In a weird bit of news, it turns out that Avengers: Endgame won't be the last movie in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, it will be Spider-Man: Far From Home, which we all thought was the start of Phase 4.
During an Endgame event in Shanghai last week, BiliBili asked about the upcoming Spider-Man movie, and although the excessive crowd noise in the background blocks out much of the question being asked, signs point to Far From Home closing out Phase 3. "It's the end of the third phase," explained Feige. "You're the first person I told that to."
This is a bit of a head-scratcher, as most of us assumed that the Infinity Saga would close up with Endgame, bringing a natural conclusion to the arc. However, it's not entirely out of the ordinary, when you think about it. Sure, Phase 1 wrapped up in 2012 with the first Avengers film. However, Phase 2 closed not with 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron but with Ant-Man. So for fans, like myself, thinking these Phases always end with an Avengers movie, we're wrong. It just feels so weird to end this chapter at Marvel with the Spider-Man sequel.
Avengers: Endgame comes to theaters on April 26, and you can check out GameSpot's review of the movie--we liked it. As for the end of Phase 3, that won't happen until the recently moved up Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2.
Star Trek Discovery might be the only new show in the long-running sci-fi franchise to have hit screens in the past decade, but there's plenty more Trek in the works. We already know that series based on Jean-Luc Picard and Discovery's Captain Georgiou are on the way, and it's now been reported that a new animated series has been greenlit by Nickelodeon.
According to Deadline, the show has been developed by Kevin and Dan Hageman, who are known for their work on animated hits such as Lego Ninjago and the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Trollhunters. They have also written the screenplay for the upcoming anthology horror movie Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, also produced by Del Toro.
The currently untitled series will be an "original CG-animated series is targeted at younger audiences," that follows the adventures of a group of teens who take over a derelict Starfleet ship. The show will be produced by CBS TV and Alex Kurtzman, who is overseeing all of the new Star Trek TV output.
In a statement, Kurtzman said: "Star Trek's mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future. Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that's never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing Trek to a younger generation around the world."
This isn't the only animated Star Trek show currently in development. Last October it was announced that a series aimed at a more mature audience titled Lower Decks was on the way from Mike McMahan, the head writer of Adult Swim's hugely popular Rick and Morty.
In terms of live-action shows, Next Generation star Patrick Stewart is set to reprise his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new show that focuses on the character after the dissolution of the Romulan Empire. That show is expected to premiere on CBS All-Access later this year.
Beyond that, a Discovery spin-off starring Michelle Yeoh as Terran Emperor and Section 31 agent Philippa Georgiou is in the works, while Discovery itself has also been renewed for a third season. For more Star Trek, check out GameSpot's guide to all the Easter Eggs in Discovery Season 2.
Disclosure: CBS Interactive is the parent company of GameSpot.
The entire second season of YouTube Premium's Cobra Kai has arrived, continuing the story that began in The Karate Kid 35 years ago. And with it came a major cliffhanger that's bound to leave audiences on the edge of their seats with no idea whether the series will actually be renewed or not. After speaking to the show's producers, though, it seems like they know exactly where the story should go next. Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Cobra Kai.
In the final episode--"No Mercy"--what can only be described as a karate riot breaks out at the high school, pitting the Cobra Kai students against those from Miyagi-Do. This comes after tensions swelled between the two sides all season before this final blowout, which left Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) hospitalized after a kick from Robby (Tanner Buchanan) sent him over a guardrail and plummeting onto a flight of stairs below. As the season came to an end, Miguel's mom warned his sensei Johnny (William Zabka) to stay away from him, while it was left a mystery if he'd actually survive.
In many ways, it was the exact opposite of the Season 1 finale. Instead of a structured tournament with rules to work within, this massive battle was simply chaos where anything goes. And while Miguel bested an injured Robby in Season 1 to win the All Valley Karate Championship, he's now at his absolute lowest point as he simply clings onto life.
"We liked this idea of a cruel summer theme where it's the summer after dealing with the aftermath of what happened in Season 1 and the whole season was these dual rival dojos and he likes the rivalry from the 1980s between Johnny and Daniel to sort of trickle down to their students," executive producer John Hurwitz told GameSpot. "And in the tradition of an Outsiders or West Side Story, it becomes these kind of gangs in a school that leads to a big rumble and we always loved that idea [that] this give you what you want in terms of a climax, lots of karate, lots of kids going all at it, except there's no rules, there's no refs, and all they have is what their senseis taught them."
For both sides, though, the message was clearly muddled. Though he's been taught to fight honorable by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Robby's uneven temper and need to feel accepted by his dojo--and, since these are high schooler, because he's fighting over a girl--leads him to make some questionable choices, including the final kick to Miguel. And it simply leaves everything up in the air.
"There's power in everything being extremely unresolved and we don't love pain and violence, but we love where our characters are at the end of the season in terms of they're all at their most raw," Hurwitz continued. "Everyone has a nerve ending exposed and it's another powder keg waiting to explode but at the same time, it leads to a lot of 'Where do you go from here? What happens now?' And we like that it doesn't give you that immediate through-line."
What's more, though, is this situation will likely force both Johnny and Daniel to face the mistakes they've made in their teachings, despite their best efforts to bring good into the lives of these kids. "I think one thing we really loved about ending the season this way and it's a heavy ending, obviously, what we liked in a sense in season two both Johnny and Daniel are trying their best to do right," executive producer Josh Heald explained. "And sometimes in life, you can try your best, and you can be trying to do the right thing, and things don't always work out for you. We wanted to show that over the course of the season, and it leads us into a place when you're going forward that sometimes if you lived by a noble code and you're trying to do right in life and things don't work out for you, how do you respond to that? And I think that puts us in an interesting place going forward."
As for what that place is, Maridueña still isn't quite sure. However, after talking to the producers, he's confident in whatever their vision is. "I get to the very end, and I'm like, 'What the...? We never spoke about this.' Like, it blindsided me a little bit." he admitted. "And then talking to the three amigos, [producers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, after they explained to me like, 'This is what we're trying to do. We think it'll really work.'"
Personally, though, he knows where he'd like to see Miguel wind up, should he recover from his injury. "I would love to always stick by Johnny's side. I think he really has his head in the right place and I love it," the actor said. "So, personally, I would love for him to stay on that side, but I don't even know what they're gonna do for next season."
Now YouTube Premium just needs to renew the series for a third season. Cobra Kai is available on YouTube Premium now.
BioWare is planning to launch a PC test server for Anthem in hopes of better understanding what aspects of the game people enjoy and what still needs work. The announcement for the new test server is included in an Anthem development update posted to Reddit.
There's a possibility the test server might extend to Xbox One or PS4 as well. "[We] want to provide more ways to get your feedback and for you to tell us what you think is fun (or not fun)," BioWare wrote. "To facilitate this we plan to introduce a Player Feedback Environment (PFE), an opportunity to get your feedback before we go live with major features (in the short term for PC only)."
Anthem's latest update introduced a new stronghold called The Sunken Cell, which can be accessed once you've completed the game's main campaign. The update also patched in several features that fans have been asking for for a long time, such as the ability to customize your javelin loadout on the fly and launch new expeditions after completing a mission without needing to return to Fort Tarsis. Several balancing changes and bug fixes were implemented as well.
This update was supposed to be one of the major steps in BioWare's 90-day content plan for Anthem. However, most of the content scheduled for the update has now been delayed. As such, Anthem's community now has to wait on guilds, weekly stronghold challenges, leaderboards, the Cataclysm, and several other major updates planned for the game. Despite its rocky launch and the delay of content that would provide players with more to do, Anthem is still one of the top selling games of 2019.
"The Cataclysm is an important addition to the game and it's currently a big focus for the team," BioWare wrote. "The Cataclysm will bring new challenges and rewards and pushes the story of Anthem forward. As our work continues, we will share more with you in May."
Anthem is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. In our Anthem review, Kallie Plagge wrote, "Anthem has good ideas, but it struggles significantly with the execution. It's a co-op game that works best with no one talking; it buries genuinely interesting character moments and puts its most incomprehensible story bits at the forefront; its combat is exciting until you get to the boss fights and find your wings have been clipped. Even the simple, exhilarating act of flying is frequently interrupted by the limitations of your javelin, and you never quite shake that feeling of disappointment--of knowing, throughout the good parts of Anthem, that you'll inevitably come crashing back down."
Paradox Interactive has shared some more information about Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The publisher revealed new tidbits about Thinbloods, one of the game's various clans, and detailed the different kinds of character classes Thinbloods will be able to choose between.
According to Paradox, Thinbloods are "a recent, weaker strain of vampire who face a constant struggle to survive in the World of Darkness." Thanks to this status, Thinbloods are often discriminated against by full-blooded Kindred; Paradox says they're "treated as second-class citizens" and aren't granted the same social and legal standing as other Kindred, although the vampire leadership in Seattle has been surprisingly tolerant of them.
At the start of the game, players will be able to choose between three different "disciplines" for their Thinblood, which will determine their combat abilities and other attributes. Paradox says these classes were adapted from the Vampire: The Masquerade pen-and-paper RPG. The Chiropteran discipline "calls on the vampire's strong affinity to bats" and allows players to summon swarms of them and move through the air; Mentalism bestows players with telekinetic abilities; and Nebulation gives Thinbloods command over mist.
Each discipline comes with a variety of abilities that players will be able to gradually learn as they progress through the game. Those who choose the Mentalism discipline, for instance, will start off being able to telekinetically pull objects, but they'll also be able to learn how to make NPCs levitate in the air. You can read more details about each discipline and their abilities on the Bloodlines 2 website.
Paradox says it will reveal details about the game's other clans "in the coming weeks." Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. No release date has been announced yet, but the title is slated to release in 2020.
If you're always on the hunt for gaming deals--hey, it's an expensive hobby--then the latest sale from Best Buy will be right up your alley. The retailer just launched a four-day sale across all categories, from TVs and computers to cell phones, smartwatches, appliances, and more. And while it's definitely worth browsing the full sale, we're here to give you the lowdown on all the best gaming deals.
There are quite a few worthwhile game deals included, most surprisingly some first-party Nintendo Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which are selling for just $50 rather than $60. Both Pokemon: Let's Go games are down to $45, their lowest price yet. Some other great Switch games are also marked down, like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ($50) and Octopath Traveler (also $50). These games rarely drop much lower, so it's a good chance to snag them if they've been on your wish list.
Trade-in deal for Xbox One wireless controllers -- get a $10 coupon toward the new Xbox One phantom white wireless controller plus an additional $10 gift card when you trade in any Xbox One wireless controller (in-store only)
Xbox One consoles and accessories -- save $50-$100 on a console bundle, save $20 on an extra controller, and save $10 on three or six months of Xbox Live Gold
Finally, we've gotten a real look at what the upcoming live-action Swamp Thing series on the DC Universe streaming service looks like. After a quick teaser revealed a look at the titular creature itself, the show's first trailer serves as a proper introduction to this very creepy world.
The clip kicks off with a boat full of men getting attacked by... something. What follows is a series of quick cuts and small glimpses of scenes from the series that give an idea of the show's tone. We can also see vines taking over a dead body behind Abby Arcane's (Crystal Reed) back and, in another instance, grabbing the foot of a truly terrified woman.
As with the other live-action shows on DCU--Titans and Doom Patrol--it really looks like Swamp Thing is trying to carve its own path. It just so happens that path veers directly into the horror genre.
GameSpot was able to screen additional footage from the series at a recent DCU fan event and, while the content of the clip shown can't be spoiled, it definitely played heavily into the horror elements of the show--and in ways different from the trailer. What struck me about the footage from the event is how quiet it was. While, from the looks of this clip, there will be plenty of screaming and action in Swamp Thing, it also looks to be a series that's not afraid to let the tension build in silence.
How it will pull that balance off, especially after its episode count was reduced from 13 installments to 10, remains to be seen. Thankfully, you won't have to wait too long. Swamp Thing premieres on DC Universe on May 31.
It's almost May, and that means Netflix is about to drop new content to its streaming service. The upcoming month has plenty of offerings from movies, to TV shows, to a ton of Netflix original programming you may want to check out.
Beginning on May 1, there are a few movies you may have seen before that you'll want to watch again. The classic '80s movie Gremlins comes to Netflix that day, and the horror/comedy still holds up as a fantastic flick. Speaking of classic '80s movies, the unintentionally horrifying Frank Oz and Jim Henson movie The Dark Crystal arrives. The film follows Jen, who was taken in by the Mystics, and his duty is to heal a cracked magical crystal and keep it from the evil Skeksis. Back in 2017, Netflix announced a prequel series titled The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, so hopefully, the new Netflix original will arrive soon.
As far as original series go, there is plenty to keep your eye on, and this includes returning series. Originally a Fox series--based on a DC comic book--Lucifer heads to Netflix for its fourth season on May 8. The show follows the devil, living on Earth, and helping a local detective solve crimes. It's actually a lot better than it sounds. Also returning is The Rain for a second season on May 3. The Danish science-fiction show follows a group of survivors after rain carrying a deadly virus kills almost everyone in Scandinavia.
Coming on May 6 is the Netflix original Abyss. The Korean fantasy drama follows two people brought back from the dead through a marble called "Abyss." However, the revived people find themselves in completely different bodies. For those who are fans of the true crime genre, which Netflix does a lot of, on May 31, Killer Ratings arrives. The documentary follows a Brazilian TV host who literally killed people for better ratings, and used his crime TV series to cover it up.
Below, you'll find everything coming to and leaving Netflix in May. If you're interested in more arrivals at streaming services, check out what is arriving at Hulu and Amazon Prime Video for the upcoming month.
Coming To Netflix In May
May 1
Knock Down The House -- NETFLIX FILM
Munafik 2 -- NETFLIX FILM
Angels & Demons
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Casper
Chasing Liberty
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion Part 1 & 2
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
Dumb and Dumber
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Godsford Park
Gremlins
Hairspray (1988)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Her Only Choice
Hoosiers
Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer: Season 2
John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
Just Friends
Revolutionary Road
Roswell, New Mexico: Season 1
Scarface
Scream
Snowpiercer
Taking Lives
The Da Vinci Code
The Dark Crystal (1982)
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
To Rome With Love
Wedding Crashers
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Zombieland
May 2
Colony: Season 3
Olympus Has Fallen
May 3
A Pesar De Todo -- NETFLIX FILM
All In My Family -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Alles ist gut -- NETFLIX FILM
Cupcake & Dino - General Services: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dead to Me -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile -- NETFLIX FILM
Flinch -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage -- NETFLIX FILM
The Last Summer -- NETFLIX FILM
Mr. Mom
Supernatural: Season 14
True and the Rainbow Kingdom: Mushroom Town -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Tuca & Bertie -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Undercover -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 4
Like Arrows
May 6
Abyss -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 7
The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution
Queen of the South: Season 3
May 8
Lucifer: Season 4 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 9
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Insidious
May 10
Dry Martina -- NETFLIX FILM
Easy: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Gente que viene y bah -- NETFLIX FILM
Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Jailbirds -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Pose: Season 1
ReMastered: The Lion's Share -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Shéhérazade -- NETFLIX FILM
The Society -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Wine Country -- NETFLIX FILM
May 12
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 13
Malibu Rescue -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 14
revisions -- NETFLIX ANIME
Still LAUGH-IN: The Stars Celebrate -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Weed the People
May 15
Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!
May 16
Good Sam -- NETFLIX FILM
Take Me Home Tonight
May 17
1994: Limited Series -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Chip & Potato -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
It's Bruno -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Maria -- NETFLIX FILM
Morir para contar -- NETFLIX FILM
Nailed It!: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
See You Yesterday -- NETFLIX FILM
The Rain: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Well Intended Love -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
White Gold: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 18
The Blackcoat's Daughter
May 20
Prince of Peoria: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Rosario Tijeras (Mexico Version): Season 2
May 21
Arrow: Season 7
Moonlight
Wanda Sykes: Not Normal -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 22
A Tale of Two Kitchens -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
One Night in Spring -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Flash: Season 5
May 23
Riverdale: Season 3
Slasher: Solstice -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 24
After Maria -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Alta Mar -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Joy -- NETFLIX FILM
Rim of the World -- NETFLIX FILM
She's Gotta Have It: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Perfection -- NETFLIX FILM
WHAT / IF -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
May 27
Historical Roasts -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Outlander: Seasons 1-2
May 28
Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
May 30
Chopsticks -- NETFLIX FILM
My Week with Marilyn
Svaha: The Sixth Finger -- NETFLIX FILM
The One I Love
May 31
Always Be My Maybe -- NETFLIX FILM
Bad Blood: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Black Spot: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Fortnite has been slowly doling out teasers for an apparent Avengers: Endgame crossover event coming to its battle royale mode on April 25. The first two images showcased equipment from Captain America and Thor, so obviously, the third teaser to drop today had to feature the last remaining in the trio of lead Avengers, Iron Man.
The tweet is just like the others, in that it quotes the Endgame tagline "Whatever it takes" and uses a #FortniteXAvengers hashtag. This one shows a Fortnite character with Iron Man's repulsor gloves, which he uses in the films and comics for both propulsion and offense. The previous teases showed Cap's shield and Thor's axe, Stormbreaker.
All of these teasers suggest that the battle royale event will let players equip iconic Avengers weapons, most likely in a limited-time mode. Alongside Avengers: Infinity War, Epic introduced a special crossover that let players equip Thanos' devastating Infinity Gauntlet. It was nerfed almost immediately so that more players would be able to defeat the "Thanos" player and don the gauntlet themselves. So far Epic hasn't detailed this crossover event, or if the Infinity Gauntlet mode will be returning in some form. These limited-time modes are all separate from the usual battle pass goodies.
Fortnite regularly rotates in special events and limited-time modes, along with rotating seasons on a fixed schedule. In fact it has begun teasing its next season already, with roaming runes that appear to be slotting into a vault in Loot Lake. But these frequent updates have apparently come at a cost, as developers have complained of crunch culture on a continuous loop.
Avengers: Endgame concludes the story arc of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to this point, and reviews have started to release online in advance of its debut. We also now know that for the first time in the MCU, this movie doesn't have a mid- or post-credits scene--a way of bookending this as the end of a story arc. It is still three hours long, though, so if you need to take a bathroom break, we have you covered with when it's safe to pee.
"But most of all Endgame is a love letter to the entire MCU--the whole thing," Michael Rougeau wrote in GameSpot's review. "It's messy and confusing, and there's going to be a lot of discussion about whether the ending even makes sense--it basically breaks the rules set up throughout the entire movie leading up to it. But holy hell is it an emotional, fulfilling ride. I have no doubt we're going to spend the coming weeks picking and pulling it apart until we've over-analyzed every single aspect imaginable. But right now, in the aftermath, Avengers Endgame feels like a win."
The next James Bond film, known at present only as Bond 25, is to be revealed very soon. The official 007 Twitter account confirmed the movie will be revealed in a livestream starting on April 25 at 5:10 AM PDT / 10:10 AM EDT / 1:10 PM BST / 10:10 PM AET.
Little else is known about Bond 25 at present, and the aforementioned tweet didn't give much else away. The reveal is taking place "from an iconic 007 location," it said, and fans will have the opportunity to ask the cast questions.
The Bond actor himself, Daniel Craig, appeared reluctant to return for Bond 25. After wrapping Spectre, the previous film in the series, he said he'd rather slash his wrists than play the character again. He also said if he were to play Bond again, it would "only be for the money." A year later, a report claimed that Craig was offered $150 million to star in the next two 007 movies, before the actor confirmed his return in August 2017.
More recently, it has been reported that Bond 25's producers want Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek to play the villain. While he's yet to be confirmed, if he were to appear he would join a star-studded cast that currently contains Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Lea Seydoux, who are all confirmed to reprise their roles.
Hindsight 20/20 is an upcoming action adventure game developed by Triple I, an independent studio composed of former BioWare, ArenaNet, and Sucker Punch veterans. We played through a Hindsight 20/20 demo with Triple I creative director Hemanshu Chhabra, who previously worked on BioWare's MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. Prior to playing the demo, Chhabra pointed to both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask as inspirations for Hindsight 20/20's gameplay loop and combat, before adding The Wind Waker as an influence for the game's art style.
In Hindsight 20/20, you play as Jehan, an orphan who lives in a city that prides itself on being nonviolent. Despite this, Jehan's father is killed--for reasons unknown--by Aurthur, a headstrong man whose influence in the city grows by the day. Jehan seeks vengeance for his father's death, as well as answers in regards to a mysterious virus that is infecting the populace and transforming them into seemingly monstrous creatures called Raakshasas. We faced off against Aurthur in Hindsight 20/20's demo, which can be seen in the video below.
Combat is relatively simple; you utilize dodges, melee attacks, and special abilities to manage groups of enemies. While fighting, both you and enemies have two meters: one for health and the other for morale. Non-lethal attacks wound someone's morale, while lethal ones chip away at a person's health. Your enemies, or you, are defeated when either of those meters is reduced to zero.
Jehan is armed with a stun baton that damages morale and a sword that damages health. The former gives him a more defensive playstyle that pushes enemies away and allows him to send out bolts of lightning to zap foes into submission. Wielding the latter gives Jehan a far more aggressive fighting style, one that allows him to utilize the sword as a deadly boomerang or summon a field of blades that impale everyone around him. You can switch between either one at any point in the game, and boss enemies will respond differently depending on whether you've shown yourself to be a peaceful fellow or a murderer.
However, combat choices didn't create major changes in how enemies fought--Aurthur being the one exception. There weren't enough enemy types to warrant the use of one of Jehan's weapons over the other, so the choice of weapon felt arbitrary, at least during the demo. Simply picking whichever matches the type of run you're going for dialogue-wise seems like the only real decision you need to make. Chhabra said there are several other enemy types, introduced later in the game, but whether these enemies push you to weigh the moral ramifications against any benefit either weapon might provide remains to be seen.
As is, combat isn't all that engaging. Every encounter is reduced to waiting for an enemy to attack so they expose themselves for a counter. That style of gameplay has worked in games before, such as older entries in The Legend of Zelda, but Hindsight 20/20 seemingly lacks a wide enough variety of unique enemy types to make its combat stand out.
The best parts of the demo were the tense conversations with the main NPCs, knowing that one wrong word could change the outcome of Jehan's story in several different ways--ranging from whether friendships were maintained to who would survive by a mission's end. I can see those moments having a butterfly effect on the story that a player would want to correct.
As an example, we played through the Hindsight 20/20 demo a second and third time, making different choices in each one--deciding to be selfish in the second run and a merciless killer in the third. As seen in the video below, these choices lead to very different outcomes in comparison to the merciful run shown above. Some of the changes are minor (NPCs and enemies condemn Jehan for his behavior) while others have much larger, more story-driven effects (saving Jehan's friend, Andrew, from committing suicide).
The concept of choice is at the center of every part of Hindsight 20/20, a game aptly named for the expression, "Hindsight is 20/20." Chhabra said that the game has seven different endings, and the campaign is about six hours long. The game tracks every major choice you make, ranging from who you killed and spared, to how you responded in certain conversations. At the end of the campaign, Jehan is born again at the beginning of the story with this record in hand, and you can use what you've learned from every previous life to fix your mistakes in the next one.
"There's no ideal ending," Chhabra clarified. He continued by saying three of the endings have some overlap but the other four are all "very different, very distinct." It's impossible to save everyone and get a completely good ending--you'll just have to replay the game until you get the conclusion that you think is best for Jehan.
It's an intriguing concept--utilizing the replayability of an RPG as an in-game feature--but it's certainly one that feels more prominent when it comes to dialogue. I'm not wholly convinced the combat side of the game matches that level of intricacy. At the very least, there definitely needs to be some more variety when it comes to the kinds of enemies you fight in order to challenge how you think about approaching combat.
Hindsight 20/20 is scheduled to release on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC in Q2 2020.
At the end of the first night for the live concert special Persona Super Live 2019, a full trailer for the updated version of Persona 5, called Persona 5 Royal, was shown. There was a ton of new stuff revealed including the new party member for the Phantom Thieves, additional areas for social activities, new attack animations, and a whole bunch more. As for release date, Persona 5 Royal is set to launch in Japan on October 31, 2019 and worldwide sometime in 2020 exclusively for PlayStation 4.
In the trailer, you can hear a new theme song and watch gameplay from areas that were not included in the original version. Particularly, you can roam around Kichijoji, engage in new social scenes with new characters, visit an aquarium, and play pool and darts with the whole team. You can also see additional attack animations as well, specifically one featuring Haru and Morgana in a sort of partner attack similar to those added in Persona 4 Golden. Makoto can be seen throwing lightning-fast fists Kenshiro-style after Ryuji sets up the attack. It also appears that there is a new palace (or at least a new area to fight in) going off of where Haru and Morgana's new attack was performed.
The new party member goes by the name of Yoshizawa Kasumi, and she's also a transfer student at Shujin Academy who's a gymnast. You can see her critical hit animation in the trailer for a brief moment as well. She's going to play a major role and change up the original storyline; brief snippets of new cutscenes can be seen as well. It seems there's another major character by the name of Takuto Maruki, who is a school counselor at Shujin and a new Confidant.
The new character Yoshizawa Kasumi in her Phantom Thief outfit (via Famitsu)
And if the original game wasn't long enough for you, there will be a third semester in the storyline along with extra events towards the end of the game to help flesh out the conclusion. You can catch a glimpse of it, where the whole crew is celebrating New Year's Day and Yusuke appears to be setting up the perfect group picture.
There is a lot more to breakdown, which you can expect from us soon. In the meantime, watch the new trailer for the Japanese version of Persona 5 Royal above.
This year's Call of Duty is still yet to be announced, but some people have seemingly already played it. A select few American athletes have shared images across social media of them playing this year's game.
Riley Ridley, Tajae Sharpe, and N'Keal Harry have each posted pictures of themselves playing the new shooter at what looks to be an official event, while All Games Delta has more images. We've reached out to Activision to verify this isn't some elaborate ruse from the American footballers.
The publisher is yet to announce this year's Call of Duty. Traditionally, each game in the series gets announced in the May before it eventually launches, so we might be just around the corner from Activision lifting the lid on this year's game.
We do know it's Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare developer Infinity Ward working on the upcoming shooter. Infinity Ward also created the Modern Warfare sub-series, as well as Call of Duty: Ghosts. There are rumors this year's title is Modern Warfare 4, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Activision has confirmed, however, that 2019's Call of Duty game will include a single-player campaign, despite last year's Black Ops 4 doing away with the traditional story mode. Activision also confirmed the new game will have a "huge expansive multiplayer world," as well as "fun co-op gameplay."
PS4, Xbox One, and PC shooter World War Z has made a strong start in the UK games chart, finishing top in its debut week. Sales monitor Chart-Track says the co-op game, which is set in the same universe as the 2013 film of the same name, sold more physical copies than any other title in the UK for the week ending April 20. That's despite the PC version not even receiving a boxed edition in the UK.
Below Saber Interactive's zombie game, FIFA 19 holds its place at No.2--a position it has now held for three consecutive weeks. The Division 2, however, falls two places to No.3 this week.
Two other new games enter the chart this week: Snooker 19 debuts at No.9, while My Time at Portia finishes at No.27. You can read more about the latter in our My Time at Portia review, in which Ginny Woo awarded the management sim a 6/10.
World War Z, meanwhile, has sold well since launching on April 16, with more than 1 million copies shifted worldwide already. Our review for the game is currently in the works; for now, check out the launch trailer above or 90 minutes of World War Z gameplay.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart for this week below, courtesy of UKIE and GfK Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
How did the US video game industry fare in March 2019? The NPD Group has released its report for the month, shining a light on the best-performing consoles and games in March.
Starting with games, The Division 2 was the top-selling game of the month, and it becomes the second best-selling title of 2019, only behind Kingdom Hearts III. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice came in at No. 2, and it is the second-highest launch-month sales for FromSoftware; it's only behind Dark Souls III.
Another highlight in March was MLB 19: The Show, which came in at No. 3. The PS4-exclusive set a new franchise record for first-month sales; it also set a new all-time record for first-month sales across the entire baseball category. Devil May Cry 5 also came out in March, and it enjoyed the second highest launch-month sales in series history; only Devil May Cry 4 outperformed it. One final highlight was that Kingdom Hearts III, which released back in January, is now the best-selling Kingdom Hearts game ever.
Overall, total game spending in March 2019 amounted to $547 million; that's down 11 percent year-over-year.
Moving to hardware, the Nintendo Switch was March 2019's best-selling console, and the first quarter of the year overall, across units sold and dollars spent. The Switch's strong performance wasn't enough to stabilise the entire hardware sector, as total hardware spending for March 2019 dropped 15 percent to $282 million.
With games, hardware, and accessories sales combined, total US industry video game spending reached $1.2 billion in March; that's down 11 percent year-over-year.
March 2019 US Sales
Top 20 Games All Platforms
The Division 2^
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice^
MLB 19: The Show
Devil May Cry 5
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
Red Dead Redemption II
NBA 2K19
GTA V
Yoshi's Crafted World*
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4^
Anthem^
Mario Kart 8*
Jump Force
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
Far Cry New Dawn
Minecraft#
Battlefield V^
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Borderlands
Assassin's Creed : Odyssey
2019 Year-To-Date Top 10 Games
Kingdom Hearts III
The Division 2^
Anthem^
Resident evil 2
Red Dead Redemption II
Jump Force
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate8
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice^
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4^
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
All Platforms 12 Months Ending March 2019
Red Dead Redemption II
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4^
NBA 2K19
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
Madden NFL 19^
Spider-Man
God of War
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
FIFA 19^
Mario Kart 8*
March 2019 Xbox One
The Division 2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Devil May Cry 5
Anthem
Red Dead Redemption II
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
NBA 2K19
Battlefield V
Far Cry New Dawn
March 2019 PS4
The Division 2
MLB 19: The Show
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Devil May Cry 5
Red Dead Redemption II
NBA 2K19
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Jump Force
Spider-Man
GTA V
March 2019 Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
Yoshi's Crafted World*
Mario Kart 8*
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Super Mario Party*
Super Mario Odyssey*
Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu*
Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee*
Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
March 2019 3DS
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn*
Pokemon: Ultra Sun*
Pokemon: Ultra Moon*
The Legend of Zelda: Marjora's Mask 3D*
Super Mario Maker*
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey*
Super Smash Bros.*
Mario Kart 7*
Super Mario 3D Land*
Luigi's Mansion*
* Digital sales not included
^ PC digital sales not included
# Minecraft digital sales on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One included
Anthem developer BioWare has announced some changes to the game's extra-content release schedule. Writing on Reddit, the developer announced seven planned releases have been delayed, including the major Cataclysm event.
"It's been 10 weeks since the early access release of Anthem. While we have been quiet publicly, we have been hard at work in the background and we wanted to provide an update on the state of the game," BioWare said. "We have learned a lot since the game went live. We have heard a lot of feedback from all of you, and we have been working diligently to improve as many things as we can in the short term."
BioWare has supported Anthem with bug fixes and additional changes (including the new 1.1.0 update that's out now) that help "point us in the right direction for the future." However, BioWare acknowledged that it still has "a long way to go before Anthem becomes the game we all want it to be."
Looking ahead, BioWare said it plans to prioritise fixing bugs and improving the overall stability of Anthem. "The reality is there are more things to fix and improve than we planned for. While this is the best thing to do for the game, it means some items from the calendar will be delayed," BioWare said.
The following Anthem features have been delayed:
Mastery System
Guilds
Legendary Missions – Phase II
Weekly Stronghold Challenge
Leaderboards
Some Freeplay Events
Cataclysm
For now, BioWare is keeping quiet on these delayed features, but new information should come in due time. "We want to make sure everything we add to the game has a purpose and fits with our long term goals. When we have information to share on the items above, we will do so," BioWare said.
The studio did, however, address some part of it. For example, the Cataclysm event is a "big focus," and BioWare said it sees it as an "important addition to the game."
"The Cataclysm will bring new challenges and rewards and pushes the story of Anthem forward. As our work continues, we will share more with you in May," it said.
BioWare also said it's aware of the concerns some have about end-game loot. "We agree that our loot and progression systems need to be improved and we are working towards this. When we have more information to share, we will," BioWare said.
Also in the post, BioWare admitted that it hasn't done the best job at communicating with fans. Going forward, BioWare said it plans to stay quiet for longer.
"A lesson we have learned is we have been talking about things too early. There are so many factors that can cause us to pivot on our plans--whether it's bugs & stability issues, player feedback, or complications with a feature that require us to take more time to deliver it," it said. "Our goal is to tell you about new content and features once the work is closer to being done."
While that is true, BioWare is also hoping to communicate better with players earlier, too, through a test server on PC. BioWare will launch a Player Feedback Environment (PFE) where players can check out new content before it's released publicly to share feedback with BioWare.
In closing, BioWare said Anthem faces an long, uphill battle to get where it needs to be.
"We believe in Anthem. We believe the game will be great, but we recognize getting there will take a lot of hard work," the developer said. "We want to do that work and we want you all to join us on the journey to get there."
Anthem launched in February behind mixed reviews. Despite that, it had a strong first month of sales, in the United States at least.
A new, cheaper version of the Nintendo Switch will launch "by the end of June," according to a source speaking to Bloomberg. This is at least the second time this year that we've heard reports about a less expensive Switch model, as The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Nintendo would release a pared-down, less expensive Switch system in 2019.
That report also mentioned a second new Switch model, one that has "enhanced" features that is targeted at "avid" gamers. However, the specs won't match PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, the report said. Bloomberg's sources, meanwhile, suggest that the current Switch model will get a "modest upgrade" in 2019. However, it's unclear what the upgrade will entail. Whatever the case, Bloomberg reported that the more powerful Switch system "is not in the works."
The Wall Street Journal's report suggested that the new, less expensive Switch would cut features like controller vibration to save on costs. Bloomberg's story had no details on that.
It could be a big week for Nintendo news, as the company is holding its next earnings report on April 25. It could be here that Nintendo confirms it's working on new consoles. That also might not happen. We'll have to wait a few days to find out for sure.
Another big news story surrounding Nintendo currently are the rumors and reports about the company launching the Switch in China with the help of Tencent. Nintendo might share more details about this during its earnings report this week.
The new Switch consoles are rumoured to be announced at E3 and then released relatively soon thereafter. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
It would be no surprise at all to see the Switch get a hardware revision. Historically, Nintendo--along with Microsoft and Sony--have released hardware revisions over time.
The Tolkien Estate, which manages the Lord of the Rings author's works, has come out with a statement that seeks to distance itself from Fox's new movie starring Nicholas Hoult. The estate released a statement this week where it said it does not "endorse it or its content in any way," according to The Guardian.
The estate further noted that it "wish[es] to make clear that they did not approve of, authorise, or participate in the making of this film," adding that "they do not endorse it or its content in any way."
A representative for the estate told The Guardian that issuing this statement is not the first step in pursuing legal action, but instead to let viewers know what the estate's position is.
The new movie, which is called Tolkien, tells the story of the author's upbringing, including his time at school, his bond with Edith Bratt, and his time serving in World War I as a backdrop to how these experiences shaped his acclaimed fantasy novels.
"The family of JRR Tolkien and the Tolkien Estate are aware of the Fox Searchlight motion picture entitled Tolkien that is due for release in May 2019. The family and the Estate wish to make clear that they did not approve of, authorise, or participate in the making of this film. They do not endorse it or its content in any way."
Tolkien's son, Christopher Tolkien, told French newspaper Le Monde in 2012 that "the commercialisation [of Tolkien's work] has reduced the aesthetic and philosophical impact of the creation to nothing."
In response, Fox Searchlight said in a statement, "We are so proud of Dome Karukoski's film Tolkien which focuses on the early years of J.R.R. Tolkien's extraordinary life and does not depict subject matter from his novels. While we did not work with the Tolkien Estate on this project, the filmmaking team has the utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Tolkien and his phenomenal contribution to literature."
The estate has been involved in various lawsuits over the years related to Lord of the Rings properties, leading some to believe no more officially endorsed films or shows based on Tolkien or his creations would happen. But in 2018, Amazon and the Tolkien estate announced an agreement to make a Lord of the Rings TV show. Amazon reportedly paid $250 million for the rights alone to do so.
Tolkien hits theatres on May 10. It's directed by Dome Karukoski (Heart of Finland), based on script from David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.
Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men series) plays the adult Tolkien, while Lily Collins (To The Bone, Stuck In Love) plays Tolkien's wife, Edith Bratt.
Marvel's hugely anticipated superhero film Avengers: Endgame is finally in theaters--at least in some parts of the world; it'll be released worldwide by Friday, April 26. Following the Hollywood premiere earlier this week and subsequent showings for critics, reviews have started to show up online.
You can see a rundown of Avengers: Endgame review excerpts below, while more information on the film's critical reception can be found on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. In addition to GameSpot, the excerpts include those from our sister sites CNET and ComicBook.
Endgame is a direct sequel to last year's Infinity War, which ended in dramatic fashion with the evil Thanos wiping out half of the galaxy's population with the snap of his fingers. Among the dead are a number of Avengers, so fans have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next.
Being such a long movie--it clocks in at just over three hours--you might need to take a trip to the bathroom. There isn't a lot of breathing room for that sort of thing, but we have some recommendations on when you can pee during Endgame. We also have the scoop on Endgame's after-credits--which is to say, the fact that there are none, though there is something you potentially might want to stick around for anyway.
The movie is expected to make a lot of money during its opening weekend. In fact, some projections are saying the film will enjoy the best start in the history of cinema.
Avengers: Endgame
Directed By: Joe and Anthony Russo
Written By: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Karen Gillan, Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Olsen,, Dave Bautista, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle.
Runtime: 181 minutes
Release Date: April 26 (United States)
GameSpot
"Holy hell is it an emotional, fulfilling ride. I have no doubt we're going to spend the coming weeks picking and pulling it apart until we've over-analyzed every single aspect imaginable. But right now, in the aftermath, Avengers Endgame feels like a win. -- Michael Rougeau [Full review]
CNET
"Every single action sequence here deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible. In Infinity War, the Russos demonstrated their ability to take action from Earth to space and back, and each of Endgame's locations provides plenty of epic clashes and gorgeous vistas to relish. Even the more basic settings, like the Avengers' headquarters somewhere in upstate New York, get made over into expansive settings." -- Mike Sorrentino [Full review]
ComicBook
"The final movie in Marvel's Infinity Saga is a masterpiece. It's an absolute spectacle which needs to be watched on the biggest screen possible. It's a love letter to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, I'd argue that Avengers: Endgame is the film event of our lifetime and lives up to every bit of global hype it has garnered. It is setting a new standard and raising the bar for event films and likely will not be matched in this generation of filmmaking." -- Brandon Davis [Full review]
Slant Magazine
"Every serious narrative beat is ultimately undercut by pro-forma storytelling (the emotional beats never linger, as the characters are always race-race-racing to the next big plot point), or by faux-improvised humor, with ringmaster Tony 'Iron Man' Stark (Robert Downey Jr., so clearly ready to be done with this universe) leading the sardonic-tongued charge." -- Keith Uhlich [Full review]
The Globe And Mail
"Even if I could muster the strength to defy studio marching orders on plot details, there is no point. There is little in Endgame that is worth spoiling, given how its core is spoiled rotten to begin with." -- Barry Hertz [Full review]
Empire
"A victory lap that moonwalks through the best part of the MCU back catalogue and emphasises emotion as much as action, this is an intensely satisfying piece of blockbuster filmmaking." -- Helen O'Hara [Full review]
The Associated Press
"Generous in humor, spirit, and sentimentality, Anthony and Joe Russo's Endgame is a surprisingly full feast of blockbuster-making that, through some time-traveling magic, looks back nostalgically at Marvel's decade of world domination. This is the Marvel machine working at high gear, in full control of its myth-making powers and uncovering more emotion in its fictional cosmos than ever before." -- Jake Coyle [Full review]
The Wrap
"Yes, there are some moments when the lengthy running time makes itself known, and yes, this is a corporate product even more so than most of the stand-alone MCU movies. But if you like what that product is about, the laughs and tears here feel genuine. The Marvel movies are by no means over, but Avengers: Endgame does offer rare moments of catharsis in an ongoing serialized saga." -- Alonso Duralde [Full review]
Avengers: Endgame brings together story threads that have been building and developing over the last 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. That's a whole lot of stuff for the movie to wrap up--some 11 years' worth--and it's going to take a while (you can read our spoiler-free review to get a sense of the movie's success). Endgame clocks in at three hours long, and while it's a pretty brisk movie in terms of pacing, plenty of us will still need a bathroom break in the middle.
The trouble is finding the right time to abscond to the restroom. A lot happens in Endgame, with a great deal of setup taking place as the remaining Avengers prepare for a rematch with Thanos. Luckily, we've seen the movie and have identified a few moments where you'll suffer the least story damage if you have to get up.
Now, be warned: We don't actually recommend you head to the bathroom if you can avoid it. Endgame is super dense and there's a lot of important stuff all over the place, and you're going to miss some of it. But if you have to make a sacrifice, these are the times to do it. No spoilers!
Pee Break No. 1
Your first potential wee comes during about act 2, after the team returns to the Avengers compound. Again, we're trying to stay as vague as possible here, but when you hear the phrase "Test no. 1" with the characters preparing to do a bunch of science stuff, you're pretty safe. You'll miss a couple of fun jokes, but nothing in this moment is essential to what happens afterward.
Pee Break No. 2
Sometime later in the second act, you'll get another shot if you act quickly. This one comes when the Avengers start leaving for their "missions" that have been teased in the trailers. Watch for Nebula and co. reaching their destination in space; you'll be able to slip away during some jokey discussions that don't advance the plot beyond what you already know is happening. The same is true of Thor's arrival at his destination in the same stretch.
Pee Break No. 3
If you're really desperate, you can run for the bathroom during the final act, but this is when all the big action is starting to really pop off, as one might expect. Amidst the superhero antics, you'll get a chance when things calm down for a moment. When you see a portal open followed by a...let's say recognizable line from Captain America, you'll be able to slip away during the ensuing action scene--but only if you really, really have to go. It's a desperate time for a desperate measure.
The new video game World War Z is inspired in part by the 2013 Brad Pitt movie of the same name. Despite the film being about six years ago, the new game is selling very well. Developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Home Interactive announced today that the co-op shooter has reached more than 1 million copies sold in its first week since launching on April 16 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Saber CEO Matthew Karch said the studio is "humbled and thrilled" by the game's "immense success." He specifically called out the PC edition as doing especially well. Released as an Epic Store exclusive, the game sold 250,000 copies on PC alone and that success was due in part to the "tremendous support" Epic gave Saber, Karch said.
"Moving forward, we'll continue to expand the game and its community with new improvements, stability updates, and bonus gameplay content, beginning very soon with a special new mission for the Tokyo episode," Karch said.
World War Z runs on Saber's own "Swarm Engine," which is capable of rendering "hundreds" of zombies on screen at once. In the game you play as one of six difference classes in four-player co-op missions set in places like New York, Jerusalem, Moscow, and Tokyo. In addition to fighting against zombies, World War Z features multiplayer support for team-based PvP.
World War Z is a budget-priced game, coming in at $40 USD on PS4 and Xbox One, and $35 USD on PC. It's only available digitally.
Mortal Kombat 11 released yesterday for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and while standard editions for a big title like this usually sit at $60 for weeks before dropping, NetherRealm's new fighting game is already discounted at Amazon (even Anthem lasted five days before dropping in price). We initially reported yesterday that the PS4 price had dropped $5, but Amazon has since increased the discount to $10 off--and that now applies to all three console versions.
Amazon's algorithm works in mysterious ways, and it's possible the site is price-matching a random deal somewhere else on the internet, but regardless of the reason, you might as well save yourself $10 if you were planning to pick up Mortal Kombat 11 this week. If you're a Prime member, you'll get free two-day shipping on this title as usual.
As a heads-up, Walmart is now offering the exact same deal; you just have to add the game to your cart first, and Walmart will ask you to enter your name and email. Once you do, the price will drop to $49.94 for standard editions of the game and $89.94 for premium editions.
If you regularly shop at Target, an alternative deal may be of interest to you. Right now at Target, you'll get a free $10 gift card if you buy the standard or premium edition of Mortal Kombat 11 for Xbox One, Switch, or PS4. Whether you pick up the game in-store or have it shipped to you, the gift card will ship separately. So while you can't use the gift card on this order, you'll save $10 on another purchase at Target--and the site regularly has deals on games, consoles, and accessories that are worth checking out. Plus, you'll also get free two-day shipping on orders over $35.
The game received an 8/10 in GameSpot's Mortal Kombat 11 review. "MK11 isn't just a sequel for series fans and Netherrealm devotees, it's a gateway into the realm of fighting games for anyone who has a passing interest in watching ruthless warriors beat each other silly," wrote Edmond Tran. "Streamlined mechanics keep the act of fighting furiously exciting no matter what your skill level, and comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig into the nitty-gritty. There's a diverse roster of interesting characters and playstyles, and the story mode is an entertaining romp."
The release of Avengers: Endgame is now just a day away in the United States and United Kingdom. Following its premiere in Hollywood earlier this week, the movie has arrived in Australia, with the first showings elsewhere scheduled for Thursday, April 25. Marvel's new film is potentially on track for an all-time record-breaking opening in the US, despite its long runtime. But is it any good? Read on for our review, and check out our roundup of all the Endgame trailers, posters, and details. And if you're worried about making it through the whole movie without a trip to the bathroom, we have some advice on when to pee during Endgame.
How do you wrap up a movie as big as Infinity War--hell, a franchise as expansive as the Marvel Cinematic Universe? How do you tie up the loose ends, close the time loops, and fulfill the character arcs of almost two dozen movies and over a decade of storytelling? According to co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo, they knew what they were getting themselves into with this whole thing--they wanted this ultimate conflict to be so complex and desperate that they'd be challenged to envision a way forward. And they definitely created that challenge.
The question now is whether that challenge paid off. And the answer, like the challenge itself, is complicated.
Avengers: Endgame absolutely works as a blockbuster movie experience. If you're at all invested in the plight the remaining Avengers face after the events leading up to and including Infinity War, you will feel satisfied with this movie. The much-discussed three-hour runtime is no joke, but almost every minute of it is used well, barring some extended gag scenes that probably could have been left for the Blu-ray. Endgame manages to tie the entire MCU up with a beautiful, emotional, gut-wrenching, hopeful conclusion, which is an undeniable achievement.
But it also frequently loses the thread, especially as the remaining Avengers break into distinct teams and embark on their own separate missions in an extremely complex series of plots and sub-plots to defeat Thanos once and for all. Part of the problem is that simply defeating him isn't enough--understandably, they want to undo what he did, as well. And their methods for doing so create infinite potential for plot holes, hand-waving, and rules that seem to get established in one scene and broken in the next. In other words, the Russos and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote themselves into a corner, and writing themselves out of it became maybe more complex than any movie--even one that's three hours long--could have possibly supported.
The clips that have been released leading up to Endgame's release take place almost entirely within the first few scenes of the movie. Eventually, the Avengers split and head off in very different directions, and the teams that form aren't the most obvious pairings. A huge chunk of the movie--most of the middle, in fact--feels itself like a bizarro take on the original Avengers formula, one where cosmic Marvel intercepted with Earth Marvel much earlier, where Don Cheadle and a daughter of Thanos team up and blast off into space together.
It's so fun. There are a ton of twists and turns, and at every stage Endgame will turn your expectations upside-down. Characters you thought would live will die, and characters you never expected to see again will reappear where and when you least anticipate it. This really is the movie where everything from the MCU comes together all at once--Infinity War felt stuffed to the brim at times, but it has absolutely nothing on the bursting mess that is Endgame. Even diehard MCU fans will struggle to recognize every random side character who makes a cameo, every one-liner that's actually a callback to a callback from a movie from years ago, and every other reference that seems familiar but you just can't quite place it because, come on, there are more than 20 of these movies and it's been a decade.
Infinity War was the cliffhanger of the MCU, and Endgame is its cathartic climax. There's a battle that rivals Infinity War's final clash, but with even more characters. It feels less personal as a result--there are fewer epic hero moments like Thor's grand, crackling entrance into the Wakanda battle in Infinity War, and there are characters who have led their own movies who get one or two lines in this entire thing--or none at all. It was impressive how Infinity War felt like every character got some time in the spotlight, but Endgame doesn't try to replicate that. This movie is about the core Avengers, and the background characters and supporting cast around them are just that.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark kicked the MCU off with the original Iron Man, and in many ways he's the main character of this movie as well. The actor has come to completely embody Iron Man, and Endgame totally does him justice. Chris Evans' Captain America is arguably just as important, and he has quite an arc in this film. I won't spoil anything about Bruce Banner except to say his situation has changed a lot since the last time we saw him, and Mark Ruffalo's performance in this movie isn't marred by any distracting floating head CG like in Infinity War's final fight. Scarlett Johansson has always brought a lot of warmth to the role of Natasha, a character who should by rights be a stone cold killer, and Black Widow is arguably the team's beating heart. And as anyone who saw the trailers anticipated, Clint undergoes a significant transformation, although honestly the movie could have spent even more time on that.
Even with all the ground Endgame has to cover, it also has time for plenty of smaller, emotional moments--arguably too many, as it's easy to view the movie with a clinical eye and imagine all the scenes here and there that could have been surgically cut to make it leaner. The events of Infinity War truly screwed the world up, and scenes like seeing Captain America leading a survivors' support group emphasize the trauma. Some of these characters have changed a lot by the time we catch up with them--you'll be surprised by Thor's arc here.
But most of all Endgame is a love letter to the entire MCU--the whole thing. It's messy and confusing, and there's going to be a lot of discussion about whether the ending even makes sense--it basically breaks the rules set up throughout the entire movie leading up to it. But holy hell is it an emotional, fulfilling ride. I have no doubt we're going to spend the coming weeks picking and pulling it apart until we've over-analyzed every single aspect imaginable. But right now, in the aftermath, Avengers Endgame feels like a win.
The Good
The Bad
The chemistry among all these characters
Breaks its own rules several times
Creative team-ups feel fresh
Plot winds up feeling messy
Multiple genuinely surprising twists
Dubious logic at multiple points, including the ending
Clever gags and great overall sense of humor
Doesn't shy away from story's darker aspects
Feels like both a love letter to and an ending for the MCU
The latest patch for Cuphead, Update 1.2, is live--adding several quality-of-life improvements to the game, such as the choice to play as either Cuphead or Mugman in the solo campaign. However, the update added something far more interesting: secret boss battles.
An exact number of secret bosses hasn't been confirmed, but YouTuber ProsafiaGaming has already found three. The first can be found in Isle One's The Root Pack, the second in Isle Two's Djimmi the Great, and the third in Isle Three's Sally Stageplay. To access each secret boss, you'll need to perform certain actions during specific moments in the aforementioned boss battles.
In The Root Pack, play as normal until the giant onion appears. Don't attack him at all and eventually he'll disappear. During the final phase of the fight with the giant carrot, an angry radish will pop up instead.
For Djimmi the Great, just battle your way through the boss any way you please until you reach the third phase (where he scans you). Transform into the smallest airplane form at the end of the third phase and instead of a normal-sized Cuppet joining the fray in the next round, a mini version will show up to do battle instead.
Sally Stageplay hides a rather morbid secret boss. During her boss battle, ignore Sally and parry the floating hearts she kisses at you. Then jump on the angel platform on your left and remain there until you hear a cracking sound. Now do the same thing but on the angel platform to the right. You'll know you've got it when the ceiling comes crashing down and kills Sally's husband to be. Continue as normal and Sally's dead husband will rise from the grave to join his beloved in battle during the second-to-last phase.
Peter Brown updated our Cuphead review to reflect the new Switch version of the game, writing, "[Cuphead is] beautiful to look at, and with a pitch-perfect soundtrack, it flawlessly captures the era its developers so clearly revere. It's also an intense action game that pulls no punches. It could benefit from a few tweaks, and two-player co-op doesn't feel like the valuable addition you might imagine, but Cuphead remains a rare, unique game that truly stands out."
If you still haven't picked up Kingdom Hearts III, today's a good day to make the purchase, as the game is currently on sale for $37 on PS4 and just under $40 on Xbox One at Amazon. New copies of the game are still selling for $60 elsewhere, so this is a good chance to pick it up for more than $20 off. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll also get free two-day shipping on this one.
It's been nearly three months since Kingdom Hearts III released back in January, and the game is finally getting a huge update--a series of two patches that include a higher difficulty setting known as Critical Mode. Based on previous games, we can assume the new mode will increase damage dealt and taken by enemies, among other things, but not many details have been shared. The update was announced Monday via Twitter, and the first patch containing Critical Mode was released Tuesday night.
In addition to the higher difficulty mode, the update brings quality-of-life improvements to the game, such as bumping up the number of photo slots from 100 to 200 and introducing item carryover to New Game+, among other fixes. Another improvement: When at the Moogle Shop, you'll now be able to identify which Synthesis items you've already synthesized, as they'll have a checkmark beside them. Some enemy behaviors have also been changed, but details are slim in that regard.
With the game cheaper than ever, there's no better time to hop in and see all the changes to Kingdom Hearts III. On Amazon, there's no knowing how long the game will be marked down, so act fast if you're interested in this deal.
If there is one thing all Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have in common, it's that you can enjoy a little something extra after the main story is done. Every movie has a mid-credit or post-credit sequence, and many times, the films feature both of them. That all changes with Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame marks the 22nd movie in the MCU and the first time in the shared film universe that will not have a visual sequence tacked on to the end, teasing what's next for Marvel. However, there may be a reason to stick around as there is an audio stinger at the end, when the Marvel logo appears. The metal hitting metal sound is open to interpretation, but it's been suggested it sounds like Tony Stark forging his first Iron Man armor. So as soon as the credits begin to roll, the choice is yours. You can leave the theater or stay through the credits to hear a noise.
Endgame is the end of Phase 3 of the MCU, and as we learned last month, those 22 films will be known as The Infinity Saga. As far as recent mid-credits and post-credit sequences go, Infinity War ended with Nick Fury contacting Captain Marvel on a pager, Ant-Man and the Wasp left Scott Lang trapped in the Quantum Realm with his friends snapped to dust, and Captain Marvel showed us Carol Danvers answering the pager's call in the present, meeting the Avengers. Additionally, there were a couple of comedic post-credit moments as well.
These sequences always give the audience a hint as to what's coming next. But with Endgame being the end of the 22-film journey, there's nothing left to tease before Phase 4 begins. Check out our review of Endgame, which GameSpot's Mike Rougeau said, "Endgame is truly a love letter to the entire MCU--the whole thing." Additionally, enjoy our predictions of who will die in the video above, the latest teaser for the film, and the best ways to avoid spoilers for Endgame, which hits theaters on April 26.
If you can't wait for the end-credits to use the facilities, check out our guide on when to go pee. It's spoiler-safe, giving just vague allusions to what events to watch for when you step out to relieve yourself.
The PlayStation Store adds new PS4 game deals on a weekly basis, but this week, the best discounts are limited to PlayStation Plus members, who can get some game titles for up to 80% off until Tuesday, April 30 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.
Ubisoft has announced a new Hero for For Honor, who is scheduled to release at the start of the game's Year 3, Season 2. The new season begins on May 2 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Throughout Year 3, each new season will introduce a new Warrior. So far we've seen the addition of a Knight hero, Vortiger, and the studio has already outlined the rest of the season's inclusions.
Season 2 will introduce a new Samurai named Hitokiri, is coming in Season 2. The female version of Hitokiri, named Sakura, has a new trailer, which can be watched below. She's very creepy and sounds like she'd fit a lot more as a boss in From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The rest of the season will add a Viking and a Wu Lin warrior for seasons three and four, respectively.
"The Hitokiri are ghostly warriors who have lost all faith in humanity," Ubisoft wrote in a press release. "They wander the land clutching their Masakari, the mighty axes they used to sentence criminals, their presence on the battlefield spreading a black cloud that can terrify all enemies." Both versions of Hitokiri will be automatically unlocked for Year 3 pass owners on May 2. On May 9, Hitokiri will become available for everyone else, but you'll need to purchase them for 15,000 Steel--For Honor's in-game currency.
Like Year 3's first season, Season 2 also adds a special limited-time event to For Honor. A first look at what that event might be, as well as a few more details for Year 3, Season 2, will be announced during a For Honor Twitch livestream on April 25. The new season also contains balancing changes for Lawbringer and Raider, and adds a new map, Canopy.
In our For Honor review, Matt Espineli wrote, "After slaying countless foes, it's clear the impact For Honor's combat has had; its fundamental tenets of discipline and restraint are bestowed upon you permanently, forever changing the way you perceive a melee-combat encounter in a game. In its highest moments, For Honor is difficult to put down. Its slow combat pace and narrative shortcomings might turn off those unwilling to take the time to dive deep into what it has to offer. However, make no mistake--those who do will be rewarded with some of the most satisfying multiplayer melee fighting conceived in recent years."
When Dragon's Dogma first came out, many people treated it as an amalgamation of all kinds of games, ranging from Shadow of the Colossus to Dark Souls, with hints of Monster Hunter and hues of The Elder Scrolls. Despite seeming to be a mish-mash of gameplay ideas and fantasy tropes, Dragon's Dogma asserted an unwaveringly confident sense of self that people became enamored with. At the same time, some of its most ambitious efforts only proved successful at the expense of more standard details; characters were considered flat and it was plagued with technical issues.
Despite this, back in 2012, Dragon's Dogma was a game that received a great deal of praise. GameSpot gave it an 8/10 score almost seven years ago. You can read our original review here.
The Switch port for Dragon's Dogma is derived from the Dark Arisen version of the game, which has since become the standard form, and it performs spectacularly. It's a magnificent world filled with goblins and griffins, prairies and palaces. Sometimes the road dissipates into forests and over precipices, out of foliage and under edifices. At all times, it's alive, its beating heart pulsating in every creek and creeper dotted across its boundless landscape.
The controls are clean and intuitive, with combat wheels mapped to the bumpers. The left set of buttons commands ally pawns, whereas the right set triggers abilities. The game wonderfully juxtaposes real-time combat with tactical squad play, and runs smoothly throughout the entire experience. Perhaps the only issues that date the game are how stiff the characters are in certain cutscenes, and how lifeless some of the secondary voice acting is. It's a world where everything seems awry, largely thanks to its diverse well of influences, so the voice acting does have a curious way of making things seem even more obscure. However, on occasion it uproots your sense of immersion. One second you'll be traversing the wilds of the Witchwood, utterly encapsulated by the game's charm; the next, you'll remember that you're not really in Gransys, but sitting on your sofa, listening to deadpan voice acting.
Dragon's Dogma's iconic and idiosyncratic opening sequence looks better than ever on Switch. The gargantuan dragon that plucks your heart from your chest does so in vivid color, and the sharp visuals make this extraordinary episode even more enchanting. In a way, this asserts the Switch port's relevance to the contemporary circuit, as if it's immediately attempting to make a case for why it deserves another look in 2019.
Another common critique of Dragon's Dogma in the past was to do with its grey, earthy palette. Cassardis--the first town you come across on your adventures across the land of Gransys--was always considered the worst offender, its stone buildings standing amid a wish-wash of brown and green. However, as I walked the winding paths around the town's outskirts in handheld mode, I became lost in a world of wonder.
On one occasion, I was playing before bed with the lights off. As the moon rose in the game and visibility was swallowed by the encroaching night, I drew my lantern, illuminating both my room in real life and the path ahead in Dragon's Dogma. This begot a peculiar phenomenon that couldn't ever be experienced on anything other than a handheld console. There's a strange solemnity endowed in playing handheld, huddled up with the Switch close to your face, the sound turned down to conjure a quietness seamlessly locking with the surrounding atmosphere. In a way, it almost summons a sense of borrowed nostalgia for the handheld consoles of the 90s, playing with the lights out and sound off, lest you wake up your parents three hours after you feigned sleep to continue playing.
Dragon's Dogma performs brilliantly in docked mode too. Technically, it's a vast improvement from the original versions of the game, being closer to the performance of the newer, Dark Arisen re-releases. The aesthetic disparity between this version and older ones was immediately striking when it launched six years ago, and the Switch port follows suit spectacularly.
However, there's something experiential about making the most of the Switch's portable capabilities. Maybe it's because Dragon's Dogma is a slow-burner that prioritizes exploration over gratification, or maybe it's due to the intimacy created by its vivid soundscapes and arresting visuals, but it's easier to get lost in the small screen than a bigger one. When I played handheld, Dragon's Dogma received my undivided attention--in fact, it demanded it. This is the first time Capcom's iconic RPG has ever been condensed to a small screen, but it seems as if even the 2012 game was made for this exact purpose.
However, there's more to it than that. When you consider Dragon's Dogma's vast array of influences, it becomes abundantly clear that several of them haven't had the Switch treatment either. I named my main pawn Geralt, gave him white hair and yellow eyes, one of which was scarred, and had him specialize in sword fighting. However, it wasn't until I saw him tangoing around the thrusts of a cyclops that I truly noticed how well-suited this kind of immersive RPG is to a handheld console. Switch porting is a phenomenon that's still working out its own kinks, but large-scale open worlds previously considered incompatible with handheld consoles have found a welcome home on Switch, unfurling beautifully on the small screen. Games like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim already tested the Switch's mettle, and now the ability to undertake odysseys across the worlds of Gransys and The Continent whilst sat on a train is another compelling option for those looking to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds. The Switch's capacity to persuade you into utter immersion goes hand-in-hand with what fantasy is all about.
As for its mechanics, Dragon's Dogma's control mapping is refined and intuitive on the Switch. The Joy-Con layout allows for clean combinations and instinctive reactions, to the extent that action can be spontaneously taken instead of being the result of a measured calculation. You're never pulled out to consider your next move--you just know what to do. Whether you're a majestic mage or a belligerent brawler, even the most boisterous battles are uncluttered in makeup and meticulous in execution.
Dragon's Dogma's iconic pawn system functions in much the same way as it always did, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. Despite their intuitive AI in combat and world traversal, their occasionally endearing chatter is often overbearing. It's intriguing hearing your main pawn describe a nearby encampment as a "bulwark against the forces of evil" early on, but when they mention it for the tenth time in 10 minutes, Dragon's Dogma's age betrays its appearance.
Unfortunately, the weakest aspects of Dragon's Dogma are the same as they were seven years ago: its dialogue and voice acting. At times the cutscenes are at odds with how fresh the rest of the game looks, as characters make unnatural gestures that rarely match the tone of their words, and the secondary voice cast sounds dull and lifeless. It's as if someone mapped voice lines to a control pad and simply pressed the relevant buttons in sequence, without respect for intonation, emotion, or expression. Luckily, this is only the case for the minor cutscenes--the major ones look phenomenal, and the writing is at its best in these short, sporadic bursts of tension.
In 2012, Dragon's Dogma was considered an excellent game that made some questionable decisions. The Dark Arisen re-release rectified the majority of the issues the original game faced, mostly in terms of technical performance, but the Switch port continues to build on the game's legacy because of how well-suited it is to handheld experience. However, even with its revamped graphics, updated mechanics, and improved functionality, it's somehow managed to retain that same sense of weirdness that both complements it and stunts it, depending on the occasion. In the Witchwood, for instance, the sparse, disconcerting conversations affect the atmosphere in a wonderful way, playing upon the mysterious enchantments at work in this curious forest. However, in scenes with more urgency, it's difficult to take characters seriously because of the deadpan delivery of the voice acting, and even with subtitles enabled it's easy to miss what's going on. The gameplay is fantastic, but the narrative is lackluster at crucial points in the story. Despite this, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen on Switch is a drastically improved version of a game already recognized as great, mostly thanks to the fact that you can hold the game's wonderful world right in the palms of your hands.
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