The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
A massive, devastating Vikings this week with "The Profit and the Loss," as a drug-addled, red-mouthed Ragnar led his forces right into Rollo's capable clutches, with disastrous results.
Adding to the suspense of the thrilling opening 20-minute sequence of mass death and capsized boats was the fact that we, the audience, knew about the river chain. Not that we couldn't assume Ragnar's plan was doomed from the start, but the chain between the forts was always there to be the final, crushing ruiner of Ragnar's second Paris raid. So while Lagertha faced serious opposition in the form of tall grass and crossbows, causing her to fail at her attack on the fort, the chain was going to still upend everything in the end. It all played out rather brutally, and in a very exciting way.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Hey, did you know that Kendra used to be a barista? I’m so thankful this show finds a way to remind us of that crucial fact each and every week. The good news is that the brief, obligatory barista reference was about the worst thing this episode had going for it. “Left Behind” was perhaps the most well-rounded installment so far, and a great showcase for what this series can accomplish when it explores the psychological pitfalls of time travel as well as the physical challenges.
Building on the previous episode’s cliffhanger, Ray, Kendra and Sara found themselves stranded in 1958 after Chronos attacked the Waverider. Given the three-week hiatus, I was glad this episode opened by replaying the final moments of “Night of the Hawk” as a little refresher. The immediate aftermath of that latest disaster did a very good job of establishing the stakes for this episode. Logically, you’d think that there would be no issue for the three stranded heroes. If the Waverider can travel to any point in time at will, why wouldn’t Rip just show up a few seconds later and retrieve his friends? It’s always an uphill battle for this show when it comes to establishing clear rules and ensuring that time travel doesn’t become the magical cure-all to any given problem. And this episode accomplished that by leaving Ray, Kendra and Sara trapped in the past for a total of two years. That, as much as anything else in these first nine episodes, shows the consequences of meddling with time.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
The losses just kept piling up on this week’s The 100, as one of the show’s regular characters was killed off, along with two notable Season 3 recurring players.
As with Lexa and Alycia Debnam-Carey’s commitments to Fear the Walking Dead, Lincoln’s death is probably not a big shock to anyone who saw that Ricky Whittle had been cast as the lead character in the upcoming series American Gods – pretty much letting you know yeah, Lincoln wasn’t long for this world.
That being the case, my question was mostly would he get a good death? And fortunately, the answer was yes. Lincoln went out a hero, sacrificing himself to save his people (in fact, he got the kind of death I felt Lexa should have gotten). He had a poignant final moment with Octavia (with a nice “Ah hah!” beat, as he knocked her out with the same injection she’d used on Bellamy, in order to save her) and was proud and defiant in front of Pike as he was executed.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
MLB The Show 16 carries the torch for the long-running Sony series, and continues to raise the bar in nearly every aspect. Building on the already-strong foundation of MLB 15: The Show, the overall aesthetics, franchise mode, road to the show mode, and especially Diamond Dynasty mode all received meaningful additions that make this year’s game better than it’s ever been.
When dealing with simulation games, the way real-life people and places look in the virtual world can make or break the level of immersion and believability. Here, the new lighting effects make a noticeable improvement in how the field itself and different materials on it look. For example, different types of metals are noticeably brighter, while the new matte helmets are more dull. It’s an attention to detail that stands out.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Much like the first episode, the only thing that elevates The Walking Dead: Michonne - Episode 2 above its basic plot is Michonne herself. She’s a complex survivor with intense guilt, moral ambiguity, and an unpredictability that keeps her interesting when the story is not.
Throughout episode 2, Michonne is faced with difficult, often lose-lose decisions that kept the routine people-are-worse-than-walkers theme from getting overly stale. My first major decision involved either staying with her friend Pete and killing innocent people or letting him go and taking more of a pacifist approach, but it's of course not that easy. After making what I thought would be the less painful choice, I was unhappy with the consequences and rewound to try the other one… only to find it was still seriously upsetting. For the first time in the series, I acutely felt the sting of the moral difficulty inherent to surviving in that world.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Ready for your next dose of Hitman? It looks like the official Hitman Twitter account has just let the agent out of the bag. Or his tuxedo. Get it? Because he often wears disguises? You know what I'm trying to say.
We can look forward to trying out Episode Two of the multi-part Hitman release, Sapienza, as early as April 26. That's a month away, but if you haven't yet taken a meaty bite out of the excellent new vision of Hitman, you're definitely going to want to do so before jumping into the next installation.
The trailer, posted via Twitter, shows off the seaside location and some of the areas you'll be exploring within. And if the rest of the game is any indication, it'll be chock-full of the excellent gameplay we've come to know from this Hitman renaissance.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Note: Wynonna Earp premieres Friday, April 1 at 10/9c on Syfy.
Syfy's Wynonna Earp is the type of show where you'll know right away if it's for you. The new series stars Melanie Scrofano as a modern-day descendant of famed lawman Wyatt Earp. In the premiere, we learn the Earp family has a curse on it: when each new heir turns 27 (*shrugs*), they give rise to all manner of demons and monsters in the typical western town of Purgatory, and the only way to kill them is by using Wyatt's "Peacemaker," a long-barreled Colt .45.
If all that sounds comic booky to you, that's because it is. The show is based on an IDW series that followed the demon-hunting adventures of a deadly, buxom blonde with a penchant for latex pants and corset tops. On the show, however, Wynonna is more of a brooding, Jessica Jones-type who doesn't know the first thing about gunslinging -- and that's something the premiere plays with to good effect. While the character is inexplicably kick-ass at fisticuffs, she can't shoot a gun for crap, and that's something she'll have to learn as she goes.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Bandai Namco and From Software will be releasing Dark Souls 3 on April 12, but we already have access to the game to work on our review, as well as provide fans an inside look at the game in action.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s take a look at Dark Souls 3’s intro cinematic and see what we can expect from its character creator. In the following video, we take a look at all of the classes, what kind of burial gift you can be given from the start, and how detailed its character creator is this time around.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RsxKSh
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
One of the best Star Wars games of all time, Rogue Squadron 3D, has finally worked its way to Steam to the tune of $10. Sure, it's a blast from the past from 1998 and you've probably got more games than you can count that you still need to play, but you really should still pick this one up too and add it to your collection.
Originally released back in 1998 for both Windows and Nintendo 64, Rogue Squadron 3D was actually released via GOG last January, and it needed some help as far as getting situated on computers, as it faced a lot of errors. Now that it's come to Steam, hopefully it works a whole lot better than the GOG version.
If you plan on picking up the Steam version, make sure you keep us abreast of how well it actually works, especially in the departments where Steam controllers are concerned...and Xbox One controllers, too.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1X0w6HK
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Ubisoft announced a Special Report for The Division would be taking place today which would focus squarely on the upcoming Incursion mode, which is expected to release on April 12. So without further ado, let's learn more about Incursion.
One of the first things we learned is the fact that Incursions will challenge groups with very, very difficult challenges. There will be two difficulty modes with "Hard" being the easiest. In fact, only really good groups with good gear are encouraged to even attempt to take on Incursions. Agents with a certain Gear Score will be able to participate, which we'll get into in the next paragraph. The Falcon Lost Incursion will take place under the streets of New York within a water-treatment facility and it's imperitive for Agents to retake the water plant, which will be guarded by LMB.
Update 1.1 will introduce Gear Sets, which will offer unique talents based on the kind of gear set you currently have equipped. There isn't one specific way to earn these Gear Sets, but partaking in Incursions will give Agents the opportunity to earn them, while Challenge mode will serve as a sure-fire way to earn them. After Agent Level 30, Item Level will be replaced with Gear Score, which will help in knowing what Gear Sets would be more effective than others.
Trading will also be included in update 1.1, although it'll only be available under certain conditions. For its introduction to The Division, trading will only be possible among Agents that are grouped together, although the two Agents will need to head on over to a particular gate in order to trade. Trading won't always be available as Agents can trade among their group members for two hours, and group members that accidentally pick up a piece of gear and drop it again in order to offer it to someone else.
Daily and Weekly assignments will also be included in update 1.1. Completing these Assignments will rewards Agents Phoenix Credits and Division Tech.
Supply Drops will be dropped into the Dark Zone and won't need to be extracted since they're being dropped in from the sky, rather than being gear that were infected. These supply drops will dropped in approximately once every hour and groups can attempt to retrieve them, but they're going to be protected by a number of enemies, some of which may be named. Only one group can earn the loot from these supply drops, which will offer "really good loot," so we have a feeling there's going to be a lot of Rogue activity around them.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RNE45K
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Ubisoft announced a Special Report for The Division would be taking place today which would focus squarely on the upcoming Incursion mode, which is expected to release some time in April. So without further ado, let's learn more about Incursion.
One of the first things we learned is the fact that Incursions will challenge groups with very, very difficult challenges. In fact, only really good groups with good gear are encouraged to even attempt to take on Incursions.
Developing...
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1pO8N93
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
After much speculation, punditry, and even a little doom-saying, virtual reality is upon us. The Oculus Rift launched this week, with the HTC Vive following close behind, and even PSVR opened up its preorders. No longer a pie-in-the-sky idea or some vague future occurrence, this is now modern reality. But what does the future hold?
Inspired by a thread from Chatty user Porkasaurus, this week we wildly speculate about where all this may be taking us. What kinds of games and genres would we like to see utilize VR? What kinds of games may be more compelling in VR than they ever were in more standard models? When do we get a follow-up to the Rift or Vive, and what features would we like to see them include?
Be sure to visit http://ift.tt/1SkVbis for your 30-day trial with a free audiobook download of your choice.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Final Fantasy XV is expected to finally be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 30th, leaving Square Enix fans on PC to be left without their own version of the upcoming JRPG. Even though FFXV hasn’t been announced for PC, it isn’t completely out of the question.
Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata spoke with Engadget during Square Enix’s Uncovered live event last night regarding a possible PC port. "Unfortunately we weren't able to do simultaneous development on a PC and console version for XV," he said. "We had to focus on the console version and our goal was to maximize, optimize everything for the HD consoles. Once that's done, then we will definitely take a good, hard look at PC and what we need to do, and consider all our options. But right now we aren't decided, we're still considering a lot of things.” Tabata-san followed up by saying he was “aware of the big call for a PC version.”
Square Enix has been publishing PC games for several years, and even going as far as releasing once-thought console exclusives onto the platform, like Dragon Quest Heroes. In fact, nearly all Final Fantasy games have eventually made their way to PC in one form or another, which would make us believe Square Enix has plans for a release of Final Fantasy XV on the platform. The real question here is how long will PC players have to wait?
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RPPs47
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Ashes of the Singularity is one of those games that comes along every few years and slaps us in the face to remind us what the word “strategy” means. The likes of StarCraft 2, Grey Goo, and even Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak are rendered little more than tactical skirmishes by its grand scope, healthy disdain for fast-fingered micromanagement, and strong emphasis on high-level thinking. It’s a refreshing approach, considering this type of RTS hasn’t been attempted with much success since Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance. Ashes doesn’t quite pack the punch of Gas Powered’s nearly decade-old masterpiece, but it does hit the mark in several of the same places.
Someone who only played the disappointingly short single-player campaign would likely have a negatively skewed idea of the abundant strategic depth hiding in the other modes. Across eight main missions and three optional ones, the campaign introduces you to a future where the Post-Human Coalition (cybernetically-enhanced superdudes) send their remote-controlled robot armies out to do battle with the shinier, more-organic-looking-but-still-robot armies loyal to a mysterious, aggressive AI called The Substrate. The characters are as flat and flavorless as they sound, the story is about as minimal and straightforward as those in Ye Olde Games of Yore, and up until the last couple, the main missions feel more like an extended tutorial than a set of interesting challenges.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
The game of baseball is controlled chaos, a swirling mass of variables you can never take for granted. Maybe your ace starter pitches a shut-out one week, maybe he gives up 12 runs the next. Short of the St. Louis Cardinals being insufferable, there are few things in the sport that are as reliably dependable as Sony San Diego’s The Show franchise. MLB The Show 16 continues the series’ tradition of outstanding presentation and deep gameplay while mixing in some interesting if not game-changing additions.
Put Me In, Coach
The Show’s formula has always been built around authenticity to the MLB experience both on and off the field, and while this year’s game is no exception. Many of the new additions experiment with looser takes on the sport. While new additions to the Franchise mode allow for flexibility in scouting and player recruitment, those less interested in contract negotiations and competitive balance taxes can gravitate toward the flagship Diamond Dynasty fantasy mode, which offers two new game types this year.
Fans of Hearthstone’s Arena mode and Madden’s Draft Champions mode will find a lot to like in The Show’s take on draft “deckbuilding,” Battle Royale. As someone who spent most of his Madden time last year in Draft Champions I was pleased to see the concept works just as well here thanks to a 3-inning game variant. Unfortunately, unlike Draft Champions, the mode can only be played online and requires players to buy-in with Stubs, the in-game currency. While earning Stubs is slightly faster in this year’s game, it can still take a decent amount of time before you are able to generate enough to play (unless, of course, you pony up real money). While not a deal-breaker or even prohibitively expensive, it was nonetheless disappointing to be limited in how often I could play what is otherwise my favorite new mode. I felt less strongly about the new Conquest mode, a strange Risk-like board game in which you attempt to capture and move fans around the United States to overtake the strongholds of other teams. It sounds more fun than it is.
The Road to the Show mode has historically been my favorite part of the franchise and this year is even stronger thanks to some clever if not quite dramatic additions. Just as last year’s edition pushed this mode toward its destiny as a baseball RPG with honest-to-god equippable loot drops, this year adds “spells” in the form of new consumable perks that grant benefits like guaranteed strike zone pitches or an increased likelihood of fielding errors. The trade-off? Doing so depletes the also-new Showtime meter, which lets you pull big plays like rifling in a pitch just above a batter’s lumber or making a slow-motion diving catch. The more perks you activate, the less this meter regenerates.
In theory, this forces you to think strategically and save for a game-critical moment, but in practice I found Perks and Showtime were more slight advantages than wild game-swinging effects, with Showtime mostly only useful in very specific situations. It’s amusing to get a favorable pitch count when you’re on base or mind-control a runner into stealing second, but the effect is subtle. If anything, I wished Sony San Diego had leaned even harder into RPG mechanics, perhaps by using skill trees to facilitate builds for specific positions.
Regardless of which mode you spend your time in, your efforts are gradually rewarded thanks to a reworked XP system. Last year’s XP meter felt like a market-mandated afterthought, but this year it is given purpose thanks to the new Captains system, in which the XP gained in any game mode can be assigned to one of six different star players to unlock increasingly higher reward tiers in their themed “store.” Furthering the “baseball RPG” motif, new Missions task you with achieving certain statistical milestones or collecting complete sets of team cards for higher XP and Stubs rewards. These rewards foster a sense of progression that ties the modes together well and offer plenty of motivation to keep playing.
Even without the rewards, gameplay in The Show is still as deep and rewarding as ever with some small tweaks to fielding paths and physics. Thanks to the refined dynamic difficulty option that adjusts to your skills, a library of control schemes, and simplified player stats, the game feels more customizable and accessible. That said, players looking for a more arcade-like experience may find themselves frustrated by finicky fielding and catching controls that can sometimes end in blown plays. I also found that online play occasionally had unwelcome small bits of lag between actions or pitch selections, though the experience was generally smooth and stable.
Fields of Dreams
Visually, The Show ‘16 continues the series tradition of faithfully reproducing the sights and sounds of a day at the ballpark, from the analog scoreboard of Wrigley Field to the home run slide at Miller Park. Where the first two current-gen editions of The Show felt more iterative than impressive at times, The Show 16 smooths out some of the rougher legacy visuals with new animations and improved lighting, as well as incredibly detailed stadiums I wished I could walk around and explore. Cheesy stock footage for the in-game broadcasts and some questionable player models aside, this is the best-looking edition of the game yet.
Where previous editions of the game had occasionally irritating load times and clunky menus, The Show 16 feels snappier and smoother, especially in offline modes. I did notice menu lag during peak server times. Load times are generally brief, and when playing a multi-game series in Franchise or Road to the Show they are dispersed with altogether, allowing you to go from one game to the next without having to exit to the previous menu. It’s such a simple and welcome fix it’s kind of baffling it took them this long to figure it out.
Nailing the Fundamentals
Developers Sony San Diego are eleven games deep into this franchise, and it can feel at times like they are playing small ball–focusing on the fundamentals and what works without taking any massive risks. But swinging for singles and playing defense can win the pennant, and The Show 16 looks like it will be hanging up yet another one in its decorated clubhouse.
This review is based on a PlayStation 4 retail copy provided by the publisher. MLB The Show 16 will be available in retail stores and digital storefronts on March 29, for $59.99. The game is rated E.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1Y286Eq
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
The game raised over $435,000 of its $400,000 goal on Fig, with the funds planned to be used in developing the first-ever Jay and Silent Bob video game, and themed digital and physical rewards for backers by early 2018.
“The outpouring of fan support has been truly humbling,” said Interabang Entertainment co-founder Justin Woodward. “Thanks to the Fig community, we will have the creative freedom to create an epic gaming adventure that blends the wit and humor of Kevin Smith movies with fast-paced, co-op gaming action.”
To celebrate it’s successful funding, Interabang Entertainment is offering all backers the chance to make a cameo in Kevin Smith’s next movie.
Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch will be a multiplayer beat-em-up which takes place within the series’ universe and is expected to include humorous dialog that made the films popular. Players will assume the role of either Lunch Box or Mr. Snoogans as they search for patrons to purchase their pot.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RzWBQO
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Ubisoft has revealed Far Cry Primal will be getting a Survivor Mode.
Far Cry Primal’s Survivor Mode will become available as part of a free patch that will be released on April 12th. Players can expect a change in how exploration and crafting work as well as the game’s difficulty to make it more realistic.
You’ll also be able to activate an option for permadeath, which would make the Survivor Mode even more realistic. If that’s too extreme for you, there’s a mode that will give you one spare life, which should help you decide when you want to be more cautious with your adventure. The spare life will refill itself at certain points in the game.
Check out some more information regarding Far Cry Primal’s Survivor Mode in the following video:
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1VVl9c9
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Bethesda Softworks has released a live-action cinematic trailer for Doom.
The “Fight Like Hell” cinematic trailer highlights three series staples: relentless combat, intimidating demons, and impressive weaponry. Players will be able to follow the exploits of the Doom Marine in this new trailer.
In addition to the live-action trailer, Bethesda is also releasing Doom’s Closed Multiplayer Beta today and will continue through the weekend, ending on April 3. In order to get into the closed multiplayer beta, you’ll need to have purchased Wolfenstein: The New Order and redeem the beta key that was included.
Doom is scheduled to be released on May 13 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RMHFkp
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Ubisoft has announced it will be holding a Special Report for The Division to shed some light on its next update, which will introduce Incursions.
The presentation will kick off at 11am PST / 2pm EST, which you can watch along with us as we’ve gone through the trouble of embedding the Twitch livestream below.
For newly-activated Agents, Incursions are The Division’s raid-like activities which high-leveled Agents have been waiting to take part in, especially if they already reached the max Agent level. The first Incursion is expected to be released in April, but as of now, no real information regarding what it’ll involve has been revealed. That’ll all change later today, though.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1SBn7vq
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
In addition to being a talented artist with a strikingly raw and detailed style, Lee Bermejo has also developed a reputation as a capable writer in recent years. Suiciders: Kings of HELL.A. allows Bermejo to return to the earthquake-ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape of the original Suiciders and further flesh out the world and its inhabitants. This first issue offers a clean gateway into the Suiciders universe, with a tale of restless young skater punks and gang warfare that won't fail to impress.
The most obvious change with Kings of HELL.A. is that Bermejo has mostly stepped away from the artist's easel. He still renders the cover and the opening prologue sequence, but the bulk of this issue is drawn by Alessandro Vitti. And while that may sound like a drawback, Vitti's aesthetic is a great fit for this dilapidated, decaying world. Vitti's work is some of the strongest he's delivered in years. His characters ooze detail and are covered in rugged lines. The environment is treated with as much care and respect as the characters themselves, which is only fair considering how much the hellish setting defines this franchise. The Suiciders franchise may actually be better off thanks to the Bermejo/Vitti collaboration.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
By its usual standards, Saga’s latest arc has been a relatively quiet affair, with Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples playing the long game in gently nudging their many freewheeling threads back together. Issue #35 doesn’t do much to veer from that formula, but it does offer its first results. Said events change the various status quos to certain and often dangerous degrees, ensuring that the arc’s upcoming finale will be one with plenty at stake.
Much like last issue, issue #35 is split threefold between Hazel, Marko and Alana, and The Will. At this point we’ve a clear idea how these three stories will eventually intersect, but that doesn’t stop writer Vaughan from adding further wrinkles to the unfolding narrative. Rather than force each thread in, writer Vaughan continues to push them out, giving each their own sense of urgency as the three groups continue to work towards their own means. It’s a heck of a juggling act, yet in Vaughan’s hands the pacing never feels off. His strong characterization again drives the read, as each and every action for the most part feels valid and earned. From Hazel’s plans of escape to Marko and Alana’s equally gripping plan to break in, there’s a wonderful synergy to the read that ensures that the sense of drama never dips.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Based on Image's solicitation of this issue, readers might go into Power Lines #1 expecting a racially charged comedy about a young black man who gains super-powers and battles crime and prejudice in a suburb full of affluent white families. But despite that solicitation, and despite Jimmie Robinson's work on the very raunchy and comedy-driven Bomb Queen, Power Lines is a surprisingly serious book with a lot on its mind. While the characterization in this first issue is a bit suspect, there are enough interesting ideas at work to warrant a look.
Robinson sets the larger than life tone for the series right away as the narration explores the history of race relations in America and the existence of mystical, strength-bestowing "power lines" surrounding a particular area in California. This material dovetails into a more grounded sort of conflict, as series protagonist D-Trick and his friends drive to the suburbs for a night of theft and graffiti tagging. This in turn puts D-Trick in conflict with a military veteran named Kevin, whose mother is none too happy about being robbed. Throw in some mystical tomfoolery and Native American prophecies and you have quite the odd little comic.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Arrow’s fourth season has been an improvement over the third in several ways, but the biggest reason is the added emphasis on humor. Just because Star City is a hellhole doesn’t mean these characters can’t crack a smile now and then. However, the humor has slowly drained out of the picture in recent episodes as Ollie’s life has gone down the tubes yet again. “Beacon of Hope” was a welcome reminder that, even in the midst of Ollie and Felicity’s awkward split, the show knows how to have fun. Maybe a little too much fun at times.
It felt like this episode was taking a few extra cues from The Flash, including borrowing the Season 1 villain Brie Larvin (Masters of Sex’s Emily Kinney), better known as The Bug-Eyed Bandit. Larvin offered a much bigger-scale threat than Ollie and friends are used to dealing with, surrounding the Palmer Tech building with an army of robo-bees and summoning an invulnerable sentinel to trade blows with the Green Arrow. Good thing Ollie had two tech genius assistants to fall back on this week.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
So that happened.
And that.
And that!
The Star Wars Rebels: Season 2 finale was a massive episode, filled with events that were crucial for this series, that paid off on years of build up from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and which felt impactful to the Star Wars universe as a whole.
It was emotional, it was intense and it was packed with so many lightsaber fights.
Let’s get to that ending though and Ahsoka’s fate. As we finally saw her… Die? Maybe?
The decision to end the long-awaited Vader vs. Ahsoka battle in an ambiguous manner was an interesting one and the one place I have some mixed feelings about the episode. Because after so much build up, it feels weird to not know exactly what happened to Ahsoka. And let’s face it, by not definitively killing her, it pretty much means she has to be alive, in some way, right? Because it would feel really odd to just have her fate confirmed later by being told she had died by Vader or such.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
My review of tonight's Supernatural episode, "Red Meat," is en route. In the meanwhile, head down to the comments and share your thoughts. What did you think of this week's chapter?
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at http://ift.tt/1kiBJkp.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Virtual reality technology is literally a game changer. For the first time since 3D graphics came around 20 years ago, it radically changes the way we play games and opens the door to new experiences that until now would’ve been impossible. The Oculus Rift is the first headset available, and it does a fantastic job of not just displaying high-quality VR, but making it easy to use.
It’s tough to relate the experiences the Rift can give you with words and two-dimensional video and images, because this is unlike anything most people have ever seen. To give you an idea of how powerful it is to fully immerse yourself in a virtual world: it can not only make you forget where you really are, but fool your brain into thinking you’re moving (or falling) when you’re actually sitting still, creating a real sensation you can feel in your stomach. It’s hard to believe this technology exists – and that it works – but it does. It is, in a word, amazing.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
"City Fall" is easily one of the more memorable stories to unfold in IDW's ongoing TMNT comic. It marks the point where the series really came into its own and the family dynamic between Splinter and his sons became all the more crucial. So it's fitting that IDW chose to revisit that story as part of their month-long "Deviations" project. Like so many What If/Elseworlds-style comics, this issue isn't quite big enough to contain the ambitious tale within, but it still offers a compelling read for TMNT fans.
This issue deviates from the events of "City Fall" by presenting an alternate universe where Casey Jones was killed by Shredder and all four Turtles, not just Leonardo, were brainwashed to become agents of the Foot Clan. Seeing the Turtles decked out in red and black and hunting their father like an animal definitely packs an emotional gut punch. This is about as dark as TMNT comics get, and rightfully so. The alternate universe setting means writer Tom Waltz doesn't have to pull any punches. Many characters die as this one small deviation spirals outward to reshape the entire city.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Note: The Rush Hour TV show debuts Thursday, March 31 at 10/9c on CBS. Minimal spoilers follow...
It's been nearly a decade since the last Rush Hour movie came out, and even then it was a tired concept. The farcical buddy cop trilogy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker had its charms in the early going, but it quickly ran out of steam about halfway through the second film. It's a little puzzling then why CBS would want to reboot the franchise as a TV series, other than sheer name recognition I guess. Having now seen the pilot, I can say it's actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but the same old premise doesn't feel as fresh and funny as it did in 1998.
Developed by Cougar Town's Bill Lawrence and Blake McCormick, the new series follows straight-laced Detective Lee (Bangkok Revenge's Jon Foo), who travels from Hong Kong to Los Angeles to track down a Chinese crime syndicate that he believes murdered his sister (Jessika Van). Once in LA, he's partnered with Detective Carter (21 Jump Street's Justin Hires), a motormouthed cop who, you guessed it, doesn't play by the rules -- much to the disdain of his boss, played by Wendie Malick.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Greg Burke takes a look at Luigi's Mansion Arcade on this week's Shack's Arcade Corner. The game is just now starting to pop up in North America after launching last year in Japanese arcades. With unique controls and the same classic humor as the Gamecube title, this is an arcade cabinet worthy of your hard earned quarters.
For more, be sure to subscribe to Shacknews on YouTube.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1UVoJDI
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
The good news for fans who might be less than thrilled at the current state of the X-Men franchise is that there's now a second option for those who prefer standalone, humor-oriented books. X-Men '92 picks up where last year's Secret Wars tie-in left off, chronicling the ongoing adventures of the merry mutants in the tradition of the beloved animated series. This series works as a heavy dose of nostalgia, but more importantly, it's just plain fun to read.
The new series deviates a bit more from the framework of the cartoon than its predecessor did. The traditional team lineup has changed, with Bishop and Psylocke replacing Cyclops and Jean Grey and the casts of Generation X and X-Statix now settling into the mansion. These changes seem to be for the better. I blame X-Men: The Animated Series for leading me to believe Cyclops was a terrible character for several years, and there's not a lot to be gained by having that stuffy teacher's pet version of the character hogging the spotlight. Psylocke and Bishop make for fun additions to the group dynamic. And the addition of a real student body to this incarnation of the X-Men doesn't hurt either. Characters like Chamber add a bit of extra flavor to the book without distracting from the core cast.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
If you've been patiently waiting for Final Fantasy XV to reach retail shelves, you may want to go ahead and get ready for celebration. It appears the much-anticipated RPG is set for release on September 30.
Earlier today, a video was posted from GameSpot that has since been removed related the info, as well as news that a brand new demo for the game could be dropping today. The new demo is said to feature "final visuals and combat system" as well as offer up a special Carbuncle summon as a reward for completing it. And that's something I want to get behind.
The demo follows young Noctis and should showcase some pretty awesome content, so I'm ready to sink my teeth into it. If the game releases this fall for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, that should be plenty of time to work through my ever-growing backlog before delving into another main Final Fantasy entry, which as you know is an enormous timesuck.
It's likely the official announcement is still coming, so we'll wait for it and see what the future actually holds, but hey, here's some footage to soak up in the meantime.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1TjqzwX
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
DC's latest weekly Batman comic comes to a close this week, as pretty much every character who's ever qualified as a sidekick to Batman (plus a few more for good measure) join forces to end Mother's reign of terror. But all of that is secondary to the dynamic that's served as the true heart of this series for the past six months - the relationship between Harper Row and Cassandra Cain.
It's just as well writer James Tynion IV focuses so much attention on Harper and Cassandra, because Mother herself serves as a fairly final villain for the series. She was built up to be a very different kind of Batman foe - one who sticks to the shadows and manipulates others rather than dealing in colorful doomsday schemes and villainous monologues. But that's really all Mother boils down to in the end. Here she's just another power-mad villain gloating over her imminent victory while Dick Grayson and his team fight to save the day. Compared to the finale of Batman Eternal, where Lincoln March emerged to pose a very personal threat to Bruce Wayne, Mother lacks that special spark.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Hulu's The Path (which will be a weekly series) premiered with two episodes. This is a review of the second episode. For my take on the premiere, head here.
The Path handily delivered on its second episode, despite a questionable artistic choice toward the end involving a 360-style swooping montage meant to detail Eddie's two week stint in lockdown with his cult's resident "auditor."
I get what the scene was meant to convey, but it all came off like a clumsy stage play. Watching Aaron Paul move from emotion to emotion, situation to situation like a cornball performance artist. Which was sad because the guy's a phenomenal actor. Overall, I would have rather skipped any and all moments within the redemptive "14 Days" treatment and just imagined what went down there myself. It had been built up enough over the course of the episode that I feel like less would have been more here.
The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Let’s begin at the ending here because… Major went all zombie! I have to commend the iZombie team for the way they pulled it off, since even though we knew in the broad sense it was coming, the fact that it happened so suddenly, as he and Ravi were having this intense argument, really sold the moment.
And kudos to Rahul Kohli and Robert Buckley for that scene, which took these two lovable, funny characters and turned everything on its head, as Ravi confronted Major over what sure looked like some diabolical behavior.
The lead up to all of this was very well done too, as the photo of one of the Chaos Killer’s victims, with what was clearly Minor, lead Ravi on this path… and into Major’s mysterious safe.. and ultimately towards the big confrontation.
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Microsoft promised every Xbox One console could eventually become a dev kit nearly three years ago, and today, the company is making good on their promise by allowing preview members unlock this feature for free starting today.
While Xbox One preview members are the only users able to turn their console into a dev kit, everyone else will be able to activate this feature later this summer. While many features will be available for free, those who wish to take advantage of Microsoft’s full suite of abilities for the Xbox One will need to create a DeV Center account, which costs $19.
Dev Mode will allow anyone with an Xbox One to build and test their game using Universal Windows Program (UWP) development tools.
Even though Xbox One preview members can now turn their console into a dev kit, ID@Xbox director Chris Charla recommends those who would like to tinker around with the feature should wait until its full release. Just like with all Xbox One preview releases, Dev Mode is currently being worked on and may cause issues in its current state.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/23212er
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
After much speculation, punditry, and even a little doom-saying, virtual reality is upon us. The Oculus Rift launched this week, with the HTC Vive following close behind, and even PSVR opened up its preorders. No longer a pie-in-the-sky idea or some vague future occurrence, this is now modern reality. But what does the future hold?
Inspired by a thread from Chatty user Porkasaurus, this week we wildly speculate about where all this may be taking us. What kinds of games and genres would we like to see utilize VR? What kinds of games may be more compelling in VR than they ever were in more standard models? When do we get a follow-up to the Rift or Vive, and what features would we like to see them include?
Come watch!
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1pKOglZ
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Sony has announced its lineup of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers to download in April, one of which we already knew about in the past.
PlayStation 4 owners will be able to download Dead Star and Zombi in April, while PlayStation 3 owners can enjoy I Am Alive and Savage Moon. PS Vita owners will be given access to A Virus Named Tom and Shutshimi.
As is the case every month, you'll need to have an active PlayStation Plus subscription in order to download any of these games for free on your PlayStation devices.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1M0rv7X
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Capcom is releasing the second part of Street Fighter 5’s March update today that will allow players to fight as Alex from Street Fighter III. While Alex will soon be available, the In-Game Shop won’t be completely available as players will only be able to spend Fight Money, which is the game’s currency earned in-game. That means players won’t be able to purchase real currency, aka Zenny, which also means you can’t throw real money at Alex or any other piece of additional content.
Since the In-Game Shop for Zenny isn’t available, Capcom will offer Alex as a free trial period for all players until the Zenny shop launches. If future DLC characters release prior to the launch of the Zenny Shop, they’ll also be made available for free under a trial period. Once the Zenny shop launches, the free trials for DLC characters released prior to the shop’s availability will end, with players needing to spend Fight Money, Zenny, or purchase a Season Pass to access those characters.
Capcom will also be giving away both Story Mode costumes for Ryu and Chun-Li to thank fans for their patience and understanding considering Street Fighter 5's rocky launch.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1SmMbnb
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Rocket League will soon be taking it to the hoop as its previously-teased Hoops mode will launch in April.
Psyonix announced the upcoming launch through Rocket League’s official Twitter account, which you can see for yourself below. The announcement also offers a short glimpse of the kind of action we can look forward to when Hoops mode releases.
Rocket League players can expect Hoops mode to be made available for free some time next month. Considering college basketball ends in early April, we’d guess that’s when we should expect Hoops mode to release, although that’s purely speculation on our part.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/25wuMT0
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
If you've been hoping you could continue to grow your classic gaming library on your Xbox One, this is truly the month for you. Go ahead and rejoice now. That's alright, we'll wait.
Developer Night Dive, who you may remember from other remastered video game projects, is hard at work on bringing Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil to Xbox One.
The news comes courtesy of a fan on Twitter who reached out to the company to ask about Turok Evolution's existence as an HD port, to which Night Dive responded, as you can see below.
It doesn't look like a PlayStation version is in talks currently, but Night Dive is "evaluating other platforms," it seems. It looks like if you want a blast from the past, you're going to want to hold onto your Xbox One for the time being.
@NightDiveStudio Any news on Turok Evolution or you bringing certain games to consoles?
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Square Enix has announced Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness will launch in North America on June 28th, 2016.
Those who pre-order the new Star Ocean game will receive the Day One Edition, which includes five exclusive in-game items, including the Ring of the Valkyries, Gold Bunny Statue, Bushybrume Cincture, Wristlet of the Stars, and the Secret Sthalian Tome. Players will also be able to customize Star Ocean’s battle background music to battle music from the Valkyrie Profile series.
We first learned a new Star Ocean game was in development around this time last year, which then made its official debut at E3 2015. Square Enix then took several months to debut its first english trailer, and it was certainly worth the wait.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1V4Y4TK
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
Killer Instinct launched on PC yesterday, but it looks like the game’s framerate is tied to the user’s monitor refresh, making the game difficult to play if your monitor refreshes anywhere outside of 60hz.
A YouTube user uploaded a video showing his Windows 10 copy of Killer Instinct running on his PC, which just so happens to be connected to a monitor with a 140hz refresh rate. As you can see from the video below, the game is completely unplayable at this speed.
Fortunately, Iron Galaxy Studios is aware of the situation and is working on patching the PC version of Killer Instinct as soon as possible. In the meantime, a NeoGAF user has discovered you can set the framerate limiter for a specific game profile, so long as you have an NVIDIA video card. There’s already a game profile for Killer Instinct, although a patch would be a much more convenient option.
If you planned on buying Killer Instinct on PC, be sure you don’t run into this problem as you could end up with a hyperspeed version of the game if your refresh rate is too high.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1WXJgFm
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
2K and Gearbox Software have announced a number of new details regarding some of Battleborn’s upcoming features, which includes a Hardcore Mode, Competitive Multiplayer Modes, support for color blindness, and more.
Hardcore Mode allows players to take on more difficult enemies as they progress through Story episodes with the promise of extra loot and new unlockable content, while the Competitive Multiplayer Modes has players fighting amongst themselves. A total of three modes will be available: Incursion, Capture, and Meltdown.
Here’s an explanation of each Competitive Multiplayer Mode:
Incursion: Take out the enemy’s two Spider Sentry Drones before they get to yours.
Capture: It’s a classic capture-and-control showdown between two teams of heroes… but more badass!
Meltdown: Each team marches waves of minions to their death, and scores points for every minion who throws themselves into the incinerator. The team with the most scrap metal, wins.
To help those who are color blind, Gearbox Software has made it possible for players to pick your team and the opposing team’s color. This color is applied to enemy color, health bars, competitive objectives, and more and is available on all versions of the game.
In addition to these newly-announced features, Battleborn’s PC specs have been revealed along with support for PS4, Xbox One, and Steam controllers, although 4K and off-sized displays won’t be supported at launch.
Here’s what you’ll need to run Battleborn at its minimum settings:
OS: Windows 7 x64-Bit or Later
CPU: Intel i5-750 / AMD Phenom IIx4 945
RAM: 6 GB
Hard Drive: 30 GB free
Video Memory: 1 GB
Minimum Required Video Card: AMD HD 6870/ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better, PhysX support
Sound: DirectX 11
Input: Keyboard or dual-analog gameplay
And here are its recommended system requirements:
OS: Windows 7 x64-Bit or Later
CPU: Intel i5-750 / AMD Phenom IIx4 945
RAM: 6 GB
Hard Drive: 50 GB free
Video Memory: 2 GB
Recommended Video Card: AMD HD 7850/ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or better, PhysX support
Sound: DirectX 11
Input: Keyboard or dual-analog gamepad
Battleborn is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2016 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1pKnk5E
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
Here we go, the latest and greatest from Shacknews...
We're steadily creeping toward more information surrounding Mass Effect: Andromeda, but as of yet there's still very little to go on as far as what we can expect from the narrative, themes or characters. But thanks to a special survey EA has been sending out to users, we might know a little bit more for right now.
Screenshots of said survey from EA have made their way out to NeoGAF, and it sounds as though the questions are making some pretty big connections to what we can expect from the synopsis of the game. The survey mentions that the setting is related to the human race finding a new place to live in the galaxy, but are being opposed by another race. The survey also describes Mass Effect: Andromeda has having a "planet-dense, seamless open-world" (possibly No Man's Sky-esque?). In addition, your character will lead a group of explorers with "deep" progression and customization systems.
Check out the survey images below, as these will more than likely end up being related to Mass Effect: Andromeda when it releases, if previous survey information is any indication.
from Shacknews Recent Articles http://ift.tt/1RKsQfd
Call me a fanboy but ... Let's do this!
