoned to undergo her own Keyblade training.
The Stage Is Set
All of this puts the pieces in place for Kingdom Hearts 3. Sora is on a quest to regain his power, Riku and King Mickey are both full-fledged Keyblade Masters, and Kairi is undergoing training. Aqua is still lost in darkness but fighting her way through, while Terra is battling his own darkness having served as a vessel for Xehanort. Ventus, meanwhile, is starting to regain consciousness. That makes seven potential Guardians of Light, though Lea's newfound power to wield a Keyblade is bound to come in handy as well. Lea is also still searching for the other original forms of the displaced Organization XIII members, and any of them could become allies or adversaries.
Finally, Xehanort is gathering his power, preparing for the confrontation that will give him control over Kingdom Hearts to rebalance the world.
Character Cheat Sheet
A large part of the confusion over Kingdom Hearts is the multitude of distinct characters with Russian nesting doll connections to each other. Multiple characters reside in the hearts of others, or have had their bodies taken over. Others have embraced the darkness and a Heartless persona, which also creates a Nobody--a heart without a body, and a body without a heart. Making matters more confounding, these Heartless and Nobody characters often develop their own personalities. They may even look slightly differently than their source, or take on the appearance of someone they had some connection with.
To help untangle all of this, we've outlined all the notable multi-layered characters below.
Xehanort
The chief antagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series has the most forms and connections of any character, making him the most complex. First, he implanted his own heart into the body of Terra, one of the Keyblade wielders in Birth by Sleep. This body was struck down in battle and recovered by the good king Ansem the Wise. As a partial amnesiac, he became Ansem's pupil and did research on the nature of darkness in hearts. Ansem the Wise later realized the danger of these experiments and ended them. Xehanort continued the experiments in secret as he recovered his memory, and eventually staged a coup with his fellow apprentices to banish Ansem the Wise. At this point he cast off his body and made a Heartless, which appeared as a dark form of Ansem. In the process this also created his Nobody, named Xemnas, who looked very similar to Terra. Each of these beings enacted their own distinct plans to recover Kingdom Hearts. After the defeat of the dark Ansem (KH1) and Xemnas (KH2) his body has reconstituted itself in its original form as an elderly man.
Terra
Terra was a Keyblade apprentice who battled against Xehanort, but in the process Xehanort forced his heart into Terra's body. Terra's own heart remained, battling with Xehanort's heart for dominance over the body--in part because he has the memory of his Keyblade Master, Eraqus in his heart as well. When Terra's body was used to create Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody, the Nobody (Xemnas) took an appearance similar to Terra. His heart still exists, but it's unclear whether he has any physical body to occupy.
Sora
As the main protagonist of the series, Sora's various connections are nearly as complex as the antagonist, Xehanort. Sora is holding Ventus' heart inside his own while he heals. Because Sora's heart connected with Ventus' when Xehanort was creating Vanitas, Vanitas appears very similar to Sora. When Sora was briefly made into a Heartless, a Nobody was created, named Roxas, who looks like Ventus due to Sora's connection with him.
Ventus
Ventus was one of the Keyblade wielders in Birth by Sleep. The darkness in his heart was used to create the villain Vanitas. His heart was severely damaged by this process, and later by an ensuing battle, so his heart has gone to rest inside Sora to recover. His body is currently unconscious and waiting to be rejoined with his heart.
Roxas
Roxas was the Nobody created when Sora briefly became a Heartless. Since Ventus' heart was residing in Sora when this happened, Roxas looked identical to Ventus. Eventually he realized his true nature and merged with Sora to restore him.
King Ansem / DiZ
The real Ansem was a kind and benevolent king who found Xehanort (in Terra's body) and nursed him back to health, and conducted experiments meant to help restore his memory. After deeming his experiments too dangerous, Xehanort staged a coup and cast him into the Realm of Darkness so that he and the other researchers could continue the experiments themselves. When Xehanort embraced the darkness himself, his Heartless took the form of a dark, gray-haired Ansem. Meanwhile, the real Ansem lived on and disguised himself in bandages, calling himself DiZ. DiZ offered help to the heroes before sacrificing himself to save them.
Riku
Riku was briefly possessed by the spirit of the dark Ansem. He also appeared as a digital representation inside DiZ's simulation.
Organization XIII
The antagonist Organization has changed its membership over time, which can create confusion over who is and isn't a member. At first the name applied to the Nobodies of the researchers who helped to overthrow King Ansem, and they were led by Xemnas, Xehanort's Nobody. Roxas was also inducted for a brief time, as well as an imperfect clone of Sora named Xion. Once the heroes defeated several of the Organization and left them scattered, some are lost and others have changed loyalties. Having thirteen beings of darkness is vital to Xehanort's plans, though, so he's filling the empty spots with manifestations of himself plucked from throughout time.
Simple and Clean: The TL;DR Story of Kingdom Hearts
In ancient times, a group of guardians were manipulated into fighting among themselves, and in the process of the battle, the original Keyblade was shattered and Kingdom Hearts vanished. But a few had secret instructions to escape the battle, and started anew.
Years later, the nature of Keyblades and Kingdom Hearts is the realm of scholars and researchers. A Keyblade Master and researcher named Xehanort had plans to reforge the χ-blade and use it to rebalance the world. In the process of enacting his plan, he took over the body of a young apprentice named Terra and in the process, Xehanort lost his memories. The apprentice's friends, Aqua and Ventus, were left worse for wear: Aqua was lost in the Realm of Darkness, and Ventus was rendered unconscious after being separated from his heart. His heart found a new home in a young boy named Sora, who he had forged a bond with previously.
Xehanort split himself into two beings: Ansem, a Heartless modeled after the benevolent king who had helped him recover his memories; and Xemnas, his Nobody. Both personalities began undertaking their own actions, including the forming Organization XIII from the Nobodies of researchers who had lost their hearts--and learning the secret to time travel so that he could fill out the organization's ranks with versions of himself from different time periods as a backup plan.
A young boy named Sora teamed up with Donald and Goofy from King Mickey's kingdom and embarked on a shared quest to find their friends. In the process they learned about the nature of the Heartless--and Sora became one himself for a short time. They all banded together to save Sora's friends Kairi and Riku, and eventually confronted and destroyed the dark Ansem. But they were separated in the ensuing chaos, and so the quest to reunite started anew.
Sora's brief transformation into a Heartless created the Nobody Roxas, who was tricked into joining Organization XIII. The Organization had several schemes going at once, but many of their members were wiped out during a single mission against Sora and Riku. The kind King Ansem was still alive, having taken on a disguise as "DiZ." He helped Riku conquer the darkness in his heart, and organized a mission to recover Roxas and place him in a simulated reality.
Sora learned about the true nature and plans of Organization XIII, Ansem, and Xemnas. Roxas merged with Sora, making him whole. Sora and Riku teamed up to defeat Xemnas. The Organization was fractured and the newly reconstituted Xehanort was forced to use his backup plan: finding incarnations of himself from throughout time.
Xemnas abducted Sora with plans to turn him into a vessel for Xehanort, a process that left Sora severely weakened. Riku became a Keyblade Master. Lea, the real form of Axl, wielded his own Keyblade for the first time, and set off to find the real identities of several missing Organization members. Kairi has been summoned to undergo her own Keyblade training.
The next fighter to join Dragon Ball FighterZ looks set to be Jiren, the incredibly powerful member of the Pride Troopers that served as the main antagonist for Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power arc. Although developer Arc System Works and publisher Bandai Namco haven't officially announced Jiren yet, a scan from Japanese magazine Shonen Jump has appeared online showing him.
The image, which you can see below, features Super Saiyan Blue Goku clashing with Jiren, which is reminiscent of their brawls in the Dragon Ball Super anime series. The Dragon Ball FighterZ logo is featured prominently alongside them, all but officially announcing his arrival.
The Dragon Ball FighterZ ~ Goku Vs Jiren ~ visual with slightly better quality. pic.twitter.com/pUzYERMPws
On January 17 it was teased that more information about DLC for the fighting game would be revealed at the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals, which take place on January 26-27. "The Warrior from Universe 11 is joining the fight," Bandai Namco said in a tweet, sparking speculation that the character in question would likely be Jiren.
Plans for Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC beyond this character haven't been confirmed as of yet, but Jiren could be the first in a second season of content for the game. Dragon Ball FighterZ has proven itself to be popular among fighting game aficionados and was one of the big draws at 2018's EVO fighting game tournament. This, along with a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Super series and the new Broly movie, no doubt makes ongoing support for the game more enticing for its developer and publisher.
The game was also received well by critics. GameSpot awarded it a 9/10 in our Dragon Ball FighterZ review, calling it "a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre." Critic Peter Brown described it as "complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans."
"Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new," he added.
In addition to more Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC information, Bandai Namco is expected to talk about other Dragon Ball games at the World Tour Finals. The company has confirmed that a new Dragon Ball RPG is in development, and fans are no doubt hoping to hear and perhaps see more of that.
Activision and Bungie broke up recently, with Bungie getting the rights to Destiny and announcing it will self-publish the sci-fi series going forward. Now, for the first time Destiny's franchise director, Luke Smith, is speaking out about the breakup and what it means. OK, so Smith did already respond with a fiery tweet, but this is his first full statement on the matter.
Speaking on behalf of the Destiny team, Smith started off his note by thanking Activision for supporting Bungie and the Destiny franchise over the years. Bungie and Activision locked down a 10-year publishing deal back in 2010 for a game that we now know is Destiny. The first game was released in 2014 with a sequel arriving in 2017, in addition to numerous expansions. Activision was behind Destiny and Bungie in a big way, even if the relationship isn't continuing. Smith also thanked Destiny support studios High Moon and Vicarious Visions, the latter of which continues to work on a new piece of content for Destiny 2. Smith teased that Vicarious Visions is "currently readying their Destiny swan song with content that will appear in the upcoming Season of [Redacted]."
After this, however, it remains to be seen if Bungie will enlist the help of other outside studios to work on new Destiny content or if Bungie will develop everything in-house. We also don't know what this move means for High Moon and Vicarious Visions; it's possible that the studios, which are owned by Activision, will shift to other projects within the publisher.
"We've learned a lot from Black Armory that we will apply to future releases, most notably that we'd like the beginning experiences of content drops to be a better point of convergence for the playerbase," he said. "In Black Armory, we set the Power requirement for the first forge too high, and that meant it wasn't a great chance to jump into some new content. We want to find the line between new content that many players can play, and aspirational content for players to progress toward. We're exploring improvements to catch-up mechanics for players in upcoming seasons."
On a longer timeline, Smith said Destiny fans can rest assured that Bungie is "committed to Destiny." Now that Activision is out of the picture, Bungie controls its destiny (sorry).
"We created the universe and we hold its future entirely in our hands," Smith said. "The vast majority of the team is hard at work envisioning future experiences, enemies, and ways to play the Guardian you've been building since 2014. We're going to keep doing that."
Without the help of an established, global publishing leader like Activision, it sounds like Bungie is moving fast to determine the best way forward.
"We're thinking about what it means to be truly independent, what it means to self-publish, and crucially, what Destiny's future can now look like for our players," Smith said. "It was a busy Fall, and it is going to be a busy year. When I look ahead and think about Destiny and where it could go, I see a bright future, with roots in a memorable past. Not everything has been lost in the dark corners of time. See you soon."
On the immediate horizon for Destiny are changes to Super Abilities, and fine-tuning for weapon balance in the forthcoming 2.1.4 update. A number of changes for the Black Armory are also planned for the next update; head to Bungie's website to see a full rundown of the changes.
Destiny 3 is expected to launch in 2020, according to an analyst, who also said Bungie likely paid Activision a fee to end its publishing arrangement. In addition to more Destiny content, Bungie recently raised $100 million from Chinese internet company NetEase for non-Destiny projects, so it seems the studio is keeping itself very busy these days.
The NFL has announced who will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII next month. The "Empress of Soul," Gladys Knight, will sing the tune, following Pink last year.
Knight won seven Grammy awards and is known for songs like "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "That's What Friends Are For." Knight hails from Atlanta, Georgia, the site of this year's Super Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz stadium. The NFL interviewed Knight about her singing the anthem this year, and she says she hopes the anthem carries even more weight this year given the controversy and discussion about racial inequality and Colin Kaepernick.
Knight expanded in an interview with Variety, telling the site that she's saddened by the current climate and how the anthem is entangled in it.
"I understand that Mr. Kaepernick is protesting two things, and they are police violence and injustice," she said. "It is unfortunate that our National Anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the National Anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone.
"I am here today and on Sunday, Feb. 3 to give the Anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life, from walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good--I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country's Anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII."
She added: "I pray that this National Anthem will bring us all together in a way never before witnessed and we can move forward and untangle these truths which mean so much to all of us."
In other Super Bowl LIII news, it was recently confirmed that Maroon 5 will headline the halftime show, with Big Boi and Travis Scott also set to appearing as supporting acts. Jay-Z, Cardi B, and Rihanna said no to performing at the Super Bowl as a show of solidarity with Kaepernick. Kaepernick made headlines when he kneeled during the National Anthem in protest of the racial inequality in the United States, and he hasn't played professionally since 2017.
Scott told Billboard that he only agreed to performing at the Super Bowl if the football league agreed to make a donation to an organisation fighting for social justice. Scott himself donated $500,000 to Dream Corps.
Super Bowl LIII takes place on Sunday, February 3, from Atlanta, Georgia. You can watch the game on TV or stream it through CBSSports.com.
Sam Elliott's next movie The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then Bigfoot is coming out soon, and now it's received a new trailer. As the title suggests, the movie stars Elliot as the man who killed Hitler during World War II but couldn't tell anyone about it. Decades later, the governments of the United States and Canada call on him to take down another foe: Bigfoot.
In this timeline, Bigfoot carries a disease capable of wiping out humanity. Elliott's character, Calvin Barr, is finally coming to terms with his life when he's called back to fight the beast.
"Bigfoot has been living deep in the Canadian wilderness and carrying a deadly plague that is now threatening to spread to the general population. Relying on the same skills that he honed during the war, Calvin must set out to save the free world yet again," reads a line from the movie's official description.
The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then Bigfoot also stars Aiden Turner (The Hobbit trilogy), Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex), Larry Miller (10 Things I Hate About You), and Ron Livingston (Office Space). The film was written and directed by Robert Krzykowski; this is his feature debut. Douglas Trumbull, a multi-Oscar winning effects legend who worked on Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, worked on the film's visual effects.
The film originally premiered at the Fantasia film festival in 2018. It comes to theatres and digital stores on February 8.
Elliott has been acting since the '60s. He's perhaps best known for his roles in the films Roadhouse and The Big Lebowski. More recently, he starred in A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
Thursday was a very big day for Mortal Kombat 11, and more continues to roll in. Embedded in this post (above and below) are some new gameplay videos for the much-anticipated fighting game showing off Sub-Zero, Raiden, Sonya, and more.
The Sonya vs. Raiden match below is particularly impressive to watch, as it's a fight between the professional players SonicFox and Rewind. Check it out below.
Mortal Kombat 11 is on the way for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game is slated to launch on April 23, and those who pre-order it will get a bonus character: Shao Kahn. Reserving the game for either PS4 and Xbox One will also get you access to an upcoming beta, which is scheduled to take place on March 28.
For lots more on Mortal Kombat 11, check out the stories linked below.
It is said that the last entry in a film trilogy is usually the worst. For every The Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2, there's a Spider-Man 3 or a The Godfather Part III. Once in a while, though, we get a War for the Planet of the Apes or a Toy Story 3, which encapsulate everything that audiences loved about the first two movies in a satisfying conclusion. Now, DreamWorks has a new winner on their hands with How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, a film that is not only as good as its predecessors but even surpasses them at certain points. It's an action-packed film of epic proportions that will also bring a tear or two to your eyes.
While the story of the trilogy takes place in the span of six years, for audiences it's been nine years since the first How To Train Your Dragon came out. Like with Harry Potter or Toy Story, audiences have grown up watching Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless for almost a decade, and the characters have come of age with us. Just as the wizarding world and the talking-toy world, The Hidden World teaches us that all things must come to a bittersweet end.
We are first reunited with Hiccup and his gang of Scottish-accented Vikings Astrid (America Ferrera), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig), and Tuffnut (Justin Rupple, replacing T.J. Miller) as they raid a hunting ship in an attempt to rescue trapped dragons. It's an action-packed scene that sets the stage for some epic set-pieces, but also the social commentary at the core of The Hidden World.
You see, Hiccup has now taken over the title of chieftain from his late father, Stoick (luckily, we still get to hear Gerard Butler's performance via flashback) in the year since the previous installment. He also achieved his dream of a having humans and dragon living together in a harmonious utopia. The problem? There are too many dragons on the island of Berk, which is disrupting the peace and quiet Vikings are notoriously known for. Their exploits have also attracted too much attention to the village, and heavily increased the number of threats that may end their peaceful existence. This includes Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham), a ruthless dragon hunter that wants to see the entire species dead and has a particular interest in Nightfuries like Toothless. While it's understandable for the film to save time and focus on our heroes, one can't help but wish they had spent a little more time developing Grimmel beyond being evil, even if F. Murray Abraham excels as it.
What does Hiccup do? Well, he decides Berk is not a place, but a people--maybe not those exact words, but the Thor: Ragnarok comparisons are too clear to ignore--and thinks they all should leave their home of seven generations in search of a mythical dragon paradise that may or may not exist. Before he gets there, he will have to face his biggest challenge yet: raging dragon hormones. As it turns out, the gang discovers a female Nightfury who is more than a mere distraction for Hiccup's best friend, Toothless.
Toothless' comedic attempts at wooing his newfound love interest is the highlight of the film. The Hidden World, once again written and directed by Dean DeBlois, finally realized that Toothless is due his time in the spotlight, so a good part of the film is devoted to the sweet yet humorous dragon courtship. There is no dialogue, only the dance of dragon hormones and all the ridiculous things Toothless thinks are part of their mating ritual. This is well contrasted with Hiccup's disastrous obliviousness to everyone's advice to finally settle down and make his relationship with Astrid (America Ferrera) into something permanent, despite her being as equally suited to rule Berk, as well as tactical planning and fighting, as he is. Unfortunately, the focus on the duo's storylines means the rest of the ensemble gets somewhat pushed to the side, even if DeBlois tries to give each character a moment to shine -- one particular highlight is Kristen Wiig's performance as Ruffnut, who gets a rousing monologue about how annoying she is that will have entire theaters in stitches.
The Hidden World shows not only the changing physique of its characters and the maturity that comes with it (Hiccup grows a spectacular beard that will become the topic of many hot takes), but also how much its computer-generated visuals have evolved throughout the years. From the impressively detailed destruction by dragon fire, to the softness of the characters' hair to the fluidity of the dragon dances, and especially the photo-realism of the action choreography, it is all quite exquisite.
Given that each installment in the trilogy has introduced us to a new and better-looking dragon world, it isn't surprising that the titular hidden world is the most magnificent locale in the film. In an awe-inspiring scene that you'll want to see multiple times to fully appreciate, the film showcases a Pandora-esque world filled with stunning landscapes with photorealistic waterfalls, caves, and forest that would make James Cameron jealous. It is no surprise to know that Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049) serves as the franchise's visual consultant when the movie looks this good.
When it comes to the action, The Hidden World sits up there with Lord of the Rings and the third Pirates of the Caribbean (really) as being able to do epic-scale battles just as well as intimate, one-on-one fights. There is no giant dragon boss battle this time, and the film is all the better for it. The battle scenes are as thrilling as they look stunning, thanks to the film's brilliant use of light and shadow, and John Powell's powerful and spirited score.
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has always found the right balance between action and emotion. The Hidden World strikes a bittersweet chord in exploring how adulthood inevitably leads to an exciting and uncertain future, but also how it means that some things, even dragons, must come to an end. Just as Hiccup, audiences will find it hard to say goodbye to one of the best and most consistent franchises in the last decade.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is in theaters on February 22.
BioWare released a new trailer for Anthem, its upcoming third-person shooter/action RPG. The video is the first part of a series devoted to explaining the gameplay mechanics and features of Anthem.
In this first part, BioWare discusses the upcoming game's story, progression, and customization. The bulk of the video is devoted to the latter two topics, and discusses the different playstyles, loadouts, and abilities of Anthem's four Javelins: Ranger, Interceptor, Colossus, and Storm.
You'll start with the Ranger in Anthem, but you'll have the chance to build all four Javelins--and multiple versions of them too--by the time you're done with the game's story. Ranger is built for precision play, relying on a variety of abilities and weapons to target specific enemies. Interceptor is fast and has the strongest melee attacks, allowing it to launch into battle and deal massive damage before ducking out of harm's way. Colossus is best suited for the front lines, and can withstand devastating attacks with its heavy armor and massive shield. Finally, Storm's elemental attacks makes it one of the most powerful Javelins, but it's lack of armor ensures it remains a glass cannon.
Each Javelin can be customized to fulfill multiple roles. Ranger, for example, can be outfitted to survive on its own with a balanced assortment of weapons for solo play. However, if playing with a team, you could either customize the suit with tech that makes it your squad's damage dealer or pick support abilities that ensures everyone remains alive.
BioWare ended the trailer promising that the next part in the series would offer details on "the expanding shared world of Anthem and its massive end game, including a look at [the game's] strongholds."
Anthem is scheduled to release on February 22 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. If you pre-order the game, you can play an exclusive VIP demo on January 25.
In the "Competition" section of a letter to investors today, Netflix succinctly said, "We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO" as it relates to screen time.
Analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities thinks Netflix's popularity measurement against Netflix was "downright idiotic." Time is a finite commodity, and Pachter points out that Netflix also competes against school, work, and defecating.
Not everyone agrees with Pachter's point, however, as Amazon Studios' former head of strategy Matthew Ball argues that Fortnite's huge popularity is impacting Netflix. He shared how he probably would have finished the new season of Narcos were it not for all the time he spent playing Fortnite. Looking at your own life, you can probably remember a time when your latest obsession--be it a video game or anything else--impacted how much time you spent with another activity. It's impossible to confirm specifically how Fortnite is impacting Netflix viewing, but few games have ever been as popular as Fortnite, so there has surely been some effect.
The point made is that they compete based on providing engaging content and value for subscriber fees spent. The comment about losing to @FortniteGame is downright idiotic. If they're measuring things like that, they lose to sleep, sex, pooping, eating, school, work, etc. https://t.co/9vuRHVfCtb
Which they say, including "having a glass of wine with your partner". I don't think the Fortnite comparison is idiotic at all. Were Fortnite not around, I almost assure you I'd have finished Narcos S4
For its part, Netflix acknowledged that there are "thousands of competitors" in the marketplace trying to entertain consumers, and Fortnite is just one of them. The company said it is not focused on responding to competitors but rather on improving the experience and value of the offering, which would theoretically get more people to sign up.
Netflix has 139 million subscribers by the network's latest count. The company continues to pour money into new, original shows to help separate itself from the onslaught of new competitors in the streaming space. One of Netflix's newest shows is Space Force from Steve Carell and other key minds behind The Office.
Players who have yet to pick up a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can now try its Blackout mode for free. Treyarch's limited-time Blackout trial has begun on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, allowing you jump into the hectic battle royale mode at no charge.
The free trial runs until 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM GMT on January 24. To participate, you'll need to download the Blackout trial client from either Battle.net on PC or your console's respective digital store. PS4 players aren't required to have a PlayStation Plus subscription, but Xbox One owners will need an Xbox Live Gold membership, while those playing on PC will need a free Battle.net account.
The trial gives you full access to all the content in Blackout mode. You'll also earn Echelon progression while playing and unlock Black Market Tiers and loot. If you decide to purchase the title after the trial ends, any progress you've made during the free period will carry over to the full game. You can read more details about the free trial on Reddit.
If you're interested in Blackout but don't particularly care for Black Ops 4's other modes, Activision is selling a $40 version of the game on PC that strips out Zombies and only includes Blackout and multiplayer. Like the trial client, this is only available through Battle.net.
Coinciding with the free trial, Treyarch has kicked off a new limited-time mode in Blackout, dubbed Down But Not Out. In this quad mode, any downed players will be able to rejoin the battle with each Collapse as long as at least one member of the team remains in the game. The mode is live now on PS4 and will come to Xbox One and PC at a later date.
Halo boss Bonnie Ross, who heads up developer 343 Industries, has spoken candidly about the transition from Bungie to Microsoft and some of the stumbles along the way. Speaking to VentureBeat in an interview from December that we were recently made aware of, Ross said 343 "made some mistakes along the way," and that overall, taking over the development reigns from Bungie has been a "very humbling experience."
She didn't mention any specific struggles by name, but no doubt the launch challenges for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which 343 previously referred to as a "black eye" for the franchise, are among the "mistakes" that Ross is talking about.
Ross went on to say that 343 not only considers what's best for the Halo franchise as a universe, but also how the studio interacts with and responds to fans. Halo as a universe belongs to the fans as much as it does to 343 itself, Ross said.
"The whole team looks at this as not just our universe. It's the fans' universe," she said. "How are we doing right by the fans? How are we doing right by the franchise? It is a part of our culture, this precious, precious world, and we're responsible for taking care of it. And we want to do it right."
Also in the interview, Ross talked about how there are countless more storytelling opportunities within the Halo universe. As fans may know, Halo 1, 2, and 3 take place over a period of time of only three months. As such, Ross said she's excited about how many more stories there are to tell in the Halo universe.
"The fictional universe is huge. I looked at Halo as a universe, which is the most important character," she said. "We spent a ton of time in the early days of 343 just expanding the canvas, or framing the world in which we could tell stories and making it larger, adding more characters such that we could tell stories over the next two decades."
"I feel like it's such a large world and universe and there's so much stuff we can we can do so I kind of I have my dream job," she added. "I feel like there's so much more work to do and super excited about all the things we're doing going forward."
Some of Halo's upcoming projects include the new Xbox One and PC game, Halo Infinite, as well as the TV show. "There's a lot more Halo stories to tell. It's such an amazing universe," Ross said.
The J.R.R. Tolkien biopic finally has a release date. Fox Searchlight has announced that the movie about the Lord of the Rings author will arrive in theatres on May 10, 2019, and a week earlier on May 3 in the UK and Ireland. The movie stars Nicholas Hoult as a young Tolkien, with the story following the man long before he came to write his epic fantasy tome.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the film will track Tolkien as a young man who came into his own at school before serving in World War I. In the trenches of France, with death and despair surrounding him, Tolkien was said to have come up with the ideas that would become The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A number of Tolkien's longtime friends died in World War I; Tolkien survived, came home, and wrote his defining work.
The movie will also focus on Tolkien's wife, Edith Bratt, who is played by Lily Collins, the actress daughter of singer Phil Collins. The relationship between Tolkien and Bratt was supposedly the inspiration for Tolkien's Beren and Luthien story, which itself inspired the Aragorn-Arwen relationship in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien and Bratt share a gravestone, and on it they're referred to as Beren and Luthien.
The new movie, which is simply titled Tolkien, is directed by Dome Karukoski (Heart of Finland), based on script from David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.
In addition to this film, another one is in the works that focuses on the relationship between Tolkien and Narnia writer C.S. Lewis, and how Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity.
Yet another classic board game is being turned into a movie, as Hunger Games studio Lionsgate is making a Monopoly film, and now we've learned who will star in it.
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart, who has made headlines recently for his past tweets that got him fired as the newest Oscars host, will star in a live-action version of the board game that destroys relationships and family bonds.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has been in the works for more than a decade already, and it's been through what's described as a "hellish development process." The latest script is said to involve a woman and her young son who go back in time to thwart a corrupt businessman. Whether or not that's still the story for this newest version with Hart is unclear.
When the movie was officially announced in 2015, Lionsgate released a synopsis that is either the best or the worst depending on your attitude. Here it is:
"The story centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!"
It was previously announced that Andrew Niccol, who picked up an Academy Award nomination for The Truman Show, would write the screenplay for the Monopoly movie, but it's not clear if he remains attached. According to a press release, the movie will be a "big, crowd-pleasing event film."
Lionsgate goes on to say that the Monopoly movie will be "a film for all ages, visually sumptuous, heartwarming, and full of action and adventure."
Monopoly is just the latest board game to be spun into a movie. The Peter Berg-directed Battleship movie starring Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Liam Neeson, and Taylor Kitsch, was released in 2012. Before that, there were films based on Dungeons & Dragons, Ouija, and Clue. Looking ahead, movies based on Tetris and Catan are in the works.
As for Hart, one of his next big movies is the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which is also based on a board game.
Typically, Netflix doesn't release viewership figures, but as part of the company's earnings report today, the streamer revealed key datapoints for some of its biggest TV shows and movies. The network announced that the drama You, starring Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail, is tracking to be watched in 40 million households over its first four weeks.
Meanwhile, the British comedy/drama Sex Education, starring Gillian Anderson and released on January 11, is expected to reach the same viewership figure within its first month. Netflix also announced that the Spanish show Elite was seen in more than 20 million homes globally after its first four weeks.
Joe isn't the only one watching: @YouNetflix is on track to be viewed by more than 40 million members in its first four weeks on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/W4jZ3nYTdQ
One of Netflix's biggest hits recently, meanwhile, was the Sandra Bullock horror film Bird Box. It was astonishingly popular, tracking to be watched by 80 million users over time, according to Deadline. All of these figures are likely well below the number of people who end up watching the programs, as people often watch movies and TV shows on Netflix together.
Anyone who watches at least 70 percent of a single episode of a series or a movie is counted as a "viewer" according to Netflix, which is surely inflating these figures.
#SexEducation has come out with a bang — the smart and emotional series is on pace to be watched by over 40 million accounts over its first month pic.twitter.com/TAsklhTSQH
Netflix had another strong quarter for the three final months of 2018, as the network announced revenue of $4.19 billion for the period; that's up 27 percent year-over-year. Additionally, Netflix added 8.84 million subscribers during the period, increasing the total number of paying members to 139 million globally.
#Elite is a true global phenomenon. The Spanish language original attracted more than 20 million households during its first four weeks on service! pic.twitter.com/FwrRT6gqyh
The expanded universe of Blizzard's classic sci-fi strategy franchise StarCraft is about to get a bit bigger next week with the release of StarCraft: Soldiers #1, the latest comic to enter the alien-fighting canon by writers Jody Houser (Stranger Things, Star Wars) and Andrew R. Robinson (Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch) with artist Miguel Sepulveda. GameSpot has an exclusive preview of the first six pages for you, right here, right now.
Soldiers will follow the newly graduated Lieutenant Shivani Singh as she early fights to prove herself on the Dominion's front lines--all while learning some hard (and potentially fatal) lessons about the realities of zerg space that her time at the academy didn't quite prepare her for.
This will be Dark Horse Comics' second entry into the StarCraft pantheon following the StarCraft: Scavengers, a four-issue series released last year following a group of terrans attempting to--surprise!--scavenge supplies out of a derelict Protoss starship. Soldiers will be independent from Scavengers' in terms of plot, so no need to worry about prerequisite reading before you pick up issue #1 next week. If, however, you're a StarCraft fan looking for even more expanded universe lore, working your way back through Scavengers certainly wouldn't hurt.
StarCraft: Soldiers #1 hits shelves on January 23rd everywhere comics are sold.
NetherRealm gave fans a much closer look at its upcoming fighting game, Mortal Kombat 11, during its big livestream event. The developer showed off a load of brutal gameplay footage and revealed a handful of familiar characters who'll be returning in the game, as well as one entirely new one: Geras.
Described as the "powerful and loyal servant" of Kronika, the Keeper of Time and the first female boss in the Mortal Kombat series, Geras looks like a powerhouse of a character. As you can see in his character trailer above, Geras is able to conjure up objects made of sand, such as a bed of spikes that he can slam his foes onto. He also has the ability to manipulate time, which he can use to freeze foes in place.
Geras is one of eight fighters who have been confirmed for Mortal Kombat 11 thus far. In addition to Scorpion and Raiden, who were both revealed during The Game Awards this past December, we got our first look at Baraka, Sub-Zero, and Sonya Blade, who this time is being voiced by Ronda Rousey. NetherRealm also confirmed that Skarlet, the DLC character from Mortal Kombat 9, is set to return.
Mortal Kombat 11 is in development for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game is slated to launch on April 23, and those who pre-order it will get a bonus character: Shao Kahn. Reserving the game for either PS4 and Xbox One will also get you access to an upcoming beta, which is scheduled to take place on March 28.
The long-awaited gameplay reveal of Mortal Kombat 11 revealed all sorts of new details about the upcoming fighting game from NetherRealm. As expected, one such aspect is customization options similar to Injustice 2, the studio's other hit fighting series.
In a video, director Ed Boon walks us through some of the customization options using Scorpion. Each character has three pieces of customizable gear, and in Scorpion's case that's his mask, katana, and spear. Each of the options themselves changed his look pretty significantly, but further "Kosmetic" options change his look even more dramatically. Tabs for "Abilities" and "AI Behavior" can also be seen in the customization menu. Boon also mentioned you can set intros and victory celebrations.
After that, the closer look treated us to a scene of Scorpion vs Baraka, cycling through several costume changes for both. The customization looks to be pretty in-depth, even from just a brief look at some of the menus and options.
All Elite Wrestling may not be holding its first show until May, but that isn't stopping the new company from making an impact wherever possible. Wrestling fans in Los Angeles found that out Wednesday night, January 16, when several members of the AEW roster invaded Bar Wrestling during the main event, creating one of the most memorable wrestling moments in quite a while.
During a match that saw AEW signees Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, and Christopher Daniels--known as So Cal Uncensored--take on the team of Eric Watts and the RockNES Monsters, some very special surprise guests made their way to the ring to help SCU fend off the heels. First out was Bar Wrestling founder Joey Ryan, who has been featured extensively on the Being the Elite YouTube series and appeared at All In. He was soon joined by Elite member Adam "Hangman" Page, as they performed a double YouPorn Plex--a move you have to see to believe--on Watts.
From there, The Elite's Cody and Brandi Rhodes made their arrival to dispatch of the RockNES Monsters, before the Young Bucks joined in for one of their patented Superkick Parties. The entire thing was utterly ridiculous in the best possible way, and based on the video above, the audience couldn't have loved it any more.
Once SCU secured the victory over the fallen villains, the show kept going as Cody officially signed everyone in the crowd to All Elite Wrestling and promptly crowd surfed over the audience. Of course, Brandi quickly fired them all because they simply can't afford to employ that many people.
The only unfortunate part of the entire invasion is that AEW didn't sign Joey Ryan on the spot, even though he seems tailor-made for the promotion. However, as Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks revealed to the audience, Ryan is currently under contract to El Rey's Lucha Underground promotion until 2020. Who knows what could happen once that contract has run its course, though?
While there may not have been any major AEW news to come out of this event, the invasion makes it obvious that it's business as usual for The Elite. While they may have partnered with the owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars to launch AEW, that's not going to stop them from going to smaller shows and having fun. Now if they could just bring the rest of their group--Kenny Omega and "The Villain" Marty Scurll were absent from the invasion--along for the ride. At this point, though, both men are still under contract to other companies.
All Elite Wrestling's first major event, Double or Nothing, will happen on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Make sure to check out our wishlist of wrestlers we'd like to see sign with AEW and be part of that show.
The highly-anticipated Resident Evil 2 remake's release draws near and I couldn't be any more excited. I'm a huge fan of the 1998 original--alongside many lovely coworkers at GameSpot--and have countless fond memories playing it during my formative years. But amidst these memories were hours spent speculating upon the validity of a popular gaming hoax; the ability to play as Akuma in Resident Evil 2. That's right, the Akuma (or Gouki, if you're a Capcom purist)--the infamous top knotted practitioner of the Ansatsuken fighting style and well-known beaded necklace aficionado from Street Fighter. Though it began as a joke back in 1998, I'm crossing my fingers that Capcom puts Akuma in the upcoming remake. It's a longshot, but the iconic fighter's addition could prove a humorous and unexpected way to experience the horrors of Raccoon City.
"[Akuma's] main weapon is a fireball, done just like holding the Action button and firing" -- EGM2
The popular Akuma hoax was birthed into the Resident Evil 2 community thanks to the work of the now defunct Electronic Gaming Monthly spin-off magazine, EGM2. The publication's April issue "Trick of the Month" column stated that Akuma could be unlocked by typing "AKUMA" instead of "GUEST" on a laboratory computer located at the end of the game, allowing a new save file to be made where you could play him. However, to actually get this to work, EGM2 claimed you needed to first beat both Resident Evil 2 scenarios six times in a row with an A-rank, and do it only using the handgun combat knife. Akuma could then be unlocked on the seventh run after inputting the login name across both scenarios. This was clearly an April Fool's joke, but readers quickly spread word of the false unlockable. None of this was unfeasible, as both The 4th Survivor and Tofu modes demanded similar unlock requirements.
"Remember that 'Unused' Cryo tank? Well, at the start Akuma will bust out of it!" -- EGM2
Looking back at the low-resolution screenshots from EGM2, it's not surprising that many were fooled by this joke. A polygonal Akuma exploring RPD and launching Shakunetsu Hadokens at zombies looked as authentic any other screenshots in the magazine. As a child, I only heard about this myth via word-of-mouth during a vague encounter that only seems to escape my memory the more I think about it. Regardless, the myth worked its way into the community to the point where many were convinced of its existence. Though, I do admit that by the time I built up the courage to play Resident Evil 2, the hoax had already been debunked. However, an uncertainty around the myth remained--if anything a nostalgic yearning for it to somehow be true.
This wasn't the first time EGM fooled people, either. In fact, the magazine did something similar in a previous April Fool's joke with Street Fighter II with the infamous Sheng Long hoax. Many were lead to believe that the game had an unlockable character named Sheng Long, who was framed as the martial arts master of Ryu and Ken. The joke's status grew over the years, gaining international fame. Capcom acknowledged its existence several times and eventually added the character to Street Fighter IV in the form of Gouken as a response to fans.
Imagine performing a Raging Demon on Mr. X. It would be ridiculous.
Like EGM's Sheng Long, the Akuma hoax is a peculiar piece of gaming history that continues to captivate in its execution and overall endurance. Its alluring promise is a fantasy that I hold steadfast in wanting to come true in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Imagine being able to send enemies across a room with a well-placed fierce punch or performing a Raging Demon on a Licker. Of course, let's not forget about spamming Hadokens at the undead. And if we're remaining faithful to EGM2's vision, you'll have free rein to be merry and explore environments without worrying about locked doors. You might call it a pipedream, but given Capcom's track record with previous Resident Evils, I could easily see a playable Akuma becoming a reality.
Case in point: Wesker mode in Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster. This bonus mode made Rebecca's and Billy's terrifying zombie-infested journey into a silly romp, allowing you to use Wesker's super-human speed and destructive arsenal to wipe out the undead with ease. The ability to instantly overpower your enemies supplied a satisfying release, especially after spending hours desperately managing resources to survive. Akuma could easily bring all the joyous highs of Wesker mode into Resident Evil 2 remake, while also being a fun, loving nod to the hoax that captivated readers back in the day.
I'm still shocked at how well Akuma was inserted into Tekken 7's story. I envision a similar scenario playing out in Resident Evil 2 where Akuma just happens to walk onto the scene as if he's always been there.
Capcom certainly isn't shy towards allowing Akuma to be in ridiculous situations and crossovers. He recently jumped franchises by appearing in Tekken 7, somehow managing to be naturally incorporated into that franchise's lore. In addition, Akuma once appeared in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as Cyber-Akuma, a cyborg version of himself with a sweet robot arm that was brainwashed by X-Men baddie Apocalypse.
Despite all this talk, I admit that Capcom adding Akuma into the remake is still unrealistic. Compared to Sheng Long, the Akuma hoax had more impact in North America than in other regions, so I'm sure it would be bizarre for European and Japanese players, who would see Akuma's inclusion as a random choice. I already feel lucky that Capcom is taking a chance on a Resident Evil 2 remake in the first place. But I know that whoever Capcom chooses to be the star of the game's Wesker mode-like equivalent, if anyone at all, my heart will always be longing for Akuma and the promise EGM2 cleverly fooled me into believing all those years ago.
Jude Law's role in Captain Marvel has been a hotly contested issue since he was confirmed for the film, originally as "Walter Lawson," the human alter-ego of the original Captain Marvel, the Kree warrior Mar-Vell which naturally led fans to assume that Law would be playing Mar-Vell himself. This would go to follow, given the movie's status as an origin story for Carol Danvers and Mar-Vell's integral role in Carol's comic book history.
However, as the movie marches closer and closer to release, details about Law's character have surfaced via Marvel's Minimates figure line, naming Law as Yon-Rogg--another name that might be familiar to MCU speculators as one of the educated guesses for the villain of the film, prior to Ben Mendelsohn's confirmation as Talos the Skrull.
So, what does that actually mean? Who is Yon-Rogg and what is his deal?
We're so glad you asked.
Introduced in the late 60s, Yon-Rogg was a Kree military officer sent to Earth by the Supreme Intelligence, a hyper-advanced Kree AI designed to promote Kree genetic superiority throughout the galaxy. Yon-Rogg had a deep-seated, soap opera flavored grudge against Mar-Vell, who was already stationed on Earth at the time of his arrival, which drove him further and further into a zealous madness. Ideally, he would have been helping Mar-Vell fight off the Skrull invasion, but instead, he sought out every opportunity to undermine Mar-Vell's efforts and fight against the people of Earth as well.
Why the grudge? Well, like any self-respecting warrior, Yon-Rogg was jealous over the relationship between Mar-Vell and a Kree medic named Una, who Yon-Rogg was in love with as well. Thus far, no casting announcements for Una have been made for the MCU (though it should be noted that Annette Bening's character is still a mystery), so it's not all that likely that this specific character trait will be getting a direct translation to the big screen, but if you're wondering what Yon's "traditional" villain motivation is, that's it. He really is just that petty. So while comics Yon-Rogg tried to sabotage an entire planet all because he couldn't get a date, MCU Yon-Rogg will probably find his beef elsewhere.
Yon's hatred ran so deep that he even tried to get Mar-Vell put on trial for being "Un-Kree" (one of the worst things a Kree could be accused of) by Ronan the Accuser--a name you'll recognize from Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1 and a role Lee Pace will be reprising in Captain Marvel.
Over the years, Yon continued to be a thorn in the side of both Mar-Vell and Carol, who he inadvertently helped transform into Ms. Marvel by causing the accident that fused her DNA with Kree genetics. Though that story has been retconned out of comics continuity several times over, it still presents some interesting possibilities for Yon-Rogg's MCU future. Most notably, he actually was revealed to have a telepathic connection with Carol because of the accident, which later results in Carol attacking Yon at the cost of all her memories.
This is specifically important, given Carol's apparent status as an amnesiac in the movie, and her seemingly close relationship with Yon and the Starforce. Maybe Yon himself was somehow at fault for the Kree selected Carol in the first place and maybe that decision somehow affected her ability to remember her time as a human. Or, at the very least, maybe it was Yon's decision to erase Carol's memory.
Regardless of the link between them, it's pretty safe to say that, given Yon's rather dubious comic book past, it's probably not the best idea to go into Captain Marvel trusting him all that much. We may only be able to make educated guesses about what his motives and plan might be, but it's probably not good.
Those eager to get their hands on Mortal Kombat 11 who weren't fortunate enough to attend the January reveal event are in luck. We already knew a pre-release beta was on the way, and now we know exactly when it's set to begin.
As part of the avalanche of MK11 news, NetherRealm Studios announced that the beta will begin on March 28. We don't know how long it will last, but it unfortunately won't be available on all platforms: Only PS4 and Xbox One owners will be able to participate. That leaves out both PC and Nintendo Switch players, although the full game is scheduled to hit all four of these platforms on April 23.
This beta won't be available to everyone on PS4 and Xbox One either, though. In order to get in, you'll need to pre-order Mortal Kombat 11. As an added incentive, you'll be able to play as Shao Kahn in the full game if you pre-order. He's one of eight confirmed playable characters so far, alongside Geras, who's a completely new fighter for the series.
Pre-ordering may not be quite so simple, as there are multiple versions of the game set to be available. The most premium of the bunch is the newly revealed Kollector's edition, which comes with the Kombat Pack DLC, Scorpion mask bust, steel case, magnet coin, and authenticity plate.
The reveal event also brought with it word on Ronda Rousey's role and gave us a look at new gameplay and fatalities. Another livestream dedicated to the game is coming later in January.
NetherRealm Studios has released our first look at the story in Mortal Kombat 11. The prologue to the game's story plays out in a trailer revealed at NetherRealm's January reveal event, which sees Raiden interacting with Shinnok after the events of Mortal Kombat X and also introduces a brand-new character.
In the prologue, Raiden is wearing Shinnok's amulet as he tortures the captured Elder God. Shinnok arrogantly reminds Raiden that an Elder God can't be killed, so the Earthrealm defender simply cuts off his victim's head while reminding it that there are fates worse than death. The prologue ends with Shinnok's still-living head being approached by Kronika, the first female boss character in the franchise's history and who we first saw during the Game Awards 2018.
During the reveal event, NetherRealm also revealed gameplay moments of several characters, including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Skarlet, Raiden, and Geras--the latter of which is a brand-new addition to the franchise. Geras also got a reveal trailer at the end of the event that showcased his incredible time-bending abilities in action, both summoning artifacts from other periods, transporting himself to his past position to avoid enemy attacks, and also freezing an opponent's time to land some devastating combos.
In addition to again being able to change between different character variations, in Mortal Kombat 11, you'll be able to customize fighters. Options include a fighter's costume, intros, victories, abilities, and AI behavior. Mortal Kombat 11 also adds Fatal Blow attacks for each fighter, which act as special, powerful attacks--similar to Fatalities--that can be pulled off in an effort to change the tide of a battle. The one meter devoted to offense, defense, and supers in past Mortal Kombat games has been separated into three different meters for this eleventh entry.
Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to release April 23 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch.
Mortal Kombat 11 will feature a surprising guest star. During the game's big reveal livestream, developer NetherRealm announced that athlete and current WWE Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey will be supplying the voice for series staple Sonya Blade.
Rumors that Rousey would be voicing Sonya in the upcoming fighting game were circulating prior to the reveal. Rousey herself further fueled the speculation by sharing a picture of an invitation she received for the reveal event on Instagram.
"Sonya Blade was the first kick-ass girl that I saw come onto the scene, and I've always admired her and admittedly kind of emulated her in my own way," Rousey said during the stream. Rousey shares more of her thoughts on voicing the character in the trailer above. You can also see some gameplay footage of Sonya in action below.
Sonya is one of several veteran Mortal Kombat characters who were confirmed during the reveal event; we also got our first look at Liu Kang, Baraka, Sub-Zero, and Skarlet, who was originally one of the DLC characters released for Mortal Kombat 9. NetherRealm also revealed a brand-new character, Geras, who has time-control abilities.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Mortal Kombat game without an absurd amount of gore, and we got to see some of the inventive and gruesome ways the characters will dismember each other in Mortal Kombat 11's first gameplay trailer. NetherRealm also showed off some of the game's brutal new fatalities.
Mortal Kombat 11 launches on April 23. The game is coming to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Those who pre-order it will receive Shao Kahn as a bonus character. Ahead of the game's launch, NetherRealm will hold a beta for PS4 and Xbox One on March 28.
NetherRealm shared more details on Mortal Kombat 11 today, including its high-end limited edition with goodies aimed at hardcore fans of the hard-hitting series. It's a sizable package, and the centerpiece is a neat costume prop honoring one of the series' most iconic characters.
The "Kollector's Edition" boasts a 1:1 scale Scorpion mask measuring at 35 x 18 x 21 cm. That includes both the dark cowl and the bright gold mouthpiece, giving that important otherworldly look. We saw it on stage during the presentation, and it actually appears like it could reasonably fit on the heads of the two hosts around it.
Other baubles in the Kollector's Edition include the Premium Edition of the game that includes the Kombat Pack, a Kollector's Box, and a Steelcase with MK logo medallion magnet. Kombat Packs were the name given DLC character packs in Mortal Kombat X, and GameSpot has contacted WB to confirm details for this one. It also appears as if the magnet may fit into an indentation in the case.
According to a listing on GameStop's website, this special edition will be priced at $300 in the US. It also appears to be PS4- and Xbox One-only.
The Mortal Kombat 11 reveal stream was packed with new information for the upcoming fighting game, including an extended look at gameplay, a montage of fatalities, and the first solid story details. The announcement also confirmed the beta dates for PS4 and Xbox One, and started to reveal the character roster. The game itself is coming on April 23 to those two platforms, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Riverdale continues to be one of the weirdest shows on TV where everything that happens is likely the last thing you'd possibly expect. Don't believe that? Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) was attacked by a bear in the latest episode and just might be dead. (He's definitely not going to die, don't worry.)
Now the CW series is gearing up for its next musical episode. You may remember last season when they tackled Carrie: The Musical in an episode that left one character dead and everyone else freaking out. Now Riverdale is looking back on another classic film for its musical inspiration. On March 29, the series will present its take on Heathers: The Musical.
In a statement, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa teased, "Last year, we had a blast doing Carrie. This year, we wanted to honor another iconic teen movie. Heathers: The Musical is big fun, with great roles for the Riverdale kids. And everyone is singing." That last bit seems to hint that even Jughead (Cole Sprouse) will be getting in on the vocal action this time, after being sidelined during the Carrie musical.
Riverdale's second musical episode will include nine songs from the show's cast. The episode debuts on March 20 on The CW.
Mortal Kombat is known for many things, but none is more iconic than its over-the-top Fatalities. NetherRealm knows where its bread is buttered, so it made a point to show off a special Fatalities trailer during its Mortal Kombat 11 presentation.
The montage is a bloody visceral series of blood and viscera. You'll see bones crunch, sinew snap, heads fly, and brains made for a tasty snack. It's all very painful to watch, in that special Mortal Kombat way.
The reveal event also debuted a new character named Geras, announced actress Ronda Rousey as the voice behind Sonya Blade, and showed off some new gameplay systems like the Fatal Blows. NetherRealm also teased more announcements to come on its series of Kombat Kasts.
Of course, we've only seen a select few Fatalities so far, as a fairly limited portion of the roster has been revealed so far. Among those confirmed playable characters, we have the likes of Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and others. They're sure to have other Fatalities available to them, but you can see those revealed to this point in the video above.
A beta will be coming to PS4 and Xbox One on March 28, ahead of the game's April 23 release date. You can gain access by pre-ordering through select retailers, which will also net you access to Shao Khan in the full game.
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