As reported yesterday, a new update introduces a new difficulty mode to Kingdom Hearts III. The update, a set of two patches, will also implement a host of quality-of-life additions to enhance the game's playability. They will be available later today.
Patch 1.04 will see Critical Mode--a new, higher difficulty setting--make its way to the game. In a tweet, director Tetsuya Nomura teased adjustments to the mode, saying, "We've changed things up from the previous games, so I hope you enjoy."
The second patch, 1.05, will add 100 more photo slots--upping the total to 200--and introduce item carryover (such as Keyblades) to New Game+. Both patches will implement various fixes, but there are no specific details about what these fixes are.
Additionally, certain enemies have had changes made to their behavior, but again, no specifics were mentioned. Additionally, when at the Moogle Shop, you'll be able to see which Synthesis items you've already synthesized; these will be designated by a checkmark.
According to the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account, at least one of the patches will be released today at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET (3 AM BST on April 24).
A new update is out for BioWare's Anthem, and it introduces several balancing changes and features. The major new addition in Patch 1.1.0 is a new stronghold, titled The Sunken Cell, which becomes available once you've completed Anthem's main campaign. However, the patch notes also reveal several long-requested features, such as being able to change your gear loadout on the fly, have been added too.
Patch 1.1.0 allows you to select contracts from the start of any expedition, as opposed to needing to pick contracts from their corresponding boards in Fort Tarsis. You can also now immediately launch new missions after completing an expedition instead of having to return to Fort Tarsis and climb back into your Javelin. Patch 1.1.0 allows you to access the Forge during missions, strongholds, and freeplay too, so you can experiment with new gear loadouts without needing to return to Fort Tarsis first.
Several general changes have been made to Anthem as well. A new cortex entry has been added to the game that explains exactly how combo, detonator, and primer abilities work. Three new Masterwork components have been added to the game as well--an extended sniper rifle magazine, rapid hollow point ammo for machine pistols and autocannons, and extended special arms magazines for heavy pistols and grenade launchers.
The remaining changes are bug fixes and minor changes. For example, the bug causing the Arcanist Loyalty 3 trophy to remain locked on PS4 has been resolved, as has the issue causing challenge notifications to not appear correctly. New primer and detonator icons have been added in the cortex next to gear entries as well.
The full patch notes for Anthem's latest update can be found on the game's main website. Below, we've outlined the major gameplay balance adjustments now live in Anthem. Anthem is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Anthem Patch 1.1.0 Gameplay Balancing Changes
Masterwork Weapons
Retaliation of Garretus - Trajector Machine Pistol
Increased bonus from 200% to 400%
Rolling Carnage - Vengeance Shotgun
Increased bonus from 50% stacking 3 times, to 83.33% stacking 3 times.
The Last Stand - Mauler Autocannon
Increased bonus from 200% to 225%
Fist of Stral - Cloudburst Autocannon
Increased bonus from 10% stacking 10 times, to 16% stacking 10 times.
Unending Battle - Fulcrum Machine Pistol
Increased bonus from 110% to 135%
Death From Above - Guardian Marksman Rifle
Increased bonus from 65% to 235%
Wyvern Blitz - Deadeye Sniper Rifle
Increased bonus from 40% to 185%
Masterwork Gear
Colossus
Final Judgment - HE Mortar
Increased bonus from 35% to 55%
Fist of the Crucible - Flamethrower
Increased bonus from 12% *10 to 24% *10
Interceptor
Serpent's Veil - Venom Bomb
Increased bonus from 100% to 202.5%
Ruthless Stalker - Searching Glaive
Increased bonus from 60% to 110%
Bitter Harvest - Cluster Mine
Increased bonus from 60% to 110%
Ranger
Cold Blooded - Frost Grenade
Increased bonus from 235% to 270%
Avenger's Boon - Pulse Blast
Increased bonus from 210 % to 220%
Storm
Ponder Infinity - Lightning Strike
Increased bonus from 60% to 165%
Chaotic Rime - Frost Shards
Increased bonus from 125% to 250%
Gear
Friendly player projectiles should now be able to pass through Javelins in your squad.
Colossus' Firewall Mortar should now more reliably spawn the Firewall effect when directly hitting enemies, sloped surfaces, or next to walls.
Status Effects / Combos
Delay between when players and creatures are frozen and when the visual effect is applied has been reduced to improve readability of the status effect.
If a player applies a status effect that already exists on a target, but the new status effect has a higher damage than the existing one, the damage will now scale to that higher value.
Players who prime targets for combos will now also see the "Combo" text when detonated by another player.
Increased the damage of the Electric status effect when applied to creatures.
The patch, available today, is approximately 2GB on consoles and a little under 1GB on PC. In addition to adding a new photo mode, Patch 8.5 comes with numerous bug fixes to C.A.M.P., items, quests, and more. Issues like infinite loading screens and incorrect scoreboards have also been addressed.
The headlining feature is the addition of repair kits. These single-use items, which restore an item to 100% (Basic Repair Kit) or 150% (Improved Repair Kit) condition, have been added to the Atomic Shop and can be purchased using Atoms unlocked with either microtransactions or by completing in-game challenges.
In response to criticism, Bethesda has explained why repair kits have made their way into Fallout 76. "While Repair Kits do offer a way to fix an item in the field, we feel you will find that they are a convenient option you can utilize during your adventures," the patch update reads. "If we find that Repair Kits do offer any sort of competitive advantage once they are available, we will make any changes necessary to ensure that advantage is removed."
The ProSnap Deluxe is a functional in-game camera you can use to fill your Photomode Gallery with snapshots of your adventures.
The ProSnap Deluxe can be equipped and favorited like a weapon.
Use the "Aim" button to look through the Camera's lens, and then press the "Attack" button to snap a photo.
You can use a Tinker's Workbench to build a ProSnap Deluxe and apply mods, like lenses.
The Camera uses Film to take photos, and you can use the Tinker's Workbench to craft additional Film.
When you take aim with the ProSnap Deluxe, it will also display the names of nearby locations and creatures it recognizes in the viewfinder.
Learn to craft a ProSnap Deluxe Camera by finding a broken one on the corpse of a tourist who met their end in the Wasteland.
Once you've acquired a Camera, you'll begin the new "Bucket List" quest, which allows you to finish the tourist's photography collection, if you so desire.
Many new Camera-related Challenges have been added to Fallout 76 that you can complete using your ProSnap Deluxe.
General
NEW CONSUMABLE UTILITY ITEM – REPAIR KITS
Repair Kits are new, single-use consumable items that immediately restore the Condition of an item in your inventory. They come in two forms: Basic Repair Kits and Improved Repair Kits.
BASIC REPAIR KITS
Each Basic Repair Kit you own can be used to restore one item in your inventory or Stash to 100% Condition.
Basic Repair Kits do not consume any of your crafting materials when repairing an item.
Additionally, they cannot be crafted, dropped, sold to vendors, or traded with other players.
After acquiring a Repair Kit, use it by opening your Pip-Boy, finding an item that you'd like to repair, selecting the "Inspect/Repair" option, and then choosing "Repair Kit"
The number of Repair Kits you own will be displayed to you on the "Repair Kit" button in the "Inspect/Repair" menu.
Basic Repair Kits are unlockable in the Atomic Shop using Atoms you've purchased or those you've earned by completing in-game challenges.
Please note: If you purchase Basic Repair Kits by entering the Atomic Shop from the game's Main Menu, they will be added to your most recently played Character's inventory. Prior to purchasing Repair Kits, please ensure you've logged into a world with the character that you'd like to receive them.
IMPROVED REPAIR KITS
Each Improved Repair Kit you own can be used to buff one of the items in your inventory or Stash to 150% Condition.
Like Basic Repair Kits, Improved Kits cannot be dropped, crafted, traded, or sold, and do not use any of your crafting materials when consumed.
Improved Repair Kits are not available in the Atomic Shop. They are rare items you can earn by completing in-game content.
They are currently dropped as loot by the Scorchbeast Queen and may be added as rewards for other types of in-game content in the future.
If you own both Basic and Improved Kits, you will be prompted to select which type you'd like to use when repairing an item.
Design and Balance
Junk: Aluminum Oil Cans now each grant 1 Aluminum when scrapped, rather than 1 Steel, and the can's base value has been increased from 9 to 13 Caps.
Junk: Aluminum Trays and Empty Cans now each grant 2 Aluminum when scrapped, rather than 2 Steel, and their base values have each been increased from 1 to 10 Caps.
Sound
News Screen: Sound effects have been added and will play when interacting with the News Screen.
Bug Fixes
C.A.M.P., CRAFTING, AND WORKSHOPS
Blueprints: Attempting to add an object that was built on top of another object to a Blueprint, such as a chair on a foundation, no longer sometimes prevents the Blueprint from including those objects.
Bulb Lettering: The letter "W" now correctly lights up when powered and activated.
Wall Décor: The Nuke Mobile is now correctly located in the Wall Décor build menu rather than Lights.
CHALLENGES
General: A number of Challenges and Subchallenges have received updated descriptions to improve clarity.
Rad Storm Challenges: Nuke zones now count toward Rad Storm-related Challenges, such as the "Kill a Glowing Creature in a Rad Storm" Daily Challenge.
ITEMS
Apparel: All Fasnacht masks are now immune to Condition damage.
Headwear: The Baaad News Billy mask is now correctly located in the Headwear crafting menu rather than Outfits.
Mods: Found Mods can now be correctly applied to Power Armor and weapons.
Weapons: The Salvaged Assaultron Head's crafting requirements now correctly include the Science Expert Perk rather than the Gunsmith Perk.
PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY
Loading: Fixed an issue that could cause players to encounter an infinite loading screen.
Performance: Implemented an improvement to reduce hitching while running the game client.
Stability: Fixed an issue that could cause the PC game client to crash after exiting to the desktop from the Main Menu.
Stability: Addressed an issue that could cause the game client to crash when entering the Atom purchase screen from the Atomic Shop.
QUESTS AND EVENTS
Encryptid: Individual Pylons during the Encryptid Event will only register one interaction at a time and only count as one of the three required Pylons.
USER INTERFACE
Photomode: Players who have unlocked the Looking to the Future Pose can once again select and use it in Photomode.
Pip-Boy: Item stats now correctly remain visible when inspecting an item in the Pip-Boy.
Power Armor: The Bone Raider Excavator paint preview image no longer incorrectly appears when inspecting unpainted Excavator Power Armor.
Repair: Item stats now remain visible after entering and exiting the Inspect/Repair menu.
Scoreboards: Survival Beta Scoreboard icons on the Map now correctly update to reflect new rankings after a player disconnects from a world.
Scoreboards: The first score type listed on the Survival Beta Scoreboard now correctly matches the Top 3 for the week.
Shop: Addressed an issue that could cause controls to become unresponsive upon returning to the Main Menu after exiting the Atom purchase screen.
Social: The Friends List once again sorts friends based on their current status: Online, Online Different World, Main Menu, Offline, Ignored, and Blocked.
Workshops: The Corvega Small Water Purifier variant is now correctly marked as a premium item in the Workshop build menu.
With E3 2019 less than two months away, many publishers have begun detailing their plans for this year's show. Last week, Microsoft confirmed the date and time of its annual Xbox press conference, and now Square Enix has announced it is holding another live presentation of its own at this year's expo.
The Square Enix Live broadcast is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 10, at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET--the time slot traditionally occupied by Sony's E3 press conference. Sony, of course, won't be using that time slot this year, as the company announced back in November that it won't be attending E3 2019, leaving a sizable gap for other publishers to fill.
The Square Enix Live presentation will be broadcast online on the company's website and other social media channels. As for what will be revealed during the broadcast, Square Enix has only hinted that it will focus on "another exciting line up of titles." Last year, the company showcased Kingdom Hearts 3, Just Cause 4, and even revealed a handful of unannounced games like Babylon's Fall, a new title from Bayonetta developer Platinum Games.
What was conspicuously missing from last year's presentation was the Final Fantasy VII remake. Little has been said about the title since it was first announced back at Sony's E3 2015 press conference, so there is a chance it may make an appearance in this year's broadcast. Square Enix also has an Avengers game in the works that we know very little about, and a Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Quest XI is on the way this year, which will presumably be one of the games highlighted during its live event.
E3 2019 officially kicks off on Tuesday, June 11. This is notably the last year the show has been confirmed for its current venue, the Los Angeles Convention Center, which has traditionally served as the site of E3 for most of the expo's history. Microsoft's E3 2019 conference is scheduled for Sunday, June 9, while Nintendo traditionally airs a pre-recorded presentation on the day E3 proper begins. Be sure to check out our roundup of all the E3 2019 conferences announced so far.
Avengers: Endgame is nearly upon us. A whole year after the traumatic events of Infinity War, the movie finally hit theaters on Friday. Ahead of that, another new TV spot has been released.
It's very short and doesn't offer any footage that we've not already seen in previous teasers, but we do get some new dialogue. It's really just a countdown--both to the movie's release in three days time and the Avengers' mission to save their friends and stop Thanos. But it's still very exciting--check it out above.
Avengers: Endgame releases on April 26. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Danai Gurira, Paul Rudd, and Josh Brolin.
To coincide with the big release, Marvel appears to be collaborating with Epic Games on another Fortnite-Avengers crossover event. Last year saw a limited-time mode added to the game that allowed players to equip the Infinity Gauntlet and transform into Thanos. This time around, we don't know what to expect, but teasers have suggested you might be able to wield Captain America's shield and Thor's Stormbreaker.
While checking out what is new on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu seems to be a daily part of our routine in this day in age, there are still plenty of people buying physical copies of movies, as well as shopping for them digitally. This week, there are a few new movies to check out from digital sellers like Google Play and iTunes, and a couple new DVD/Blu-ray releases of note.
It's a pretty light week for releases, but there is one worth picking up, and that's Escape Room. It wasn't a huge hit and critics felt lukewarm about it, but the movie ended up being a ton of fun. The movie follows a group of people who are trying to win a cash prize by beating an escape room that can kill you. It's like Cube meets Saw, but they took out all the gore. It's very much a "turn off your brain and enjoy the ride" type of movie, which is a nice refresher between movies where superheroes are punching people through walls. GameSpot recently spoke with Escape Room star Deborah Ann Woll about her role in the film: "Generally in my career, I get cast as the sort of strong willed person with their heart on their sleeve. And it was really nice to play a physical person [this time]." You can check out an exclusive clip from the film above.
Additionally, What Men Want hits digital markets today. In the 2019 comedy, Taraji P. Henson stars as a sports agent in a male-dominated profession who gains the ability to hear men's thoughts. Also available is Under The Silver Lake, a thriller starring Andrew Garfield. He plays Sam, who meets a mysterious woman at his apartment complex's swimming pool. The woman disappears and Sam goes on an adventure to find her, only learning there's a conspiracy behind her absence. Under The Silver Lake is also available to rent for $5.
Below, you'll find a listing of the most notable digital and physical releases for this week. If you plan on shopping digitally, make sure to check multiple retailers as prices and availability may vary.
By Anonymous on Apr 23, 2019 09:51 pm In this extended gameplay clip we go at length in delving into Steamworld Quest's gameplay and go through a boss battle. Captured on Nintendo Switch.
By Anonymous on Apr 23, 2019 09:51 pm "A Traveler" is the fourth episode of Jordan Peele's revival of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. It furthers the tone and builds on the world of the series, but feels lacking in character and plot. Greg & Ryan are here to share their thoughts and point out all of the references and easter eggs they found while watching episode 4. Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company.
It's easy to be immediately charmed by SteamWorld Quest's colorful fantasy world and the band of merry heroes you'll journey across it with. Their plight is simple and straightforward, making its adventure of confronting evil and its tightening grip on the kingdom around you palatable without feeling overbearing. Underneath this whimsical veneer, however, is a daunting strategy game, one which uses its clever take on turn-based card combat to create a wickedly complex system of decision-making opportunities. But it's also one that is designed intelligently enough to make each part easy to learn and engage with.
With regard to gameplay, SteamWorld Quest bears no resemblance to the rest of the games in the series. This is first and foremost a turn-based strategy game, with a light sprinkling of role-playing thrown into the mix in the form of character classes to differentiate each of your five potential party members. Each character features a variety of moves that deal different types of damage and inflict status effects on foes. Fire attacks will deal additional damage to enemies that deal frost, electrical attacks will have the chance to stun enemies for several turns, and poison will inflict recurring damage over time. It's easy to pick up and play, which helps SteamWorld Quest get you right into its combat without strenuous onboarding.
The act of deciding what moves to enact in combat is a bit more complex, though. It's governed by a deck of 24 cards, made up by your party of three who can bring eight cards each. In battle, new cards are drawn with each turn, while your deck resets automatically once depleted. Cards that represent the most basic moves in your repertoire cost nothing to play and in turn reward you with cogs once placed on the field. These cogs act as a currency that you spend to play more powerful cards--ones that inflict greater damage, target multiple enemies, or buff your party with helpful attributes--making you consider when to hold back and when to go all in.
The process of constructing a deck that works cohesively is as engaging as combat itself. You can combine multiple character-specific cards in powerful ways; for example, simply playing all three of one character's cards in a turn will play a bonus fourth move automatically, which itself is governed by the weapon you choose to equip on the character in question. Some cards will perform better when used as a follow-up to a specific character's card, boosting damage or adding a bonus effect. Your effectiveness in combat then is not just about the decks you construct, but all the ways in which you use the hands dealt to you efficiently. All these options can initially feel overwhelming, but the restriction to just eight cards per character condenses your options down to a level that balances its complexity without sacrificing its potential depth.
Combat is accentuated by delicately detailed character models that do a great job of retaining the signature SteamWorld look while also slickly adapting to the new high-fantasy setting. The vibrant coloring on each main character is also aptly used to inform you of what type of abilities they bring to the table. The red-hot knight's armor of Armilly alludes to her ferocious fire-based attacks, while the yellow and rose-petal adorned gown of a mysterious samurai flows with each of his fast-striking electrical attacks. Being able to tell this information at a glance is helpful, and on top of that, each design looks great.
Stylistic and impressively detailed effects also help each combat encounter feel intense, despite having a turn-based rhythm. Blistering fireballs explode in a blaze of red and orange glory on impact, and electrifying lightning attacks bounce furiously between foes while engulfing them in static. Some moves have repeated effects, layering damage numbers and sprites atop one another furiously until the attack has ended. These often resulted in the frame rate dropping to a complete crawl at times, however, and it was most prominent when the Switch was running in docked mode. It's infrequent enough to not hinder gameplay, but it is an eyesore when it does crop up.
That's a shame, because SteamWorld Quest looks delightful both inside and outside of combat, sucking you into its steampunk-inspired medieval world. The bold outline that each character bears helps them stick out from the hand-drawn backdrops you explore, but none of those backdrops go unnoticed, either. Gorgeous and brightly coloured forests contrast dark and gloomy castles whose hallways are sparsely lit with auburn lanterns. Your adventure also moves you along from one intriguing setting to the next, letting you take in the sights of an abandoned sorcery school before whisking you away to snow-capped mountains with billowing winds. Each chapter of SteamWorld Quest gives you something new to look at, and it's always a rewarding transition.
With so many combat options to play around with and captivating backdrops to accompany them, it's disappointing that SteamWorld Quest struggles to find a balance in its difficulty. Each chapter--broken up into small areas filled with either small treasure to collect or groups of enemies to fight--features increasingly varied foes to test your decks against. Despite their changing movesets and elemental defences, most regular enouncters feel too easy, rarely forcing you to consider strategic changes to your constructed decks or active party members. At a point I was simply making changes for the sake of curiosity and not necessity. This can trick you into a false sense of security, encouraging you to focus on only a subset of cards available to each character. This becomes problematic when SteamWorld Quest suddenly introduces daunting and demanding combat scenarios, while giving you few avenues to rectify poor past choices.
These encounters are predominantly made up of SteamWorld Quest's nightmarish boss battles. They are far more challenging than the foes that litter the areas around them, acting as unfair skill checks that ask you to understand your abilities in ways you're not required to elsewhere. Since you can only store a single saved game at a time, it's impossible to go back a handful of hours and better prepare your party, either, locking you into the decisions you've made and forcing you to rapidly rotate though your available options until a combination (hopefully) works. It's frustrating, too, because most of these bosses can feel like they break the rules of combat that all other enemies conform to. They can consistently pull off powerful moves one after the other without the same strict resource requirements you're confined to, bombarding you with damage you can't wrestle with effectively. Given that most of these encounters can be prolonged bouts, it's hard to work up the motivation to try again after a loss.
The process of constructing a deck that works cohesively is as engaging as combat itself.
Outside of its frequent and occasionally rigorous combat encounters, SteamWorld Quest plays it safe. Its narrative is framed as a story being told to characters you might be familiar with from other SteamWorld games, giving it a subtle attachment to the rest of the series. It is a simple, sometimes juvenile tale of a band of misfits coming together and vanquishing an uncomplex force of evil. It retains the same tongue-in-cheek wit of past SteamWorld games, with chuckle-worthy one-liners thrown in throughout. It keeps the narrative light and humorous, even as it eventually explores the purpose of heroes in an age where no one seems to care about society one way or the other. Although SteamWorld Quest falls short of ever saying something meaningful, it does leave the door open for even more tales in the future.
It's difficult to ignore Steamworld Quest's missteps, especially when it transforms itself from a delightful romp through a light-hearted medieval kingdom into a grueling test against unfair enemies. Despite most encounters not pushing you to play with new party configurations, building a powerful deck of moves is still rewarding when you see your clever experiments play out. Quest gives you a lot of complex combinations to play around with while also keeping things approachable enough to not feel daunting. Its uneven difficulty saps some enjoyment out of the otherwise whimsical journey through this new and gorgeous kingdom, but it's still one that is admirably accessible while deep enough to be engaging throughout its 20-hour adventure.
Mortal Kombat 11 is now available, and already NetherRealm has announced it plans to address one of the most common criticisms raised by reviews. An incoming hot fix will adjust the Krypt and Towers of Time to make them feel more rewarding and less difficult, respectively.
A tweet from studio head Ed Boon recapped the news from the Kombat Kast. It says that the update will address "those super hard Towers of Time as well as better rewards/economy to be used in the Krypt." He added that the studio is aiming to have it done within hours rather than days, so depending on when they crack it open, even day-one players may never see these frustrating elements.
Many reviews agreed that the Krypt and Towers were one surprising weak spot in an otherwise standout fighting game. GameSpot's review-in-progress addressed the problematic live content as well.
"I've only seen four days worth of Towers during the pre-release review period, so their behavior and difficulty may well change in the future," critic Edmond Tran wrote. "I'll continue to monitor the challenge varieties in the Towers Of Time during the week of launch to see whether the feeling of overwhelmingly unbalanced odds continues. While MK11's "Premium" microtransaction store wasn't live during the review period, the reliance on Konsumables to help even the odds in Towers Of Time, as well as the random nature of their acquisition, certainly makes me curious as to how you'll be able to spend the game's virtual currency, 'Time Krystals,' when the store goes live."
The final Kombat Kast also announced the last playable character, Frost. She's a hidden character who doesn't appear on the main roster, and is unlocked as you progress through the story mode. She joins an already lengthy roster of Mortal Kombat veterans, recent additions like the Kombat Kids, and new characters including Geras and Cetrion.
Godzilla is one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, but after the critical and commercial failure of the 1998 movie, it took another 16 years for him to return to the big screen in the US. Thankfully Gareth Edward's 2014 movie Godzilla was a big hit and the follow up--Godzilla: King of the Monsters--hits theaters next month. The final trailer has now been released.
This trailer sets up the movie's big conflict, between Godzilla and his terrifying nemesis--the three-headed King Ghidorah. Ghidorah is one of several monsters who have emerged from the depths of the Earth to wreak havoc, and only the Big G can stop him. The movie looks set to deliver action on an incredible scale--check the trailer out below.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Kyle Chandler (Game Night), and Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things), plus Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Ken Watanabe (Inception), and O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton). It hits theaters on May 31. For more check out everything we know about Godzilla: King of the Monsters, plus this recent trailer.
In a recent interview with Collider, director Michael Dougherty spoke about how his movie will differ from its predecessor. "I hesitate to say it, but I would call it the Aliens to Gareth's Alien," he said. "So it's a bit more on an ensemble film. The first movie was really about Brody's character kind of weaving his way through that adventure and Monarch kind of was the backdrop for that. Here Monarch is the focus, because I find that concept really fascinating. The idea that there is a secret agency that tracks giant monsters--that is a dream come true for me too. I think if the government said to me, 'Tomorrow you have to fake your own death and abandon everyone you know to go hunt the paranormal,' I would be gone in a heartbeat."
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the latest entry in Legendary Pictures' so-called MonsterVerse, following Godzilla and 2017's Kong: Skull Island. The fourth movie in the series will be Godzilla vs Kong, which is now in production and scheduled for a May 2020 release.
This week, Epic Games began teasing a Fortnite crossover event with the upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, which releases in theaters this week. Epic initially shared an image that showed a Battle Royale character wielding Captain America's iconic shield. Now, a second teaser image for the game's upcoming event features another piece of famed superhero equipment: Thor's enchanted axe, Stormbreaker.
Like the first teaser, this one quotes the "Whatever it takes" tagline from Endgame and gives a release date of April 25, along with the #FortniteXAvengers hashtag. We see less of the character this time around, instead just barely seeing the hand clutching the axe. It seems safe to assume we'll get another teaser--perhaps one with Iron Man's suit or Hawkeye's bow?--on Wednesday before the event begins on Thursday.
It stands to reason that the Battle Royale event will let players use equipment like Cap's shield and Stormbreaker, likely in a special limited-time mode. Last year, Epic released a crossover mode to mark the release of Avengers: Infinity War. In that mode, the Infinity Gauntlet would crash into the island, and players would scramble to recover it. Doing so would transform them into Thanos himself and were able to wield various powers. It was so strong that it got nerfed almost immediately, a move made so that players would have a better chance to take down Thanos and have a chance to assume his power for themselves. Despite seeming like a natural fit, that event did not bring with it any Avengers-themed skins, although the game does have outfits that reference various movie characters (including one that looks a lot like Guardians of the Galaxy's Star-Lord).
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor's hammer was broken during the events of Thor: Ragnarok. He needed a new weapon to channel his power against Thanos, so he made a special trip to a star forge and helped to craft Stormbreaker. But when it finally came time to use the powerful new weapon in Infinity War, he struck Thanos in the chest, leaving the villain conscious enough to fulfill his plan to decimate half the population of the universe. Whoops!
Meanwhile, Epic is also teasing the game's next big seasonal event as Season 9 approaches for the free-to-play game. Epic tends to always have a major event introduce new elements and map changes, and it appears this time around it will somehow related to several runes that have begun to slot into a vault at the bottom of Loot Lake. This is presumably unrelated to the Endgame being teased for the game, though we'll know for sure in just a few days. In the meantime, you can continue to try earning battle stars through challenges--the Battle Pass will soon wrap up with the end of Season 8, locking off any remaining rewards you might not have yet earned.
Will the Halo franchise follow the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield into the battle royale space? It doesn't seem like it.
Halo franchise boss Frank O'Connor said recently that the multiplayer modes for Halo Infinite available at launch are not 100 percent locked in yet, but what he can say for sure is that battle royale will not be among them. Writing on ResetEra, O'Connor's statement came in response to a video from noted Microsoft insider Brad Sams who said 343 was in the early development stages of a battle royale mode for Halo Infinite.
"We will not talk about the launch content of Halo Infinite until we're ready," O'Connor said. "I haven't watched the video so if I am misinterpreting the headline as 'Halo Infinite is launching with/as a Halo Battle Royale mode' that is still not the case," he said. "You can probably make your own Battle Royale mode in Forge even right now though. It's a mode not a genre. And all the variants out there now are in my opinion quite radically different from my perspective. Apex vs Fortnite is chalk and cheese--one focuses on movement and map traversal and the other on building and budgeting. Like CTF. BTB Super Fiesta (for example) contains a lot of the shenanigans and emergent fun of that kind of large experience but big sandbox modes are not Battle Royale any more than Oddball is CTF."
O'Connor joked that Halo Infinite will still have BR--the Battle Rifle, that is. And while Halo Infinite may not have a battle royale mode, O'Connor teased that 343 is looking into "big social modes with loads of organic shenanigans."
"The launch modes for MP are not 100% defined and are subject to change till quite late in the process--but Battle Rifle will still be there," he said. "So you can have BR. But are we interested in big social modes with loads of organic shenanigans? Yes. Specifically A blimp full of survivors heading to an Island after a (metaphorical) lecture from Beat Takeshi? No. We are NOT doing this as of now--and no plans to--but Battle Royale could be made for any of the Halo games in MCC or [Halo 5] with some content and scripting additions, because it is a mode. It would have limits based on each engine. I'm pointing that out to be clear that it's one of the ways we think about gameplay possibilities rather than a single direction for a title."
Brad Sams, who has accurately reported on many unannounced Xbox endeavours, may be accurate in stating Microsoft has done some work on a Halo battle royale game. Game development is highly iterative. So it might be possible that 343 experimented with battle royale and decided not to pursue it further. Given the enduring appeal of the battle royale genre, it makes sense that Microsoft would at least consider a battle royale mode for Halo Infinite.
The Call of Duty franchise added battle royale with Black Ops 4's Blackout mode, while Battlefield V's battle royale mode is called Firestorm. These are modes within the games, not standalone experiences like popular free-to-play battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends.
Also in the Sams video, he claims a new trailer for Halo Infinite is being prepared for E3 this June. That would be no surprise, as Halo is one of Microsoft's tentpole franchises, and we've already heard that Halo Infinite will be part of the show. He also responded to the recent claim that Halo Infinite has a $500 million budget. He said he's heard that the actual budget is "in that region." Given the sizeable investment, Sams added, "Careers will be made or broken on [Halo Infinite]." As Sams understands it, the reported $500 million budget would cover game development and development costs associated with the brand-new engine, Slipspace, that Microsoft created for Halo Infinite. It's unclear if marketing costs are included.
A spokesperson for Microsoft told GameSpot about the $500 million budget, "We do not comment on speculation and rumor."
Halo Infinite is in development for Xbox One and PC; a release date hasn't been announced yet.
The first reviews of Marvel's latest movie aren't here quite yet, but the hugely anticipated superhero conclusion to the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame, had its premiere in Hollywood last night. Now that people have seen the film, the first reactions have made their way online.
Here in this post we're rounding up opinions of the film from movie critics and other lucky early viewers. We've attempted to keep the reactions to the ones that were mostly spoiler-free, but as always, especially if you're searching Twitter with the Avengers hashtag, be careful out there.
Endgame opens in Australia on April 24 before coming to the US and other parts of the world on April 26. The movie is expected to have a massive start at the box office; it's potentially tracking to have the best start in movie history in the US. Pre-sales may be as high as $140 million, and it's possible that it could see a $300 million opening weekend in the US alone. With early demand proving so strong, we've already seen theaters adding additional showtimes, even at unusually early hours on Friday morning.
In the meantime, another new Endgame TV spot has been released, this one featuring new voiceover dialogue we hadn't yet heard. With the movie's debut so close, Marvel isn't slowing its marketing engines at all.
In other news, Fortnite has teased a new Avengers-themed crossover event. We don't yet have any firm details, but a pair of teasers have suggested you might be able to wield Captain America's shield and Thor's Stormbreaker in a special limited-time mode. Whatever the particulars might be, the event or mode goes live on Thursday, April 25.
Avengers: Endgame First Reactions:
Imagine the best possible version of #AvengersEndgame and somehow the film still surpasses all expectations. I cried 5-6 times. It's the most emotional, most epic, MCU film. A tribute to ten years of this universe and holy shit the great fan service in this movie. Soooo good.
#AvengersEndgame is every bit the masterpiece it deserves to be. It's extraordinary. It is a conclusion worthy of the greatest cinematic saga of all time! Congratulations to everyone who had anything to do with this film, or the 21 films before it. I am emotionally spent. pic.twitter.com/2Yiu3ZIimC
Nothing can truly prepare you for the emotional journey you are about to go on with this film. Anyone who has been watching these films in the MCU for the past 10-years is in for some of the most incredible and emotional surprises. Stay away from any spoilers. Trust me. ❤️🎥🎞
#AvengerEndgame is an immensely satisfying payoff, not just to Infinity War but to all the films that came before. This is why the MCU. (And I say this as someone who was not especially enamored of Infinity War, FWIW.) ♥️💙💜
INCREDIBLE!! #AVENGERS#ENDGAME brings the entire MCU to a rousing, exciting, deeply moving & wholly satisfying conclusion! It's a *BEAUTIFUL* film! Fun, smart, clever, BRILLIANT! Perfect blend of action, heart & humor! This is as good as it gets! Greatest superhero movie EVER! pic.twitter.com/dMeLtvO7Gy
This can't be understated: #AvengersEndgame is everything you want it to be and more. I am absolutely floored. A perfect reflection on the last 11 years that pays off everything in the best way possible. Without question my new favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Stunned. pic.twitter.com/5LvFw9UEBQ
The next episode of Game of Thrones will be the longest ever for the acclaimed HBO series. Season 8, Episode 3 has a run time of 82 minutes, which is 2 minutes longer than the Season 7 finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf," which was the previous record-holder for length.
The new episode, which doesn't have a title yet, airs Sunday, April 28. It'll be followed up by three further episodes that are all within four minutes of the record for longest-ever. Episode 4 is 78 minutes long; Episode 5 is 80 minutes in duration; and the series final Episode 6 runs for 80 minutes. The episode runtimes were announced by HBO back in March.
Given the way things ended in Episode 2 and the first teaser for Episode 3, this new episode could be the one that shows some or all of the epic battle scene that's been hinted at since the show started back in 2011. The Night King and his army are lined up to do battle against Jon Snow, Dany, and other fighters at Winterfell in what could be the show's defining moment.
Episode 3 is directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who previously directed the Battle of the Bastards episode. According to a report, the upcoming Battle of Winterfell scene "longest consecutive battle sequence ever committed to film." At 40 minutes, the Helm's Deep battle from The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers is said to be the longest battle sequence from cinema history.
Co-executive producer Bryan Cogman spoke about the epic battle scene, calling it unprecedented for TV or film.
"What we have asked the production team and crew to do this year truly has never been done in television or in a movie," he explained. "This final face-off between the Army of the Dead and the army of the living is completely unprecedented and relentless and a mixture of genres even within the battle. There are sequences built within sequences built within sequences. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss wrote] an amazing puzzle and Miguel came in and took it apart and put it together again. It's been exhausting but I think it will blow everybody away."
Filming the episode took 11 weeks of night shoots. According to the report, up to 750 people worked all night for almost three months in sub-freezing temperatures and enduring cold rain, mud, and heavy wind.
The actor who plays Ser Jorah Mormont, Iain Glen, said filming the battle was the "most unpleasant experience I've had on Thrones."
"A real test, really miserable. You get to sleep at seven in the morning and when you wake in the midday you're still so spent you can't really do anything, and then you're back," he added. "You have no life outside it. You have an absolute f**ked bunch of actors. But without getting too method [acting] about it, on screen it bleeds through to the reality of the Thrones world."
For lots more on this week's episode of Game of Thrones, check out the stories below:
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