Microsoft has kicked off a new sale on Xbox Live. This week, Xbox One owners will find deals on a variety of EA and Bethesda games, while the latest selection of Deals with Gold includes discounts on Divinity: Original Sin II and a few other well-received titles for the console.
Nearly every installment in the Battlefield series is on sale in the Microsoft Store this week, including the latest entry, Battlefield V, which is down to $30. Xbox One owners can also purchase Battlefield 1 Revolution for $10 and Battlefield 4 for $5, while Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition is $9. Xbox Live Gold members, meanwhile, can pick up the last-gen installments Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for $5 apiece; thanks to backwards compatibility, both are also playable on Xbox One.
Those aren't the only EA shooters on sale for Xbox One this week. Star Wars Battlefront II is down to $6.25, while the first Star Wars Battlefront's Ultimate Edition is $5. If you're enjoying Respawn's new free-to-play battle royale game Apex Legends and haven't tried the studio's previous shooter, Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition is $4.50. You can also pick up Titanfall 2 alongside Battlefield 1 in a $12 bundle.
This week's sale ends at 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET on February 12, so you have until then to take advantage of any deals you might be interested in. Xbox One owners also have until February 7 to pick up Dragon Ball FighterZ for $24, Dragon Ball Xenoverse for $10, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 for $15 as part of Microsoft's ongoing anime sale.
Yes, you read that right. Microsoft has announced plans to bring Xbox Live to Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, with more details coming in a GDC talk next month. The company says bringing the network to more consoles will "enable game developers to connect players between iOS, Android, and Switch in addition to Xbox and any game in the Microsoft Store on Windows PCs."
Until the publisher reveals more at GDC, we're not entirely sure what the move will involve, precisely. What we do know is Microsoft wants us to take our Xbox profile, including our Achievement history, friends list, clubs we're in, and more, to every screen--even rival consoles.
That ties into a wider recent Microsoft strategy to get its services on as many devices as possible. Gone are the days when it only wanted you to buy an Xbox One to be your "all-in-one" entertainment solution; now the company wants you to buy a Switch and play with your Xbox friends on it. Trying to pressure everyone into buying a Windows Phone didn't work--and was costly, thanks to the $6.2 billion (£4.7bn) acquisition of Nokia. Now, Microsoft Office runs on iOS, with a subscription fee for professional use. Instances like ex-CEO Steve Ballmer calling open-source OS Linux a "cancer" are in the past; instead, current chief executive Satya Nadella declares the company's "love" for Linux. It only makes sense for this platform-agnostic approach for Microsoft as a whole to involve Xbox. Sure enough, it's possible to play a huge selection of Xbox games on PC with Play Anywhere, and taking Xbox Live to other platforms seems a natural next step.
"I think if you get so focused just on hardware sales at this point, as gamers, we lose sight of what's going on around the console business," Xbox boss Phil Spencer told GameSpot in 2017. "Console's important. I love the console space, but it's part of the gaming business, it's not total.
"I look at those in aggregate, and so it's not actually about how many Xbox One Xs do I sell, or how many Ss do I sell, or even how many of one individual game that I sell. I look at, are we growing the number of people who have a relationship with Xbox in some way? [It] could be an Android customer in China playing Minecraft, but that's a person who's connected to our platform who's able to use Mixer, who's able to connect to Xbox Live, meet their friends online. That's really the metric for growth right now."
Ultimately, the real metric for growth is money. Microsoft's latest financial report states the company's revenue has increased 12%. Profit has increased by 18%. The company's share prices have tripled in the five years since Nadalla took over and began implementing this collaborative strategy.
In that sense, it seems an obvious move to bring Xbox Live to other consoles and to mobiles: it gets the Xbox brand to, potentially, an additional 2 billion devices by Microsoft's calculations. Nintendo in particular are the gateway to gaming for millions of children around the world--Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida once said the games industry "needs Nintendo to be very successful" for this very reason. Those children will soon possess not only a gateway, but a direct pathway to the Xbox ecosystem.
Children will soon possess not only a gateway, but a direct pathway to the Xbox ecosystem
But there's an elephant in the room: Sony is, thus far, not mentioned anywhere in Microsoft's plans for Xbox Live expansion. Whether that's because the PlayStation-maker wasn't asked, or because it didn't agree with Microsoft's collaborative strategy, isn't clear. What is clear is that the Japanese company has been less willing when it comes to joining forces than its competitors: it resisted the temptation of cross-play, for example, for many years, saying the PS4 was the best place to play and that's the end of it. It finally succumbed to the pressure, but only in Fortnite at first, and only in beta form.
What's odd is that Sony was once the frontrunner in this space: Portal 2 on PS3 allowed cross-play with PC players through Steam. More PlayStation games have allowed limited cross-play functionality since then, but only Fortnite and Rocket League allow full cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One. At least that's some sign of progress, though, and if Xbox Live on Switch is a success, more pressure will mount on Sony to follow suit and allow Microsoft's service on to PS4.
When I was growing up, the thought of playing Call of Duty or FIFA with my other-console-owning friends was a mere dream. With Microsoft's plans to bring Xbox Live to competitors' consoles, that dream is a step closer to becoming reality.
"When you look at Twitch and you look at Steam, look at PUBG, look at Minecraft," says Spencer. "People on Minecraft on Switch are playing with people on an iPhone. They don't own a Windows machine or an Xbox, but they own our game, and they're using Xbox Live across multiple devices. That's what gaming in the future's about, right?"
If you're looking for some more free games to play, six new titles are being offered through PS Plus right now. Most are available for PS4, but several can be played on PS3 or PS Vita as well.
This is the last month that players can expect PS3 and Vita titles in the PS Plus line-up, but all Plus subscribers are getting an extra 100 GB of cloud storage in exchange. For this month, all PS4 titles will be available through March 5, while the PS3 and Vita games will stick around until March 8.
If you enjoy Hitman 2, you may want to take advantage of this deal to download the first season of the 2016 game. After downloading 2016's Hitman, as well as its latest patch, go to its in-game store to redeem and download the Legacy Pack. Once that's installed, you can unlock Hitman's levels in Hitman 2, which keeps you from having to switch back and forth between the two titles when you're playing.
Although it's not one of the games that's a part of PS Plus' line-up, Apex Legends just launched and it's a free-to-play battle royale game. You don't need a PS Plus subscription to play Apex, but if you have one, you'll unlock some free rewards in the game. With a subscription, you'll get two PlayStation-themed skins for the firearms Flatline and RE45, as well as cosmetic skins and banners for Gibraltar and Bloodhound.
From the creators of Titanfall and Titanfall 2, Apex Legends offers a squad-focused, hero-based spin on the battle royale formula. Taking place in the Titanfall universe, Apex has you and two teammates pick from a roster of eight unique Legends--each with their own unique abilities--and face off against 19 other teams on a massive battleground. Despite the lack of the Titanfall series' staple wall-running mechanics and Titans, Apex is off to a strong start, having reached 1 million players within the first eight hours of its release. Our review of the game is on its way, but until then, check out our impressions if you're on the fence about picking up Apex.
It's time for another weekly reset in Destiny 2 has arrived, and that means a new Ascendant Challenge as the time loop in the Dreaming City resets yet again. We're back to the start of a three-week cycle as the Awoken continue to battle the curse. We're nearing the end of Season 5, but if you're still looking to reach the 650 level cap before the impending release of the next expansion, Joker's Wild, this is a great way to get there. Here's what you need to do and where to go to find the portal that can net you some Powerful gear.
Like in past weeks, the Ascendant Challenge involves using a specific item (a Tincture of Queensfoil) to receive the Ascendance buff. This allows you to see a Taken portal that sends you to the Ascendant Plane to do a mission of sorts. But the portal's location and your objective has been different each week, and that's true for Week 5. Before starting, though, be sure to grab the corresponding bounty from Petra, as that's the key to earning a piece of Powerful gear.
This week's portal is found inside a Lost Sector (Bay of Drowned Wishes) located right near Dreaming City's landing zone in Divalian Mists. You'll move to the midway point of the Lost Sector, killing things until a little before you reach a door that's locked. (You can skip the enemies, but killing them will likely be easier.) If you've used your Tincture of Queensfoil, you'll see the portal and can jump through to reach the Ascendant Plane location, Agonarch Abyss.
Unfortunately, there's a good deal of platforming involved here. You'll make your way down to a temple where a large tree is. Blight balls spawn in that slow your movement, and you'll have to deal with a pair of wizards who spawn in additional Thrall enemies. Take out the wizards and you're all done. You can see this all in our video guide.
The chest that you can then open is, as always, nothing special. But finishing the Ascendant Challenge completes the bounty from Petra, which nets you a piece of Powerful gear.
There's still some time before the end of Season 5, the Season of the Forge. The next big event in the game is Crimson Days, the Valentine's Day-themed celebration that runs from February 13-20. As usual, it'll offer unique cosmetic rewards, as well as some duos-themed events to celebrate friendship and love, and a unique bow you can earn for fighting in the Crucible.
Meanwhile, if you're still working on snagging Destiny 2's latest Exotic weapon, The Last Word, be sure to check out our guide to completing the steps fast. You might also want to get caught up on The Last Word's story, which continues into Season 6.
NetherRealm will hold its first livestream for Mortal Kombat 11, after having delayed the event due to severe and dangerous cold in the studio's home city of Chicago. It will start at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, and we expect to see it drop more details on the upcoming fighting game. Come right back here at that time to watch it all.
We're likely to get our first look at the recently announced Kano in action during the stream, possibly along with other character reveals and a new Fatality or two. NetherRealm could also use the opportunity to debut new skins or other cosmetic items, given that the sequel is offering deep customization options.
Mortal Kombat 11 will launch with three editions: a $60 standard edition, $100 premium edition, and $300 Kollector's Edition. The most expensive version comes with a Scorpion mask for all your cosplay needs. Pre-ordering any version will get you Shao Kahn and beta access.
Fortnite's 7.30 content update is now live across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. The patch notes for this week's update detail a variety of tweaks and additions to the hit battle royale game, including a new weapon, limited-time mode, and more.
Headlining this week's content update is the previously teased Bottle Rocket, a new item that will rain explosives down on structures when thrown. Bottle Rockets drop in stacks of two and can be found either as floor loot or in chests, Vending Machines, Supply Llamas, and Supply Drops.
To make room for Bottle Rockets, Epic has vaulted another older item: the Boom Box. The developer has also made some major changes to environmental campfires. Previously, these campfire pits were decorative, but now they can be lit by interacting with them. Doing this will effectively turn them into a Cozy Campfire, healing all players within their radius for a limited time. However, each campfire can only be used once per match.
Finally for Battle Royale, Epic has kicked off a new limited-time mode: Wild West Duos. This LTM pits teams of two against each other with only a limited variety of weapons at their disposal, including Hunting Rifles, Shotguns, Dynamite, and the Revolver and Double-Barrel Shotgun, which have been unvaulted for this event.
While previous limited-time modes have typically run for a week, Epic says it is testing a new LTM schedule. Now, playlists will rotate out every few days "to allow a more diverse amount of modes to be available over the course of a week."
Save the World mode also receives some new content this week, including another Frostnite challenge. A new hero, Subzero Zenith, is also available in the Event Store, and the Dragon weapons have returned for the Lunar New Year. You can find the full patch notes for the 7.30 content update, courtesy of Epic's website, below.
Fight for a Victory Royale using a limited set of weapons and items, such as Hunting Rifles, Shotguns, and Dynamite. This town ain't big enough for the hundred of us!
What's New?
Increased the chance for Slurp Juice to appear in Supply Drops.
Unvaulted the Revolver and the Double Barrel Shotgun for this mode.
Weapons + Items
Bottle Rockets
A thrown item that launches a barrage of bottle rockets to the toward the targeted direction.
Rarity: Uncommon
Found from Floor Loot, Chests, Vending Machines, Supply Llamas, and Supply Drops.
Drops in stacks of 2.
Max stack size of 6.
Fires 45 rockets of varying speeds randomly within a cone over roughly 9 seconds.
Deals 10 player and 40 environmental damage per explosion.
Max 2 active per player.
Environmental Campfires
Campfire props in the world can now be lit by interacting with them.
Behaves like the Cozy Campfire, healing 2 health per second for 25 seconds to all nearby players.
Each campfire can only be used once per match.
You can tell if a campfire has been used by whether or not you can still see wood in it.
Vaulted
Boom Box
Reduced the chance of receiving rocket ammo out of ammo boxes from 12% to 6%.
Increased the impulse strength of the Launchpad by 28.5%.
Reduced the chance to receive Dynamite from Chests from 7% to 5.33%.
Sneaky Snowman will no longer drop from Chests.
Chiller Grenade
Lowered the volume of the beep.
Events
Architect Pop-Up Cup
Removed the ability to edit enemy structures.
Creative
Prefabs
Disco Gallery B
Added a second gallery of concert-related props.
Stages
Lights
Speakers
Weapons + Items
Bottle Rockets
A thrown item that launches a barrage of bottle rockets to the toward the targeted direction.
Save the World
Missions + Systems
Weekly Frostnite Challenge 6: Trap Attack
Traps are buffed but enemies ricochet back any ranged damage.
Use traps and melee attacks to defeat enemies..
Survive for 30 minutes three times to collect the Week 6 Challenge Banner.
Survive for 30 minutes to earn your choice of one Dragon weapon.
Dragon's Roar
Dragon's Tooth
Dragon's Claw
Dragon's Might
Available on February 6 at 7 PM ET.
Lunar Llama added to the Loot store
Available from Feb 6 at 7 PM ET until the end of Season 7.
Contains Dragon Weapons and Lunar New Year Heroes from last year's Spring It On! event.
Costs 500 Snowflake Tickets
Heroes
Subzero Zenith will be available in the Event Store.
Mythic variant of T.E.D.D. Shot
Available on February 6 at 7PM ET.
Wukong returns to the Event Store.
Available on February 6 at 7 PM ET.
Lunar New Year Heroes are returning in the Lunar Llama.
Berserker Headhunter
Berserker Renegade
Flash A.C.
Flash Eagle Eye
Riot Control Hazard
Riot Control Izza
Thunderstrike Mari
Thunderstrike Scorch
Note: Most Heroes will become unique once the new Hero Loadout launches.
Kingdom Hearts 3 has shipped more than five million copies, according to Square Enix. The figure, which includes digital and physical sales, makes it the fastest selling game in the series. This is a shipped figure instead of sold through to customers, but it's still an impressive feat for the first week on the market.
The high sales make sense, given the anticipation for this third installment. Kingdom Hearts 2 released more than a decade ago, so fans have been waiting a long time for the conclusion of the story. Though the time between has been filled with side-stories that fill in some gaps, like Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance, the first numbered entry in so long was bound to make a splash.
"What sticks with me is the exciting battle against elemental titans with Hercules, taking Rapunzel out into the unfamiliar wide world for the first time, snapping selfies with Winnie the Pooh, and going toe to toe with Davy Jones," critic Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot's review. "In 2002, as Sora, I left Destiny Islands to travel across the universe and make new friends. In 2019 I brought old ones home, and I had so much fun doing it."
Apex Legends surprise-launched without much pre-release hype, so you may have missed that some platforms are offering bonus packs for the free-to-play shooter. If you subscribe to Origin Access, PlayStation Plus, or the Xbox-exclusive EA Access, you already have some extra loot waiting for you.
Both the Origin Access and EA Access bonus packs are given automatically the first time you log in. Each will give you an epic weapon skin, a banner card badge, and 1,000 Apex coins. The PlayStation Plus bonus is a separate item that has to be manually downloaded from the PlayStation Store. It gets you two PlayStation-themed weapon camos (Flatline and RE45), along with character camos and banners for Gibraltar and Bloodhound.
The Apex Coins can be traded in for Apex Packs, the game's version of loot boxes. That means you'll probably score at least a few random cosmetic items. The Apex Packs can also hold crafting materials, which are used to purchase new skins. Starting in March, Respawn will also be offering a Battle Pass similar to Fortnite.
Apex Legends takes the battle royale formula and puts you into squads of three, composed of specialized characters with their own abilities. In short, it blends Overwatch or Rainbow Six Seige-like abilities into the popular genre, and then sets it in Respawn's own Titanfall universe. The game is off to a strong start, having reached 1 million players in just its first eight hours. Check out our first impressions, and read up on the characters you can select from.
The Game of Thrones prequel TV show will start filming early this summer, HBO has confirmed. Programming president Casey Bloys confirmed the production start time with Entertainment Weekly.
This matches up with the timeline that Bloys confirmed previously when he stated that the untitled prequel show was pegged to begin production in the first half of 2019.
Importantly, what's being filmed is only the single pilot episodes; additional episodes have yet to be ordered. Jessica Jones director SJ Clarkson is directing the show, which will star Naomi Watts. X-Men: First Class' Jane Goldman will serve as showrunner. Goldman created the concept for the show alongside writer George R.R. Martin. According to EW, while only one episode has been ordered so far, the writers are already working on more scripts for future episodes in the event that HBO decides to pick it up to become a series.
The show isn't expected to air until at least a year after Game of Thrones ends, so that means it may not come out until 2020 or 2021. It's also possible the show doesn't get picked up to series.
While it's yet to receive an official title, Martin suggested last year that it would be called The Long Night. He subsequently walked that back, perhaps due to pressure from HBO that didn't want that name shared yet. In any event, it does provide some insight into what to expect.
Alongside Watts, January brought news on numerous additions to the cast. Characters haven't been confirmed, but among the actors who will be involved are Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX), Toby Regbo (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Denise Gough (Angels in America), Ivanno Jeremiah (Black Mirror), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia), and Alex Sharp (To the Bone).
Here is the official description for the new prequel show: "Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros's history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it's not the story we think we know."
In other news, HBO teamed up with Bud Light for a wacky Super Bowl commercial promoting both the beer and the final season of Game of Thrones. The eighth and final season premieres in April.
Apex Legends, the new battle royale game just announces and released by the makers of Titanfall, is off to a fast start. Studio head Vince Zampella announced that the game reached 1 million unique players in under eight hours. Zampella said he is "so overwhelmed" by the news.
"Thank you so much for showing up and being part of this with Respawn you are amazing!!" Zampella said with a celebratory image.
Apex Legends, which is set in the Titanfall universe but doesn't feature the franchise's trademark Titans or wall-running, was announced and released today, February 4, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. On the subject of wall-running, Zampella said it "wasn't as fun and balanced." But he did tease that Respawn will "try new stuff" as the game's life goes on.
I'm so overwhelmed right now, @PlayApex broke a million unique players in under 8 hours. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much for showing up and being part of this with @Respawn you are amazing!! pic.twitter.com/lvNgfwwKhl
Apex Legends will use the games-as-a-service model through which Respawn will continue to update, grow, and improve the game over time. The game will have a Fortnite-style battle pass with seasons' worth of content to unlock over time.
For more on Apex Legends, check out GameSpot's stories below.
The Halo franchise has a deep and rich narrative canvas. It's great that developer 343 can use this to dive deep into the lore and tell new and interesting stories, and give further flavour to scenes with callbacks and references. But many would probably agree that Halo's overall story can be difficult to get your head around in some ways. For Halo Infinite, 343 is trying to strike the balance between providing enough depth story-wise for veteran fans, while also trying to be "approachable" for players coming to Halo for the first time or returning after some time away.
Justin Robey, who recently became the "Director of Player Voice" for Halo Infinite, talked about this on 343's latest Social Stream.
"Halo is one of those franchises where we have a lot of players who are probably going to come back when we release Halo Infinite," he said. "And we want to make sure as it gets in there that people aren't lost, which is one of the things that people complain about with Halo 5.
[People said], 'Ahh there's so many elements, and I don't really know what's going on.' Making sure there is enough meat and awesome for the fans and at the same time it's approachable for people who are coming back in [for Halo Infinite]."
Basically nothing is known about Halo Infinite's story, though 343 has confirmed that it'll focus more on Master Chief. That's good news, as Halo 5 strayed away from Master Chief in some ways.
Robey's new role as Director of Player Voice sees him essentially representing the player's voice during the ongoing development of Halo Infinite. A lot of this is staying under wraps for now, but we do know Halo Infinite will launch early through "flighting" programs through which people can play part of the game before launch and give 343 feedback to make the game better.
Halo Infinite is in development for Xbox One and PC, though no release date or other specifics have been announced yet. We do know it'll run on a brand-new engine called Slipspace. You can watch a trailer for the Slipspace engine in the video embed above.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, Titanfall developer Respawn announced and released its latest game, Apex Legends. This free-to-play battle royale is set in the Titanfall universe and is strictly team-based, with 20 teams of three players facing off on one huge map. In addition, the game has an emphasis on classes, with each character assisting and supporting their squad using unique special abilities.
There are eight classes (known in the game as Legends) to choose from and each has a specific role to play. Below we outline what each does, as well as offer additional insight into their roles and abilities.
You can download Apex Legends from the Origin store on PC, and on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 right now. GameSpot got an early look at the game, and you can read more in our impressions. We'll also have a full review of Apex Legends in the coming days.
Bloodhound:
The Bloodhound is essentially the tracker class. His Passive ability allows you to see where enemy players have been, while his Tactical ability pings the area to reveal tracks left behind by foes. And with the Bloodhound's Beast of the Hunt, your abilities are enhanced with increased movement speed and advanced environmental awareness.
Gibraltar:
Gibraltar is an ideal candidate for defensive players. His Passive ability is a riot shield that can deflect enemy fire, and his Tactical ability is a dome shield that lasts for 15 seconds after deployment. If your teammates are the type to get into trouble in a firefight, you'll want to use Gibraltar to protect them when cover is limited or if your team becomes sitting ducks. And when the going gets tough, you can support your squad with his Ultimate ability, Defensive Bombardment, which calls in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position (warning: you can kill yourself with this, so watch out for that).
Lifeline:
Lifeline is your prototypical medic class. Her Passive ability is a one-direction shield that deploys to revive a teammate, while her Tactical ability is a drone that automatically heals nearby allies. If those abilities aren't enough to get your squad in good shape, Lifeline has an Ultimate ability that spawns in a pod filled with high-quality gear.
Pathfinder:
Sometimes a squad's path to success is made possible by a solid recon player. Pathfinder handles that role in spades with abilities that provide advantageous intel. This optimistic robot's Passive ability reveals the next ring's location, and its zipline gun is handy for getting to out-of-reach locations. It can also assist allies with its Ultimate ability, which deploys a zipline that can be used by all squadmates.
Wraith:
Wraith is an agile offensive fighter with an intriguing roster of abilities. Her Passive ability tells you when enemies are lining up shots on you or your squad. While Wraith doesn't have the highest defense, she can get out of trouble pretty easily with her phase shifting Tactical ability, which makes you invisible and invincible (even outside the circle) for a brief duration. Lastly, Wraith's Ultimate ability makes for a handy way to support squadmates, as you're given the ability to create a portal pathway for them to use.
Bangalore:
Bangalore is your standard soldier class with a couple tricks upher sleeve. Her Passive ability is an increased sprint speed under fire, while her Tactical ability are smoke canisters that can thwart pursuing enemies. But if her smoke bombs can't stop a sudden enemy offensive, Bangalore's Ultimate ability is an artillery strike that can easily push back the assault.
Caustic:
Caustic is a defensive class that can assist squadmates with practical area-of-effect weapons. His Tactical ability allows you to deploy deadly gas traps that detonate upon proximity or when shot. All the while, Caustic's Passive ability allows you to see enemies through the gas. And if all this talk of gas wasn't enough, his Ultimate basically blankets a large area in more deadly gas.
Mirage:
Mirage is for those who love to toy with their foes. His Tactical ability allows you to drop a holographic decoy, while his Passive ability takes that same decoy and deploys it when you're knocked down by the enemy. If these decoys weren't enough to fool the opposing team, Mirage's Ultimate deploys a team of them to further confuse enemies while you remain cloaked.
The Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is coming to Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix paid $9 million to get the movie following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in late January.
The film stars Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, with its story told from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins). The film also stars John Malkovich, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, Jim Parsons, and Angela Sarafyan. It's directed by Joe Berlinger, who worked on the Oscar-nominated Paradise Lost series about the West Memphis Three murders.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netlix went up against Lionsgate and STX in bidding for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile before winning out.
Netflix makes a lot of sense for the film, as it already has Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which was created by Berlinger. You can check out the first full trailer for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in the embed above.
No release date has been set yet for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, but it's also expected to have a limited theatrical run along with its showing on Netflix.
While the future of the X-Men remains unknown due to Fox's upcoming merger with Disney, even though there's still two movies slated for release, franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner is confident that whatever happens will be for the best and said as much while promoting the third and final season of Legion at the Television Critics Association press tour.
While Marvel Studios will take control of the X-Men characters under the leadership of Kevin Feige--and Donner isn't sure she'll have any role in future films--the popular superheroes are in good hands. "He's got a great story sense," Donner says of her former assistant Feige, who she worked with on the first X-Men film. "He's got a great ability to weave each world and weave those worlds together. I trust him and I trust that he will take care of the X-Men."
Unfortunately, though, with the ownership changing hands, several projects are in flux. Gambit, X-Force, and Kitty Pryde are all movies Donner said are in Disney's hands now, should they happen at all. "This is all now in Disney's playground and they get to decide," she said. "At least we know it's in good hands. Everybody's worked really hard on the Fox side, but now it's going to be Disney's call."
Meanwhile, there was one interesting X-Men tidbit Donner was able to share. When asked if producers had begun thinking about finding a new actor to take over the Wolverine character from Hugh Jackman, she offered a short, "Yes."
While Jackman has made no secret that he considered Logan his final curtain call as the character, many fans were holding out hope to see him one day team up with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) or appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, that just doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"Just the physicality of it all, just to bulk up, this man worked so hard to bulk up. He'd get up at 3 in the morning to bulk and eat protein meals every two hours," she explained. "His natural state is a very skinny guy. Once you reach a certain age, the body just won't go anymore. I think he was wise to say, 'I'm at that point. I can't do it.'"
Still, even Donner stipulated that you can never say never when it comes to comic book movies. "Now, that doesn't mean he can't come back as older Wolverine, you never know. Future Wolverine, you never know," she said. "I don't know what Kevin is thinking. I don't even think Kevin knows yet. I think Kevin's still dealing with this wealth of characters and trying to make sense of it."
In the meantime, there's no telling what the future of the X-Men looks like. Donner isn't scared, though. She has faith that Marvel Studios will do right by the heroes she's spent so much time with since 2000's X-Men.
Of course, she also realizes that superhero fatigue can become a real thing, both for audiences and a studio tasked with creating movies for such a wide array of characters in a singular universe. "The problem is, as you guys well know, you cannot have too many Marvel/X-Men/superhero movies out there because we would cancel each other out," she admitted. "Each one has to be distinctive and yet you have so many story canons to follow through and yet we want new ones. I don't think you can have more than four. Four is a lot. People are going to get sick of it, so he has to be careful with it."
Thankfully, there's still at least two more X-Men films on the way. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 9. New Mutants, on the other hand, might arrive on August 2, though it's been delayed more than once.
Respawn, the developer behind Titanfall and Titanfall 2, has released a new battle royale game called Apex Legends. Much like Fortnite, Apex will have a Battle Pass, and it works just like the one in Epic's battle royale game.
Although the game was released as soon as it was announced on Monday, Apex's first Battle Pass won't launch until March. It will be active for a full season, which runs for about three months. Following Season 1's debut in March, Apex's Season 2 is scheduled for June, Season 3 for September, and Season 4 for December. Respawn has not announced the exact start dates for each of these seasons, but they have revealed what buying a Battle Pass will get you.
Like Fortnite, each Battle Pass includes a collection of limited-time cosmetic items. Each Apex Battle Pass will include around 100 different rewards, which you can unlock through playing the game. Several items in each season can be unlocked without the need to purchase a pass, but you'll need to buy one in order to earn everything. Once you unlock something, it's yours to keep--even in following seasons. Every Battle Pass will only include exclusive, seasonal cosmetic items and random Apex Packs, the latter of which is an assortment of weapon and Legends skins of various rarities. So you won't miss out on unlocking new Legends if you don't buy the Battle Passes.
Apex Legends implements similar mechanics and features from previous battle royale games, but adds its own spin on the formula as well. In Apex, you have to fight in squads of three, and each member of your team will control one of eight unique Legends (all of which have some pretty cool Legendary skins). Although every Legend can use any of the weapons and equipment scattered throughout the map, each one has their own unique assortment of abilities--much like Heroes in Overwatch or Operators in Rainbow Six: Siege.
Although Titanfall's staple wall-running and Titans aren't in Apex, the game does incorporate other elements from Respawn's franchise, such as vaulting, sliding, no fall damage, and traversing great distances with jump jets. Almost as if a play on the developer's name, you're also able to respawn in Apex, as your teammates can bring you back from the dead--albeit without any of your loot--if they act fast enough.
Apex Legends is free-to-play and available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. If you have PS Plus or EA/Origin Access, you're also entitled to some freebies.
The annual Lunar New Year event has returned in Pokemon Go. From now until February 13, certain types of Pokemon will appear much more frequently in the wild than normal, and Niantic is offering players extra XP for catching and evolving monsters--as well as a chance to catch a new Shiny.
Throughout the event, players will have a much easier time of finding Rattata, Ekans, Mankey, Ponyta, Electabuzz, Dratini, Mareep, Miltank, Torchic, Poochyena, Spoink, and Buneary--all Pokemon that correspond to the Chinese zodiac. To commemorate the Year of the Pig, Shiny Spoink will also be available for the first time.
On top of that, players will earn twice the normal amount of XP when they capture and evolve Pokemon. Additionally, monsters that are traded during the event will have a higher likelihood of becoming Lucky Pokemon, which require less Stardust than normal Pokemon to power up. You can tell Lucky Pokemon apart by their sparkling backgrounds.
Shortly after the Lunar New Year event concludes, Niantic will host Pokemon Go's next Community Day. That event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 16, and it features its own pig-like Pokemon: the Ice/Ground-type Swinub. Players will also receive triple the normal amount of Stardust during this month's Community Day.
Niantic recently introduced a new wave of Gen 4 Pokemon to Go, including Lickilicky, Tangrowth, Froslass, and Gallade. A new Gen 4 Legendary, Palkia, also debuted in Raid Battles following the end of the recent Hoenn celebration event. Players have until February 28 to catch the Spatial Pokemon before it leaves Raids.
Twice a year the Television Critics Association press tour sees TV executives, actors, showrunners, and producers present their new programming to the press. Among those who regularly attend is FX CEO John Landgraf, who first coined the term "peak TV" and uses his regular executive sessions as what are essentially television state of the union addresses. Increasingly, his sessions has included a lot of talk about Netflix and other streaming services as they outspend and outproduce everyone. With this tour, though, he took particular aim at Netflix's viewership claims.
In years past, Netflix has always been very protective of the viewership for its shows, often saying they don't release viewership numbers. That started to change with the release of The Christmas Prince in late 2017. "To the 53 people who've watched A Christmas Prince every day for the past 18 days: Who hurt you?" the company said in a tweet. From there, Netflix slowly began releasing viewership numbers with very little context for what exactly counted as a viewer--a move that has irked many. "[You] is on track to be viewed by more than 40 million members in its first four weeks on Netflix," one tweet from the streamer read, referencing the Netflix original series. Another claimed, "[Sex Education] 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." Those numbers sound massive, but the vagueness of that claim has rendered it dubious. FX CEO John Landgraf has now reaffirmed those numbers are not what they seem.
Taking the stage for his twice-annual executive session at the Television Critics Association press tour, the head of FX Networks spoke openly about his distaste for Netflix's reporting, which he called "cherry-picked and unverified internal data." Specifically, Landgraf took aim at Netflix's You claims, saying they were "not remotely accurate representation of a long-form program performance."
Why is that? Because unlike the way TV ratings are gauged, technology companies count video starts, rather than average audience. That means if someone started an episode of You but turned it off after five minutes, they count as a viewer. Beyond that, these are numbers Netflix is providing about Netflix, leaving them free from independent oversight. "I don't like the notion that any one entity gets to decide what is true and tell you what is true," Landgraf said.
Interestingly, even with more realistic viewership numbers, Netflix still boasts some impressive ratings. According to Nielsen--the company that measures traditional TV ratings--You was likely actually watched by an average audience of 8 million viewers, which Landgraf points out is "good, but it's not as good as 40 million, which would make you the number one show on television." Likewise, a show like Sex Education--which Netflix also claimed was on pace to be watched 40 million--only had around 3.1 million viewers.
That's not to say the Nielson's numbers are remotely exact, but they go to show that the picture Netflix paints isn't quite accurate. The way Netflix presents their numbers is calculated, for lack of a better word.
It makes sense that they would present their viewership in the best possible light. However, as Landgraf explained, that could harm the streaming service in the long run. "One way or the other, the truth will always come out," he said. "As it always does."
AMC's hit zombie show, The Walking Dead, will return for a 10th season. The network announced the renewal in a tweet that asks you to "listen closely." As you'll hear, creatures are whispering, "Season 10."
It is appropriately unsettling. You can check out the brief clip below. Season 10 premieres in October, according to the video.
The announcement of Season 10 comes just before The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its ninth season later this month. The upcoming episodes will showcase a new group of villains, "The Whisperers," who wear the faces of the dead to blend in with zombies.
The Season 10 announcement video also featuring The Whisperers suggests they'll continue to be a featured storyline. However, no firm details are available about Season 10 at this point.
The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln is no longer on the show, but he is not done with the series entirely. He's coming back to play Rick in a Walking Dead movie. In fact, there are three spin-off films coming that are described as "big, epic entertainments."
In other Walking Dead news, Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season is coming to a close. The third episode was released in January, while the fourth is coming on March 26.
Respawn's new battle royale game, Apex Legends, has arrived on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Much like Epic's massively popular Fortnite, while the game is completely free to download and play, it features microtransactions, giving you numerous options for spending real-world money if you're so inclined. Here's a rundown on what you can get.
There are three different types of currency in Apex Legends: Apex Coins, Legend Tokens, and Crafting Metals. Apex Coins are the only kind that can be purchased with real-world money, and they're used to buy Apex Packs (the game's equivalent of loot boxes), Legends (playable characters), and featured items. You can purchase Apex Coins in the following increments:
1,000 Apex Coins - $10 / £8
2,000 (+ 150 Bonus) Apex Coins - $20 / £16
4,000 (+350 Bonus) Apex Coins - $40 / £32
6,000 (+750 Bonus) Apex Coins - $60 / £48
10,000 (+1500 Bonus) Apex Coins - $100 / £80
The remaining two forms of currency, Legend Tokens (represented with a red icon) and Crafting Metals (blue icon) can both be earned within the game. You'll receive Legend Tokens for leveling up, and these can be used to purchase most the same items as Apex Coins. Crafting Metals, meanwhile, can be obtained in Apex Packs, and they are used to unlock weapon skins and other cosmetics.
The Apex Packs themselves cost 100 Apex Coins and can contain a variety of different cosmetics. Much like the loot boxes in Overwatch, you can get weapon skins, poses, banners, voice lines, and character skins, including the highly desirable Legendary skins.
To help get you started, EA is selling an Apex Legends Stater Pack for $5 / £4. It comes with 600 Apex Coins and two exclusive cosmetics: an animated Fresh Meat RE45 weapon skin and the Feeding Frenzy badge. The publisher is also offering the premium Founder's Pack, which runs for $30 / £25 and includes the following items:
2000 Apex Coins
Exclusive Legendary Demon Hemlok weapon skin
3 Exclusive Roughneck character skins (one each for Wraith, Bloodhound, and Gibraltar)
3 Exclusive Banner Frames (one each for Wraith, Bloodhound, and Gibraltar)
1 Exclusive Founder's Badge
Respawn has stressed that all of Apex Legends' microtransactions will strictly be cosmetic; players who elect to spend money on the game won't receive any gameplay advantages over those who don't spend a single cent. The developer has also taken steps to ensure the game's loot boxes are fair; they won't offer duplicates of items you already own, and there's "bad luck protection" to ensure players don't go too long without receiving something worthwhile. You can read more about how Apex Legends' microtransactions work here.
On top of all that, Respawn will also offer a Fortnite-like Battle Pass each season in Apex Legends. Through this, players will be able to unlock Apex Packs and exclusive cosmetics. The first season is set to kick off in March.
Take-Two Interactive Software has announced that game industry veteran Michael Condrey has joined 2K Games as the head of a new Silicon Valley-based studio. Currently unnamed, the studio will be working on a new, unannounced project.
"At 2K, we offer our collective audience a variety of engaging and captivating entertainment experiences," 2K president David Ismailer said. "We continually seek opportunities to empower and invest in the right people and ideas. Michael's unparalleled creative, production, and leadership accolades are well-documented and deserved. We are greatly inspired not only by his passion but the potential for his new studio to complement our existing portfolio and development expertise."
"Today's announcement represents a rare and special opportunity for developers to help build and shape a new Silicon Valley studio from the ground up," Condrey added. "I couldn't be more excited, or thankful, to embark on this next step in my career." Condrey's new studio joins the 2K umbrella alongside Firaxis, Hangar 13, Visual Concepts, and Cat Daddy.
Previously, Condrey co-founded Sledgehammer Games, which is responsible for several well-received Call of Duty games, specifically 2011's Modern Warfare 3, 2014's Advanced Warfare, and 2017's WWII. Prior to that, Condrey led the Visceral team on a very different type of game: 2008's Dead Space. More than 10 years later, the influence of Dead Space is still felt today--specifically when it comes to more action-focused survival horror games like the Resident Evil franchise.
Given the recent critical acclaim of Resident Evil 2--which we gave a 9/10 in our review--it would be awesome to see Condrey leading a horror game again. EA's decision to close down Visceral shut down one of the game industry's leaders in the survival horror genre, creating a void that no other studio has managed to truly fill yet.
A new game in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends, was announced and released today for PlayStation, Xbox One, and PC. It's the only Titanfall game coming for a while, it seems, as developer Respawn has now confirmed that Titanfall 3 is not in development.
Producer Drew McCoy candidly told Eurogamer, "The world thinks we're making Titanfall 3 and we're not--[Apex Legends] is what we're making."
Apex Legends is the result of putting one of the best FPS dev teams in the world on a game focused on doing a few things really well. We look at battle royale as a genre, not a mode, and we're here to help mold it. Hope everyone is enjoying the game as much as we had making it!
"We're doing a free to play game, with essentially loot boxes, after we were bought by EA, and it's not Titanfall 3. It's the perfect recipe for a marketing plan to go awry," he said. "So why have that- let's just ship the game and let players play."
According to Kotaku, Titanfall 3 was in development at one point in time, and Respawn reportedly wanted to get it out sooner rather than later. The report suggests Titanfall 3 became Apex Legends, though there are no specifics available about what differences may exist. Apex Legends does not include any titans or wall-running--those were hallmarks of Titanfall 1 and 2.
No one from Respawn or EA--which now owns the studio--has said Titanfall 3 will never be made, so those looking to see the mainline franchise continue still have some hope. When EA purchased Respawn for hundreds of millions of dollars, the company also got the rights to Titanfall.
Apex Legends will use the games-as-a-service model through which Respawn will continue to support, grow, and evolve the title over time. It is free-to-play, supported by microtransactions--here's a guide to the Apex Legends microtransactions.
In addition to Apex Legends, Respawn is working on a new Star Wars game, Jedi: Fallen Order, along with an untitled virtual reality project in partnership with Oculus.
The new Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian is coming to the Disney+ streaming service, which launches sometime later this year. It boasts an impressive list of directors, including Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), and Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates). Another name that's taking the reins for an episode is Taika Waititi, who previously helmed Thor: Ragnarok.
Appearing at the Television Critics Association press tour, Waititi shared some details about the "amazing" experience of getting to help craft his own little corner of the Star Wars franchise. "[Executive producer Jon] Favreau's a genius and so smart and so good at what he does and creating these worlds," he revealed during a post-panel group interview. "The scripts are really great. And yeah, it was really fun doing something in the Star Wars universe. It's every kid's dream just to see a Stormtrooper. When you're doing these scenes with like 50 or 60 of them, it's pretty amazing."
He was also excited to direct a story involving bounty hunters like Boba Fett. "For most kids growing up with those films, he was one of the most favorite characters, even though he was barely in the films," the director said. "Bounty hunters, the helmets are so cool. So yeah, I mean just getting to see characters like that and getting to shoot with them was pretty cool."
And if you're wondering whether Waititi was able to inject any of his signature style into this new Star Wars property, the good news is there was room for "a little bit" of that.
"You know that Star Wars, you know, is just very different to the Marvel style," he explained. "They know that whatever was set up in the tone of the first films really should be kind of adhered to and that's what the fans like and you can't really disrespect it, I guess, is a nice way of saying it. Can't have too many jokes, but there's a little bit. Definitely my tone is in there, with the dialogue and stuff like that."
While he was able to put a bit of himself into the new Star Wars series, there's one other high-profile project he's not going to be involved in. Waititi revealed he will definitely not be directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3., though he definitely sees a future with Marvel Studios.
Netflix's latest original series, Umbrella Academy, has finally arrived, bringing with it buckets of trippy, surrealist superhero hijinks. But the world of the Academy is actually more than just a bizarre 10 episode series to be binged from your living room--it's actually a cult classic superhero comic from Gerard Way (yes, as in the guy from My Chemical Romance) and artist Gabriel Ba.
Sure, it may not possess the weight of history that something like the Marvel Cinematic Universe has behind it, but the world of Umbrella Academy is actually expansive (and completely bizarre), making it a worthy read for anyone who might be interested in jumping into the new show. So what exactly is Umbrella Academy, how do you read it, and what does it all mean?
We're here to break it down for you, piece by abstract piece.
Umbrella Academy got its start back in 2007 with the release of its first six issue limited series titled Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite at Dark Horse Comics, and it set the groundwork for the ongoing universe. It established the basic premise: one day, 43 women around the world with no signs of pregnancy gave birth simultaneously to infants that showed various superhuman abilities. Seven of the kids were adopted by an eccentric billionaire adventurer named Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who created--wait for it--The Umbrella Academy. There, he trained up his adopted children to be a superhero team.
If you think things are already starting to sound a bit weird, you haven't seen anything yet.
By and large, the kids experienced an exceedingly dysfunctional childhood, with their father all but disinterested in anything but their powers, a robot facsimile of a mother, and a genetically modified chimp named Pogo as their primary caretakers. The kids' day to day life revolved around training to use their powers and various feats of public superheroics against any number of strange and potentially cosmic threats. And by "strange," we mean, really, really weird--the first thing the kids are shown fighting is an animated Eiffel Tower (which turns out to be a space ship) puppeteered by "zombie robot Gustave Eiffel".
That basically establishes the tone of the entire series. It includes most of the same tropes and set dressing as your standard superheroic faire, but it's shown through the lense of the hyper surreal--half tongue-in-cheek self aware, half pedal-to-the-metal buckwild just for the hell of it.
The kids themselves are suitably eclectic. Each member of the Hargreeves family-slash-team was assigned a number, a code name, and a civilian name. Number 1, Spaceboy, Luthor Hargreeves, is super strong. Number 2, The Kraken, Diego Hargreeves, can hold his breath forever and throw knives with deadly accuracy. Number 3, The Rumor, Allison Hargreeves, can tell lies that alter reality. Number 4, The Seance, Klaus Hargreeves, can contact the dead. Number 5, The Boy, has no civilian name and can teleport and time travel. Number 6, The Horror, Ben Hargreeves, can summon monsters of his skin--and is mysteriously dead. Number 7, The White Violin, Vanya Hargreeves, spent her childhood told she had no special gifts--which she soon learns may not have been true at all.
But the kids' gifts and superheroic feats aren't actually the focus of the story. The real narrative occupies a chunk of time far after the Academy has been formally dissolved, the kids have grown up, and their makeshift family has all but totally fallen apart. They're pulled back together after the death of Hargreeves, which sets in motion a series of events leading to some very unwelcome secrets coming to light. Imagine something like Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, but give each character an incredibly specific superpower, and toss in a talking chimpanzee for good measure.
Following The Apocalypse Suite, Umbrella Academy continued to expand its story by adding two more limited series to the line-up. The first, Umbrella Academy: Dallas, began publication in 2009 and dealt with a truly mind-bending level of time travel and alternate history (the JFK assassination, the Vietnam war, really, you name it.) The second, Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion, was originally set for release in the early 2010s, but experienced a number of major delays--it finally saw publication in 2018, just in time to drum up some more awareness for the Netflix show.
In between each major series, Way and Ba would publish various short stories focusing on major cast members and moments to flesh out more of the lore. These short stories were collected up in the trade paperback editions of each volume--though they're not strictly necessary to understand the actual plot.
The Netflix show itself is mostly a blend of both Apocalypse Suite and Dallas, with a healthy amount of remixing and reinventing--after all, there are some things you can pull off on paper that just wouldn't work on a tv show. Zombie robot Gustave Eiffel, for example, doesn't really translate. But don't worry--Pogo, the talking chimpanzee, definitely does.
All ten episodes of The Umbrella Academy launch on Netflix February 15, while all three volumes of The Umbrella Academy are available everywhere comics are sold. You can jump into one without the other, but really for something this delightfully weird, why would you want to?
A great premise can generally only take you so far, but films that stick to them and don't get distracted can sometimes in turn achieve greatness. Blumhouse's Sweetheart takes the conventional and familiar survival story and turns it on its head with a tale of self-discovery, empowerment, and monster-fighting in what can best be described as Cast Away meets Cloverfield.
Jenn (Kiersey Clemons) wakes up one day and finds herself on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean. She's shipwrecked, and her only companion has a chunk of coral jutting from his stomach. Without wasting a second, Jenn pulls her friend from the water, yanks the coral, and stops the bleeding with a makeshift bandage. Sadly, it's too late, as her companion dies that night--and that's when the problems begin.
For the first half hour, Sweetheart focuses on your standard castaway story, with Jenn finding water, refuge, and food. Director JD Dillard (Sleight) makes his return to Sundance and Blumhouse stand out with a keen eye for performance and emotion, despite relying almost entirely on Clemons' mostly mute performance. Indeed, in a refreshing move, Jenn doesn't get a volleyball to talk to, so there's no thinking out loud for most of the film, and instead she conveys all emotion and information through exquisitely nuanced yet powerful facial expressions that say more than a dozen monologues. To compensate for the lack of dialogue (and the score, which is also very minimalistic), the movie's outstanding sound design does most of the work.
Jenn is also not your typical shipwreck survivor. She is one of the smartest and most composed castaways we've seen onscreen in years. As she follows the usual procedure for fictional island survivors, you can tell Jenn is familiar with every story and film about island survival there is, and she adapts to every situation without breaking a sweat. Before you notice she's already learned how to use small fish as bait to catch bigger fish, and how to build a makeshift spear to hunt. It doesn't come across as overpowered or exaggerated, and it's all thanks to Clemons' performance ,which sells you on her problems but also on her way of thinking and excitement as she figures things out.
Of course, this being Blumhouse and JD Dillard, everything is not as it seems, and the island has plenty of dark secrets. As Jenn tries to stay alive she starts seeing mutilated fish wash up on shore, and her friend's body suddenly disappears from its grave overnight. Then there's also that huge sinkhole in the bottom of the ocean.
Sweetheart eventually becomes one of the best creature features in recent years. Dillard and his cinematographer Stefan Duscio use lighting to build a sense of menace and fear of the unknown. The movie is dark, but never without purpose. We are stuck with the same knowledge and visibility as Jenn, and as she runs away we catch only glimpses of whatever pursues her. The production design and VFX team deserve credit for their fantastic work.
Even when the film deviates from its sweet and short premise, it expands the world of the film and provides subtle but important background for Jenn, even though they don't feel necessary. As she finally gets to speak with someone, we get hints at other monsters and abuse she has already faced before. It's a great way to address how hard it can be for women to speak up about abuses they've suffered, without being too on the nose or deviating too much.
With a brisk and concise runtime of 82 minutes, Sweetheart accomplishes a lot without wasting a moment. Its brilliant lead performance carries much of the film, with beautiful visuals that descent into a thrilling and heart-stopping creature feature.
Ever since James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been wondering just who will take over the director's chair. After the smashing success of Thor: Ragnarok, many have seen Taika Watiti as the "go to" director for Marvel's next cosmic installment. However, in comments made this week, Waititi was firm that he has no interest in helming the third Guardians movie, though he is open to working with Marvel again.
"I'm not doing that movie, but I'm hanging out with them," Waititi explained during the What We Do In Shadows panel of the Television Critics Association press tour. "I'm still hanging out with those guys and talking about new stuff. What might be yet, but yeah, I want to do another [Marvel] movie."
As for why Waititi won't take over for the next Guardians installment, it's all out of respect for Gunn's previous work. "For me, that's James's," Waititi continued. "Those are James's films. Going into something like that which has got his stamp all over it would feel like going in someone's house and going, 'Hey! I'm your new dad, and this is how we make peanut butter sandwiches now!' It just feels kind of awkward. I just wouldn't know how to follow up those two films because those are his babies."
During the summer of 2018, Gunn was fired by Disney from GotG Vol. 3 after old tweets from the director resurfaced. These were jokes about topics like pedophilia and rape, and Disney wanted to distance themselves from him.
The controversy didn't end there, however, as the cast wrote a joint letter standing behind Gunn, in hopes he would be rehired. It never happened, though, and Gunn is currently writing the script for the Suicide Squad reboot at Warner Bros. and is in negotiations to direct.
As for Waititi, he's currently directing the upcoming Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and in post-production for the FX series What We Do In Shadows--based on the mockumentary of the same name--which comes to the network on March 27.
There is a gory moment in the third act of "Down" when the filmmakers abandon all pretense and restraint, spraying the screen with a fountain of blood. In that moment, the movie shows its hand; I turned my brain off and enjoyed the remainder of "Down" as a pulpy diversion. But as fun as "Down" was--and it was fun, to be clear--it was also disappointing. The first half of this film promised something better, more complex, and more discussion-worthy than what we ended up getting.
The film opens with a woman named Jennifer (Natalie Martinez) and a man named Guy (Matt Lauria) working late on a Friday night. They're headed down to the parking lot of their office building when the elevator suddenly stalls, four floors underground. Their cell phones don't work. Despite their best efforts to set off the alarm or call for help, they're trapped in this enclosed space for the 3-day weekend. So, they slowly get to know each other.
This extended sequence, where it's just the two main characters bantering back and forth, is the film's high point and the right mixture of clever and flirtatious. There's an old-fashioned, theatrical rhythm to it.. And even when the dialogue is a bit too cute, Martinez and Lauria deliver it naturally. We believe these two could have a mutual attraction, even under these odd circumstances. Framed differently, the premise could easily fuel a Howard Hawks screwball comedy instead of a horror film.
But this isn't a Hawks film. And quite suddenly--in the space of a minute, if that--the premise takes a weird, dark turn. There's a shocking reveal that changes everything we've learned thus far. It presents great potential to explore abusive relationships, gender dynamics, consent, and how sex is leveraged and exploited for power and control--all in the context of the horror genre. But the film, despite alluding to these themes, falls short of addressing them in any meaningful way.
Instead, the film rapidly shifts from being a talky, dialogue-driven film to an action-driven cat-and-mouse slasher in no time at all. Both characters make dumb, illogical decisions--necessary only to advance The Plot--and betray their prior cleverness and wit.
There is a way to build horror and tension through talking, facial expressions, and nuance. But "Down" isn't concerned with ambiguity or complexity after revealing its central twist. If you like your horror movies to end with a big fight, cheeky humor, and a triumphant hero, you'll get all that. But what a waste, that such a rich premise ends so conventionally.
"Down" is produced by Blumhouse, the production company behind blockbuster hits like "Paranormal Activity," Happy Death Day," "Get Out," and "Sinister." The company's ethos is simple: bankroll low-budget horror films and allow the filmmakers a corresponding level of artistic freedom.
Into The Dark, the film anthology series that "Down" belongs to, is Blumhouse's attempt to replicate their big screen success on Hulu. They're producing 12 low-budget horror films, each based on a holiday, and releasing them one month apart from each other. October's film was "The Body," based around Halloween. Next was November's "Flesh and Blood," based around Thanksgiving. December's film was Pooka!" based around Christmas. Then came January's "New Year, New You," based around New Year's Day. And now, we have February's "Down," based around Valentine's Day.
Here's the problem: none of the Into The Dark films are of theatrical release quality. They're made-for-TV movies; they get good reviews by the mere act of being interesting. So on one hand, it feels unfair to judge these films against something they're not; perhaps, if they were good enough to be theatrical releases, they would have been.
But in today's entertainment landscape, multi-million dollar blockbusters debut on digital platforms and bypass the theater entirely on a regular basis. As an audience, we have been conditioned to expect more on streaming platforms.
Small films must deliver better quality than what their budgets would imply. "Down," for better and for worse, delivers precisely what you would expect. Enjoy it on that level, and you won't be disappointed.
The Good
The Bad
Fun dialogue
Strange editing choices
Shocking twist
Becomes conventional in its second half
Excellent performances from both lead actors
Gore feels jarring and out of place
The setting provokes great tension and claustrophobia
Season 7 of Fortnite may be winding down, but Epic Games still has some new content in store for the hit title before its eighth season kicks off. While the developer hasn't yet announced what this week's update will bring, it appears a new type of item is coming to the battle royale game: Bottle Rockets. [Update: Fortnite's 7.30 content update is now live on all platforms.]
As it so often does ahead of its weekly updates, Epic is teasing the new item in Fortnite's in-game News feed. The feed doesn't share much information about them, but it says Bottle Rockets are "coming soon" and calls them "loud, bright, and dangerous." It also warns not to light them indoors. You can take a peek at the Bottle Rockets below.
Epic confirmed on Twitter that this week's content update will go live on all platforms at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 1 PM GMT, and it won't require any downtime. Interestingly, the tweet teases that players will be able to "get cozy around campfires"--presumably suggesting that a new variant of Cozy Campfires will be available, although that is unclear.
Epic has introduced a number of new weapons and items for Fortnite this season. Last week's 7.30 update added the Chiller Grenade, which knocks opponents back and causes them to slide along the ground, while the week before that saw the arrival of the Sneaky Snowman, a wearable disguise not unlike the bush.
Gather around... get cozy around campfires in the v7.30 Content Update. 🔥 Available tomorrow, February 5 at 8 AM ET(1300 UTC). There will be no downtime. pic.twitter.com/paYFEniI68
To make room for the new items, Epic also regularly vaults some older ones, temporarily removing them from item pool. Just last week, the developer moved four weapons into the vault: the Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle, Burst Rifle, Heavy Shotgun, and SMG (in common, uncommon, and rare variants). However, vaulted weapons may return to the game at some point in the future.
Only a few weeks remain in Season 7, which means this is your final opportunity to complete any outstanding challenges and unlock the Season 7 Battle Pass rewards. If you need help mopping up any remaining tasks, you can find tips and guides in our complete Season 7 challenges roundup.
Valve has announced that the annual Steam Lunar New Year Sale is once again live. This year, there's also a Rewards Booth, where you can redeem tokens to unlock limited-time awards.
You'll get a certain amount of tokens based on previous Steam purchases you've made, which can be unlocked by logging into your account and opening your red envelope. In order to unlock more tokens, you'll need to shop for games during the Lunar New Year Sale. Every $1 USD you spend for yourself nets you 100 tokens, while every $1 USD you spend on games that you gift to a friend gets you 111 tokens. These tokens disappear at the end of the Lunar New Year Sale, so any that you haven't spent by February 12 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM UK are gone for good.
There are three different types of rewards you can trade in tokens for, with the Premium rewards being the most pricey. The cheapest Premium reward is 2,000 tokens, and it's a limited-time badge for your Steam profile. You can also spend 4,000 tokens and cause your profile to "go gold" for the rest of the Lunar New Year Sale, which can be extended to next month for another 12,000 tokens. For 15,000 tokens, you can unlock a $5 discount on your next Steam purchase--whether it's during the sale or later.
During the Lunar New Year Sale, you can unlock several smaller rewards as well. In the Rewards Booth, you can unlock three different profile backgrounds--Courtyard, Market, and Firecrackers--each for 1,000 tokens. In honor of it being the Year of the Pig, you can also unlock 12 different chat emoticons that are all pig themed--each for 100 tokens.
During the Lunar New Year Sale, Steam is offering a $5 discount on your first purchase of $30 or more--which is different from the Rewards Booth discount mentioned earlier. As is usual for a Steam sale, you can find some pretty substantial deals on dozens of games, both indie and triple-A. Far Cry 5 has been discounted to $15 for example, with Nioh: Complete Edition going down to $25, Life is Strange 2 to $4, and Overcooked 2 to $19.
Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment's entry into the battle royale genre, Apex Legends, is taking a page from the massive success of Fortnite: make your game free. The new title launched as a free-to-play game on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One and looks to make its money by selling in-game items to players. It's a model similar to the one that has made huge amounts of cash for Fortnite developer Epic Games, but which is also fraught with the peril. Free-to-play can make all kinds of cash--but it can also alienate players and kill games altogether.
Free-to-play games often carry a stigma because many fall into the trap of providing the paying customers with legs up over those who don't choose to buy in or can't afford to pay as much. At a recent preview event in Los Angeles at which Respawn showed off Apex Legends ahead of its launch, project lead Drew McCoy said the developer has been very cautious about its monetization choices, using lessons learned from its last game, Titanfall 2. You can spend money in Apex Legends, but like in Fortnite and similar titles, you can only ever buy cosmetic items and skins that change how your characters and weapons look--McCoy said you'll be able to pay to look good, but never pay to win.
"A lot of the team was really skeptical early on that we were going to be doing dirty things or stuff that felt scummy," McCoy said. "It was important to us that we did things that felt fair, that felt like Respawn. ...We looked at other games, we did research with the first parties [developers] across other EA games, for what really drives people from a fun perspective without hurting the game from feeling like you're being nickel-and-dimed."
While Respawn experimented with some monetization efforts like cosmetic items during the post-launch period of Titanfall 2, the team also hired a product manager who previously worked on Riot Games' free-to-play powerhouse League of Legends to make sure they were getting it right.
But McCoy also noted that Apex Legends includes a particular free-to-play element that has generated a lot of ire: loot boxes. McCoy said the developers have taken steps to make loot boxes fair to the players who choose to buy them. Respawn publishes the drop rates for its loot boxes both in the in-game store and on its website, so players know what the chances are of getting the best stuff. You're guaranteed at least a mid-tier "rare" item or better in each pack, and they don't dish out duplicates of items you already have. There's also "bad luck protection," McCoy said, to keep you from buying lots of loot boxes and never getting lucky enough to acquire some of the game's best stuff. During the preview, the store said that players are guaranteed at least one legendary item, Apex Legends' rarest, for every 30 loot boxes they open.
Apex Legends also includes other ways to spend money outside of loot boxes. There's an in-game store with a rotating inventory where you can purchase some items directly, and like Fortnite, Apex Legends will offer a "battle pass," a flat fee that lets you unlock more cosmetic items as you play. Finally, you'll be able to buy Legends, the game's playable characters. Six of the game's eight characters are available off the bat, and two more can be unlocked either with premium currency you pay for, or by earning in-game currency by playing.
"We have been very diligent about making sure that the characters, the Legends, play differently--not better," McCoy said. "So the more cautious among the community would probably say, 'Oh, you're going to make the new ones more powerful for a little while if people buy them.' That's absolutely not our intention."
McCoy said one of the ways Respawn hopes to stand apart from other battle royale games is in its dedication to care and balancing when introducing new elements to the game, to preserve its integrity as a competition. It doesn't want to add a new gun or character to Apex Legends, only to have to immediately roll it back because of unforeseen consequences. A big part of that approach is gathering and analyzing data to see how people are playing the game and using its elements to make sure they're balanced. While the characters in Apex Legends offer different abilities, McCoy said it's essential that none are more or less powerful than the others, and Respawn is putting a lot of its efforts into making sure that's true.
Respawn's publisher, Electronic Arts, has run afoul of scummy-feeling monetization schemes in that department before. It was the trouble in Star Wars: Battlefront II, developed by DICE and published by EA. Before a last-minute change, the game was set to use loot boxes to hand out strong, useful weapons and items, and offered players powerful new characters they could purchase with real money. You could earn loot boxes and in-game currency to buy characters just by playing, but people willing to pay more into the game would obtain the better stuff faster and get ahead of the competition.
"We've seen from games like Battlefront II, how much paying for any kind of advantage is so bad," McCoy said. "I actually think that Battlefront is a really good game mechanically, and they did a lot of great things and it got overshadowed by some of those choices, but it's a really good spotlight to shine on why those kind of systems are so problematic."
You can't buy everything with in-game currency you'll earn for free, McCoy admitted, and he expects some people still will be turned off by the game's loot boxes. But Respawn is trying to make players feel like they get a lot for their money if they do pay, and like they're rewarded for their time even if they don't, he said.
"We just hope that you find a large-enough player base that likes what we've built and wants to show off and decides to spend some money in the game," he said. "But if not, free players who spend their time are just as important to us. We take that very seriously. Time and money are the two most precious things in any humans life. And in fact, they're choosing to spend either of them with us is incredibly important to us."
So no, it's not a new Titanfall game, although Apex Legends shares some DNA with Titanfall 2, Respawn's excellent 2017 shooter, and is set in the same universe, 30 years after that game. And yes, it's an entry into the battle royale genre, one that is both dominated by its own titans--specifically Fortnite--and getting crowded with small-scale spins on the formula and trend-chasing also-rans. Apex Legends has a lot in common with the looming figures in the battle royale landscape but with some key differences and improvements, like the addition of specific characters and roles and an emphasis on team play, that Respawn hopes will make the game stand out. Respawn gave GameSpot an early look at Apex Legends at a preview event in Los Angeles, where we played about seven hours of the game and got a feel for what Respawn's battle royale has to offer.
Apex Legends stands apart by putting all its focus on perfecting the team version of battle royale. It eschews the single-player 1-versus-100 style that Fortnite, Call of Duty, and PUBG all support, instead pitting 20 three-player squads against each other in every match. This is a battle royale game in which just about everything is built around getting you to think about and work together with your squad.
Defining Your Legend
It starts with what is Apex Legends' biggest change to the formula: the inclusion of a set of characters you choose from at the outset of each match. As in Overwatch or Rainbow Six Siege, each of the game's eight "Legends" has their own unique abilities (with several borrowed from Titanfall 2), and only one can be in a squad at a time.
Each of the characters you can choose from at the start of a match has one passive ability, a "tactical" ability you can activate with a button press and which runs on a cooldown, and an ultimate ability that charges up much more slowly. Passives include increased run speed when under fire or a shield that protects you while you're reviving a teammate, while tacticals are things like deploying a smoke grenade for cover, dropping a dome shield, or the ability to become briefly invisible and invulnerable.
The same is true with ultimates--one character, Gibraltar, can call in an air strike on a position, while Wraith opens up portals between two locations that teammates can use, and the medic Lifeline can call down a care package to a specific location. The core of battle royale--dropping into a huge space with nothing and quickly trying to find guns, ammo, and items that will help you survive and take down other squads--remains, but each of the character's capabilities, when combined with that of their teammates, lead to variable strategies.
Nonverbal Communication
Abilities are important at key points, but moment-to-moment teamwork is defined by the ping system, a robust way for you to communicate with your teammates even without talking to them. Apex Legends has a dedicated button that lets you call out points of interest to your squad, creating indicators that appear on their screens and messages from your character they can hear. Pings are contextual, so what you're aiming at when you use it dictates what's communicated. Point at a spot in the distance to suggest heading in that direction; point at a piece of loot, and you'll call out what it is and mark its location for your teammates who might need it. The ping system also has another button dedicated to marking enemy locations--which is amazingly useful, both in the heat of battle and as you move around the map. You can even bring up a wheel of messages to send, like suggesting a location to loot, or pointing out that an area shows signs of activity from another team.
The ping system makes working together easier, while an enhanced revival system means that death is not always the end for teams who play smart. Like in other battle royale games, taking a certain amount of damage knocks you down in Apex Legends, which means you're out of the fight until a teammate revives you. Enemy players can finish you off to take you out of the match before your revive timers runs out, but it's still possible for your teammates to bring you back.
The box of your loot that remains when you die contains a special item called a banner card that a teammate can retrieve within a certain amount of time. If they do, they can take the card to one of several special respawn points and call a dropship to bring you back into the match. Returning from the dead means you're stuck looking for brand-new gear, but it's better than being out of the game entirely. Respawning teammates adds a whole other strategic layer to matches by making respawn points potential centers for battles, while creating situations where it's possible for a team to recover from bad luck or a tough fight.
Accessibility Royale
All that emphasis on working together and fulfilling specific roles helps give Apex Legends a different feel from similar games, but a lot of what Respawn brings to the table is quality-of-life improvements to systems that are already pretty ubiquitous to the battle royale genre. Drawing from Titanfall 2, movement in the game is quick and fluid; running and sliding make you nimble, and climbing and mantling just about anything adds a level of verticality. There's no wall-running, unfortunately--Respawn told us it compromised team dynamics because players would end up too spread apart as they went parkouring around the environment--but Apex Legends still maintains a Titanfall-like degree of fluidity and freedom in its movement that's refreshing.
It might also be the easiest BR game to understand in terms of how loot functions. A hallmark of the genre, Apex Legends' map is littered with stuff to pick up, and that means plenty of options of guns, each requiring certain types of ammo and supporting different attachments that can improve their performance. Learning to manage all those items is a big part of battle royale, but Respawn's interface and mechanics for dealing with all your gear is highly intuitive. Weapons are color-coded to their ammo types, so you know instantly when you see a box of light ammo whether it fits that pistol you just grabbed or the rifle you're using. Gear rarity is also dictated by color, as in other BR games, but Apex Legends explicitly tells you whether the thing you're about to pick up is better or worse than what you're already carrying, and in many cases doesn't even allow you to pick up gear that would replace stronger items you already have.
The interface also takes the guesswork out of dealing with all the various weapon attachments you can find in the game. When you find a scope or stock that fits your gun, it attaches automatically. Find a better one and the old one is replaced. If you decide to swap one shotgun for another, for example, all the appropriate attachments on the gun you're discarding are automatically flipped to the new gun. Apex Legends functions so you almost never have to open its inventory screen. If you do pop open your inventory, the game marks items you are carrying but can't use, like ammo or attachments for guns you don't have, so they're easy to toss to make room. It all makes dealing with the stuff you find extremely easy and minimizes the time you have to spend organizing your junk, which can be one of the genre's weakest elements.
The lingering question, though, is whether the world needs another battle royale shooter. Coming off Titanfall 2, a great realization of a bunch of fresh ideas Respawn brought to the shooter genre, Apex Legends can often feel like it's mixing and matching the best elements of other games. Like all battle royale titles, there's an extreme familiarity in Apex Legends--if you've played Fortnite or PUBG, you've experienced a lot of what Apex Legends has to offer already, even though there's some new spin. And while the character system adds a lot of new tactical possibilities to battle royale, the mind immediately jumps to Overwatch, the king of the hero shooter. Many of these ideas are well-established in games shooter fans are probably already playing.
All that said, Respawn has proven itself in terms of shooter design with the Titanfall games, and a lot of the same tight shooting controls make their way into Apex Legends. It's not a stretch to say this feels like one of the best put-together of the battle royale games from a mechanics standpoint. A strong focus on teamwork helps Apex Legends to carve out a specific spot in the battle royale field, and with the super-low barrier of entry from its free price point (we've got more info on its monetization and a look at the game's best skins), it may well have a chance of contending with the monumental success of its competitors. Since Apex Legends is available right now, we'll have a full review coming over the next few days.
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