Hands-On With the First Four Chapters of Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu, Cyanide Studios’ RPG investigation game based on the pen and paper game of the same name, based on the HP Lovecraft short story of the same name, aims to emulate the rules of the former and the mood of the latter. Its first four chapters make good on the promise of an atmospheric, slow-moving horror experience that feels rooted in Lovecraft’s world, but I’m still wondering just how much your decision making affects its outcomes.

 Call of Cthulhu puts you in the shoes of private investigator Edward Pierce, a grizzled veteran hustling for a struggling business out of his lived-in New England office in 1919. I really loved the attention to detail here: old leather-bound books, yellowed newspaper clippings and dim lighting made me want to settle down in Pierce’s office with a cracked glass of whiskey, which is, incidentally, what Pierce does a lot.

Continue reading…

New Red Dead Redemption 2 Trailer Coming Very Soon

After a long stretch of sharing virtually nothing about Red Dead Redemption 2, the floodgates have opened recently. We should be learning even more soon, as Rockstar has announced that the next RDR2 trailer is coming on Monday, October 1.

The company shared the news on Twitter, saying our next glimpse at the game debuts in trailer form at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST. It didn’t specify what to actually expect to be featured in the trailer–it only said it would be “gameplay video part 2”–but there isn’t much longer to wait to find out.

With Red Dead Redemption 2’s release date coming on October 26, Rockstar recently afforded us an opportunity to go hands-on with the game. We came away impressed with the level of depth to the world, with numerous systems at play. Since then, more screenshots and details on things like hunting and fishing have been shared.

While the main game itself is coming in just a few weeks, Red Dead Online–the game’s online multiplayer component–won’t launch until sometime in November. Even then, it’ll only be releasing in beta, and Rockstar has warned of “teething problems” as it expects things may not go completely smoothly at launch.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available in a number of special editions; you can read all about that in our pre-order guide. There’s also a PS4 Pro bundle on the way, which revealed–at least on that system–RDR2 will require 105 GB on your hard drive.

Top New Game Releases On Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — September 30 – October 6

Normally when we kick off a new month, New Releases runs down the biggest games for the whole duration. Thing is, October is so jam-packed with games that we just have to take things week by week. This week alone has big exclusives like Forza Horizon 4, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, and Super Mario Party. It’s also home to new entries in blockbuster franchises with Mega Man 11 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Let’s get to it!

Forza Horizon 4 — October 2

Available on: Xbox One, PC

No Caption Provided

This time around, Forza Horizon 4 is headed to the UK. The shared-world driving game features over 450 cars, but that’s par for the course for the series. What’s new this time is changing seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer all drastically change how you move around the world. For example, you can drive right across a frozen lake–but only during winter.

Further Reading:

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise — October 2

Available on: PS4

No Caption Provided

Based on the manga series of the same name, this beat ’em up is finally getting a worldwide release. If the combat reminds you of the Yakuza games, it’s for good reason: this is from the same studio. The worldwide release also brings a new gore slider with it, letting you increase the blood spurts from protagonist Kenshiro’s many punches.

Further Reading:

Mega Man 11 — October 2

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

No Caption Provided

It might look modern, but Mega Man 11 is designed to play just like its NES and SNES cousins. That said, it’s mixing things up with a new Gear System, letting you slow down time or increase the power of your Mega Buster. You’ll need to make good use of both if you hope to take down an all-new squad of Robot Masters.

Further Reading:

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey — October 5

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

No Caption Provided

Assassin’s Creed games have featured multiple heroes before, but this particular entry lets you play through the entire adventure as either Alexios or Kassandra. Both heroes can romance and steal from NPCs, and you’ll have lots of options for responding to characters and carrying out quests. Naval combat is back too, for fans of high-seas swashbuckling.

Further Reading:

Super Mario Party — October 5

Available on: Switch

No Caption Provided

Super Mario Party is the first entry on Switch, and it’s utilizing a lot more than just motion controls and HD Rumble. You can use multiple Switches to play certain mini-games and even rearrange the board. Speaking of which, Super Mario Party also returns to the format of freely moving around the board as you compete for the most stars.

Further Reading:

All of this is happening in just the first week of October. Next time, we’ll take a look at some more big sequels like WWE 2K19 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, plus re-releases like Luigi’s Mansion and The World Ends With You: Final Remix.

Second Trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 Has Release Date

Rockstar Games posted a teaser on their social media channels Sunday that a new trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 will release on Monday morning, Oct. 1.

The post reads, “Gameplay Video Part 2 coming tomorrow 9am Eastern”.

Fans have been waiting for the second trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 to release, with the full game launch coming up quickly on Oct. 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be playable in first-person during its immediate release, and IGN recently spent two hours with the newest installment and thought the, “systems are polished to a level that feels frankly unmatchable by most of Rockstar’s peers.”

Continue reading…

Family Guy Season 17 Premiere: “Married… With Cancer” Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

When a show has been on the air as long as Family Guy, any attempt to shake up the usual formula is generally a risk worth taking. South Park has changed things up by pursing a more continuity-driven approach in recent years. Family Guy has never been that ambitious, but occasionally fans are treated to a multi-episode storyline where the events of one episode actually carry over to the next. Kicking off Season 17 with another two-parter is a nice way to welcome the series back. That said, “Married… With Cancer” left me questioning why this storyline actually needs a second chapter in the end.

Brian is probably the most frustrating character on the series. In some ways, he’s the most complex member of the Griffin family, with more emotional foibles and generally giving the writers more room in which to play around. But Brian also tends to be the most obnoxious of Family Guy’s main cast. So much of the show’s Brian-related humor centers around his performative wokeness and his desperation for other to recognize how progressive and open-minded he is.

Continue reading…

Fear the Walking Dead: Season 4 Finale Review

Warning: Full spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead’s Season 4 finale follow…

Fear the Walking Dead’s Season 4 finale had one job, basically. Regardless of who lived or died, of who survived to see the adventures ahead (spoiler: it was freakin’ everyone), none of these folks could ever step foot in Alexandria.

I know, I know. That’s crazy, right? This whole half season’s been solely about Morgan collecting his new compadres (even meeting some new ones) and taking them all to his friend Rick. To house them in a safe environment. To show them the king he’s always talking about. The king who – er – used to have a tiger. It’s been his directive from the get-go.

Now all of that had to unravel in 50 minutes. Or 80 minutes including commercials. Or really, the final five minutes because that’s how quickly the show had Morgan ditch his entire plan. Because The Walking Dead’s about to hit us with an eighteen month time jump. Yup, just as Fear caught up to Walking Dead, the original show’s like “Smell ya later!” and is skipping ahead a year and a half.

Continue reading…

The Simpsons Season 30 Premiere: “Bart’s Not Dead” Review

Warning: Full spoilers for The Simpsons Season 30 premiere below.

September 30 seems like an appropriate day for The Simpsons to kick off its 30th season. That’s another huge milestone for the series in 2018, after it already broke Gunsmoke’s record as the longest-running primetime scripted series in history. Not that the series went out of its way to mark the occasion (aside from a quick nod during the intro). That’s probably for the best. Last season began with the gimmicky, medieval-themed “The Serfsons,” an episode that failed to give the show much early momentum. “Bart’s Not Dead” sticks to treading more traditional ground, and in the process becomes one of the series’ better season premieres in recent memory.

Continue reading…

Fortnite Funko Pops Show All Your Favorite Skins

The first announcement of Fortnite Funko Pops came with the barest glimpse of one of the collectible figurines, the Rex skin. Now Funko has released a slew of other images showing off more than a dozen character skins getting the Funko treatment.

The Pops cover some of the most popular characters, like Brite Bomber, Black Knight, and Cuddle Team Leader, along with some holiday-themed ones like Red-Nosed Raider, Crackshot, and Merry Marauder. The full-size Pop figurines are joined by a pair of keychains, featuring Love Ranger and Cuddle Team Leader. All of the Funko collectibles are set to drop in November.

No Caption ProvidedGallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10Gallery image 11Gallery image 12Gallery image 13Gallery image 14Gallery image 15Gallery image 16

The announcement came right alongside the ringing in of Season 6, with new changes to the map, a whole new set of rewards to collect with your Battle Pass, and the addition of Shadow Stones and Pets. Check out our challenge map locations if you need some help scoring all that sweet loot.

Arguably one of the biggest changes to Fortnite this season came from outside the game itself. After months of criticism, Sony finally relaxed its policy on cross-play and allowed Fortnite to play nice with other consoles. Epic rolled out a new feature to ease the transition, by letting you link Fortnite console accounts. A separate account merging feature is coming this November.