Monthly Archives: June 2019

Planet Zoo Looks Like the Deep Zoo Sim of Jack Hanna’s Dreams

Many sims are best played from a god-like perspective. You're in charge, so you need to view the action from high up. You oversee large-scale projects, like constructing skyscrapers, re-routing highways, designing roller coasters, and populating entire worlds. You can play Planet Zoo from a distant vantage, and sometimes you'll need to. But based on the hands-off demo the developers walked me through at E3 2019, the real fun in Planet Zoo happens on the ground.

Down there is where you'll find giraffes pulling leaves off trees, where saltwater crocodiles bathe in the sun, where cheetahs get restless and sprint the perimeter of their enclosure. The animals are incredibly detailed (provided your GPU is up to the task), from the bears' intricate fur shading to the reptiles' glossy, reflective scales. I'm no zoologist, but the animations looked convincing, too. And the poop? There's so much poop.

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The Comics That Inspired Marvel’s Avengers

We've had our first look at Square-Enix's eagerly anticipated Marvel's Avengers game over the past few days. One thing that's quickly become apparent is that the game is pulling from all corners of the Avengers franchise, from the movies to the comics. And according to the game's lead creative director and writer, Shaun Escayg, Marvel's Avengers will draw from two Marvel books in particular - Marvels and West Coast Avengers.

Read on for a breakdown of what these two books are and what this connection tells us about the conflict and themes at work in Marvel's Avengers.

What Is Marvels?

Marvels TPB cover by Alex Ross. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics) Marvels TPB cover by Alex Ross. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)

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Is There a Men in Black: International After Credits Scene?

If you're wondering whether or not Men in Black: International has an end credits scene, then look no further.

But if you somehow wound up here by mistake, be warned: Spoilers follow regarding whether or not the new MiB movie has a post credits scene...

O.K., you're still there? Then the answer is: No, Men in Black: International does not have any extra scenes after the credits.

That said, we always encourage viewers to watch the credits anyway and marvel at the talents of the many, many people it takes to make a movie of this size and scope.

But if you're still craving Men in Black Easter eggs, you can always check out our exhaustive breakdowns on all the aliens in the original Men in Black trilogy and all the gadgets as well! Or read our review of Men in Black: International. You can also find out how Men in Black: International connects to the original trilogy!

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Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is a Delightful Orwellian Nightmare

When I first saw the reveal trailer for Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory, I made the assumption that it was some sort of management simulator, similar to Prison Architect or a comedic version of Observation. Thankfully, I was incredibly wrong.

Unaware that developer Black Shamrock had secured the rights to the tabletop RPG of the same name, I was excited to learn that Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is a compelling mix of classic isometric RPGs and tactical combat sims set in a hilariously absurd Orwellian nightmare.

The world of Paranoia is a far-future automated habitat known as Alpha Complex, where everyone is Happy™. Happiness™, in this scenario, means thoroughly medicated and pacified by the various agents of the very good and kind, and definitely not-at-all evil supreme overlord of your little world, Friend Computer.

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8 New Details We Learned About Marvel’s Avengers

With E3 2019 finally lifting the curtain on Marvel’s Avengers, IGN sat down with Crystal Dynamics creative director and writer Shaun Escayg and lead combat designer Vincent Napoli to learn more about the game.

Here are all the Marvel’s Avengers topics we learned more about at E3 2019.

  • What Kind of Game Is Marvel’s Avengers?
  • How Multiplayer Works in Marvel’s Avengers
  • Can You Play Offline in Marvel’s Avengers?
  • Marvel’s Avengers MCU Lineup Is… A Total Coincidence?
  • Will Marvel’s Avengers Have Crossplay?
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Confirmed Games Coming in 2020

With E3 2019 behind us, we have a much clearer picture of what the rest of 2019 has in store. While not quite as concrete, we also know several major games that are coming in 2020 - from Ori and the Will of the Wisps to Halo Infinite, the future is bright indeed.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps – February 11, 2020 (PC, Xbox One)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the sequel to 2015’s much beloved Ori and the Blind Forest, is officially coming to PC and Xbox One on February 11, 2020. The gameplay trailer released during E3 2019 gave us a deeper look at its gameplay, combat styles and bosses.

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This Arcade Machine Connects to the Web for an Endless Supply of Games

Home arcade machines are much more accessible these days, but one thing that still holds them back is that many of them only have a dozen or so games. AtGames is trying to fix that problem with its Legends Ultimate Arcade Machine that not only comes with 350 games but is also connected to the internet, allowing you to expand your library with more arcade, console, and even PC games.

The Legends Ultimate Arcade Machine comes loaded with well-known classics like Asteroids, BurgerTime, Burnin' Rubber, Missile Command, Tetris, and Tron. However, this arcade really opens up when it connects to the ArcadeNet online service and AtGames’ array of cloud-connected PCs.

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The Batman: Two-Face, Mad Hatter Among Latest Villains Rumored

The list of rumored villains for Matt Reeves' The Batman grows ever longer. In addition to the previously rumored Catwoman, Penguin and The Riddler, a new report claims Mad Hatter and Two-Face may be featured in the movie as well.

The new rumor comes from website DiscussingFilm.com, which claims that casting for Two-Face is looking for a male in their 30s to 40s, and casting for Mad Hatter looking for a male in their 40s to 50s. IGN has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.

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The Reason Marvel’s Avengers Spoiled Captain America’s Death

To the shock of many, the reveal trailer for Marvel’s Avengers debuted at E3 2019 shows the death of Captain America and what appears to be a flash forward in time to when a monument has been built in his honor. That’s a pretty heavy reveal to include in the trailer because it essentially gives away a huge early plot point, but when IGN spoke to Crystal Dynamics lead creative director and writer Shaun Escayg at E3 2019, he said the traumatic reveal was all by design... and that it may lead to one of Marvel's more out-there concepts.

“Well, Cap went down with the ship. The Avengers’ leader is Cap. The guy who always is logical, who always is able to bring this dysfunctional family together. Without him, how do they cope? … This is part of the set up, part of the conflict. It's, to me, the most exciting part of the story. What do the Avengers do without their beloved Captain?” Escayg said.

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