Monthly Archives: March 2018
The Giant Monsters That Have Come Closest to Destroying the World
As John Boyega and the rest of our heroes prepare to battle the big baddies of Pacific Rim Uprising, we thought it would be a good time to take stock of just how well the Earth has fared when facing the giant monsters of the past.
The kaiju genre has a long and venerable tradition, stretching all the way back to one particular giant monster in the ’30s (King Kong), through the atomic-irradiated nightmare of the ’50s (Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Them!, Godzilla, and so on), all the way up to the CGI-generated enormous apparitions of the present day (Cloverfield, Pacific Rim, Colossal). But which of these huge hulking brutes actually came closest to destroying the planet? That’s hard to say, but we can nominate a few possibilities…
Why Ubisoft Hasn’t Reworked Rainbow 6 Siege’s ‘Lord Tachanka’
Speaking at GDC today, Rainbow Six Siege game director Leroy Athanassof addressed one of the game’s least picked operators, Tachanka, and the possibility of a rework. Athanassof said Ubisoft knows he’s in a bad place strength-wise, but that his cult meme status within the community has stopped them from reworking him yet.
Tachanka, or Lord Tachanka as much of the community refers to him, has become one of Siege’s most prominent memes. He's also potentially the worst operator in the roster, sporting both microscopic pick and win rates in the last competitive season.
ESO’s New Expansion Returns to Summerset Isle
The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset, the next expansion for Bethesda Softworks' online RPG, has been announced.
In the new expansion, which will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC/Mac on June 5, players will get to explore the Isle of Summerset for the first time since The Elder Scrolls: Arena. In addition to the new zone, which is even larger than Vvardenfell from ESO: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset features a main story that concludes the Daedric drama, which started in the Orisium DLC.
Players will also be able to join the Psijic Order, explore their home city of Artaeum, and acquire a new combat skill line. Additionally, the expansion will introduce jewelry crafting—allowing you to create new powerful gear—and will add new group PvE challenges, including a new 12-player trial, new delves and bosses, and more.
Every PS4, PSVR, and Vita Release This Week
20 games hit the PS4, PSVR, and PS Vita this week, including Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, as well as brand new titles like A Way Out.
For all of the new releases, including links to any IGN reviews of this week's releases and official descriptions via the PlayStation Blog, check out the gallery below:
And the full list:
- A Way Out (PS4, 3/23)
- Ark Park (PSVR, 3/22)
- Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4, 3/20) — IGN's AC: Rogue Remastered Review
Guest Column: Why Paddington 2 Is the Film We Need Right Now
This guest column was written by Hannah McCarthy, a producer and writer at Rooster Teeth.
Paddington 2 might genuinely stand as one of the best films of 2018, and no, I’m not being facetious or hyperbolic.
With the movie coming to home video on Wednesday, March 21, it seems like a good time to remind everyone that not only is Paddington 2 uplifting and beautifully animated, it’s also incredibly smartly written, even when it doesn’t need to be to get laughs. So, prepare yourselves a stack of marmalade sandwiches and allow me to plead my case as to why Paddington 2 is the film we all need, right now.
Paddington 2 leans into the whimsy of a world in which bears can learn to speak, hold jobs in London, and make a mean sandwich, however none of this strikes any of the film’s near-equally loveable characters as strange (with the exception of Peter Capaldi's alarmist neighborhood watchman, Mr. Curry). There are no spit-takes or gasping, no cheesy record scratches, and no pointed exclamations of “a talking BEAR?!” Paddington’s anthropomorphism is acknowledged as slightly odd, but no more unheard of than a teenager learning how to drive steam trains in his bedroom. Paddington’s a bear with two families (bear and human), a staunch work ethic, and big dreams. And it just so happens he can talk, and that’s totally fine.
Frank Oz Revisits the Creation of The Muppets
Few filmmakers have ever had as diverse a career as Frank Oz. The writer-director who brought you classic comedies like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and What About Bob? also directed the beloved musical Little Shop of Horrors, the all-star heist thriller The Score, and played Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. And he got that gig because of his impressive early career as a puppeteer working for Jim Henson and playing Miss Piggy from The Muppets.
Oz has a fascinating career and he’s not alone. In his new documentary Muppet Guys Talking (which you can watch here), he’s assembled other members of Henson’s puppeteering crew to share the stories about how they created their iconic characters, what made the Muppets so special, and - in a surprising revelation - how playing The Muppets sometimes endangered their lives.
Sea of Thieves: Rare Details Next Update, Gives Status Update on Known Issues
Rare has detailed what is to come in Sea of Thieves' next update, and given a status update on issues players may be experiencing in the game since launch.
Rare has released a Developer Update video in which Rare Studio Head Craig Duncan and Sea of Thieves' Executive Producer Joe Neate detail updates to the game, top issues players may be experiencing, the studio's priorities in resolving them, and what players can expect going forward.
Some updates include the addition of an option to favorite a pirate during the selection process, removing auto-lock on melee attacks (to keep players from accidentally killing teammates), changing respawn logic so mermaids bring players to their new ship instead of their old shipwreck, and an option for players to progress to level 50 within each trading company, which allows them to unlock tons of new cosmetic items.
Does ‘Death of the Mighty Thor’ Live Up to Its Name?
Marvel's "Death of the Mighty Thor" storyline reached its dramatic climax today. But did Jane Foster actually meet her end?
Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Mighty Thor #705!
It turns out that Jane did meet her end as she faced down the god-killing monster known as the Mangog. Jane was already at death's door in recent issues, with no less an authority than Doctor Strange warning her that transforming into Thor one more time would cause her body to succumb to its terminal cancer. Unfortunately, with Mangog currently tearing its way through Asgardia, Jane had no choice but to summon Mjolnir and embark on her final mission.
Thor: Ragnarok’s Tessa Thompson Joins Men in Black reboot
Valkyrie and Thor are reuniting soon for Sony's new Men in Black spinoff.
THR reports Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, is set to star opposite Thor himself Chris Hemsworth in the reboot, who's reportedly close to joining the film. It's not currently known what role Thompson and Hemsworth would play in the film, as story details are being kept under wraps. Earlier reports suggest Sony wanted a diverse cast for the movie featuring a white male, a black woman, and an older man.
ARK: Survival Evolved Coming to Nintendo Switch
ARK: Survival Evolved is coming to Nintendo Switch, Studio Wildcard announced during Epic Games' "State of Unreal" keynote today at Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018.
The prehistoric survival game will be released digitally and at retail for Nintendo's console this fall. The Switch version is being co-developed by Abstraction Games, and will feature all of the content found in the original release, including over 100 different creatures.
Studio Wildcard also announced the first wave of closed beta invites to War Drum Studio's recently announced mobile version of ARK: Survival Evolved have been sent out to iOS users. The mobile version will provide the "full online experience" and release for both iOS and Android as a free-to-play title.