Monthly Archives: January 2017
Cameron Thinks ‘We’ve Moved on Beyond’ Alien Franchise
Aliens director James Cameron has shared his candid thoughts on the Alien franchise and questioned whether there was even a need to continue it when asked about the forthcoming Alien: Covenant, which opens this summer.
"The franchise has kind of wandered all over the map," Cameron told Vulture. "Ridley
did the first film, and he inspired an entire generation of filmmakers and science-fiction fans with that one movie and there have been so many films that stylistically have derived from it, including my own Aliens, which was the legitimate sequel and, I think, the proper heir to his film. I sort of did it as a fanboy. I wanted to honor his film, but also say what I needed to say. After that, I don't take any responsibility."
AJ Styles Talks Royal Rumble, John Cena, and More
On Sunday, January 29th, the Road to WrestleMania officially begins with the Royal Rumble - featuring the likes of Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, The Undertaker and 27 other competitors battling it out for a main event spot at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Also on tap: In what's sure to be another classic encounter, AJ Styles defends his WWE World Championship against the returning John Cena. Styles notably beat Cena cleanly at SummerSlam last year, but will he replicate that outcome with the belt on the line?
I spoke to Styles about his match with Cena, the now-infamous Royal Rumble poster that had him positioned way in the back, Kurt Angle's Hall of Fame induction, and more.
Days of War Will Feature 100-Player Battle Events
Developer Driven Arts has released WWII multiplayer shooter Days of War on Steam Early Access, announcing the introduction of 100-player battles on the game’s Omaha Beach map.
Driven Arts notes the feature in still in development and is not in the base game yet but the first 100-player battle weekend event will run from February 3 to 5. Further details can be found at the game’s Steam Hub.
“We love tight competitive gameplay more than anyone, but World War II was defined by its massive battles and invasions, and we want to bring that experience to Days of War with 100-player combat,” explained lead designer Lee Snodgrass.
A Complete Guide to For Honor’s Preorder Bonuses
For Honor is coming soon, and it has an axe to grind with you.
For those who are a bit behind, check out our For Honor multiplayer preview, where we learn first-hand just how dangerous the Shugoki warriors can be.
As with most major releases, multiple versions of For Honor will be available when it is released on February 14. Plus, if you're planning on preordering, some retailers offer much more bang (and exclusive goods) for your buck than others. If you're a more casual player, the standard $60 version ($48 with Amazon Prime) will be just fine, but we're here to break down all the various preorder bonuses and exclusives if you want something more.
Opinion: It’s Time for Marvel’s Rebirth
Civil War II is over, which means Marvel Comics is already busy teasing its next big crossover event. That isn't exactly a thrilling prospect considering the generally lackluster quality of Marvel's major event comics in recent years (Secret Wars notwithstanding). But there actually is reason to be optimistic about Secret Empire. For one thing, it's an offshoot of Captain America: Steve Rogers, which has numbered among Marvel's better ongoing series over the past year. But more crucial is the fact that Secret Empire has the potential to address a lot of the storytelling mistakes Marvel has been making lately. It could easily wind up being Marvel's answer to DC Rebirth.
Secret Empire teaser art by John Cassaday. (Marvel Comics)
Batman and the Shadow Meet in April
DC released their full lineup of solicitations for April 2017 this week. The DC Rebirth status quo will take a major elap forward as Batman and The Flash cross over in "The Button," while Batman will also be joining forces with The Sahdow in a new mini-series.
New Series:
- Batman/The Shadow #1
Ending Series:
- Clean Room #18
- Future Quest #12
- Super Powers #6
Observations:
- We're now a pair of red underoos away from having the one, true Superman costume back.
- Having Mike Allred on Doom Patrol helps make up for Silver Surfer's sporadic shipping schedule.
Justice League Dark: 10 Images From the New DC Movie
In light of Justice League Dark's digital release this week, check out all the images released so far for the Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment animated film.
Scroll the gallery below for a sneak peek at the movie, as well as another look at its previously revealed box art.
Justice League Dark sees Batman (Jason O'Mara) enlisting the help of John Constantine (Matt Ryan), as the Dark Knight forms a new league with Zatanna (Camilla Luddington), Deadman (Nicholas Turturro), Swamp Thing (Roger R. Cross), and Jason Blood/Etrigan (Ray Chase) to save the Earth from a supernatural plague that threatens the planet.
Gears of War 4 Gets Versus Social Cross-Play
Microsoft and The Coalition are now allowing Xbox One and PC players to fight against one another in Gears of War 4.
The game's social quickplay is now a cross-play playlist, according to the Xbox Wire. That means Xbox One and PC players can duke it out in Gears of War 4's versus multiplayer.
The move is planned to be permanent, after these first few months serve as a trial. The Coalition actually tested out Gears of War 4 multiplayer cross-play back in December for a weekend.
Dark and Light Wants to Convert Fantasy Fans
When the first teaser for Snail Games' Dark and Light dropped in 2016, the initial response viewed it as The Witcher 3-meets-Ark: Survival Evolved. But while comparisons can be made to both, Dark and Light is very much trying to be its own beast; a survival RPG far less story-driven than The Witcher 3 yet far more forgiving than Ark.
"We want to find a good balance between the openness of the game, the sandbox nature, and also giving players an idea of what to do," associate producer Jonathon Stebel told me during a recent visit to Snail Games' Los Angeles office. "It's daunting when you just get dropped into a world when you're surrounded by hostile creatures and it's pitch black out. It's really hard to get into it, especially if you're not already into that genre. We're trying to figure out ways to still let players do whatever they want without having their hand held, but introduce new players to the genre who are coming from fantasy games: RPGs, MMOs."
Dominic West Cast in Tomb Raider Reboot
Dominic West has joined the cast of Warner Bros. and MGM's upcoming Tomb Raider reboot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, West will play Lord Richard Croft, the father of Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft. Interestingly enough, this won't be the first time West has appeared on-screen as the father to one of Vikander's characters, having played her dad, Mr. Brittain, in Testament of Youth.
Dominic West as Walt Camby in Money Monster