The Halo franchise has a deep and rich narrative canvas. It’s great that developer 343 can use this to dive deep into the lore and tell new and interesting stories, and give further flavour to scenes with callbacks and references. But many would probably agree that Halo’s overall story can be difficult to get your head around in some ways. For Halo Infinite, 343 is trying to strike the balance between providing enough depth story-wise for veteran fans, while also trying to be “approachable” for players coming to Halo for the first time or returning after some time away.
Justin Robey, who recently became the “Director of Player Voice” for Halo Infinite, talked about this on 343’s latest Social Stream.
“Halo is one of those franchises where we have a lot of players who are probably going to come back when we release Halo Infinite,” he said. “And we want to make sure as it gets in there that people aren’t lost, which is one of the things that people complain about with Halo 5.
[People said], ‘Ahh there’s so many elements, and I don’t really know what’s going on.’ Making sure there is enough meat and awesome for the fans and at the same time it’s approachable for people who are coming back in [for Halo Infinite].”
Basically nothing is known about Halo Infinite’s story, though 343 has confirmed that it’ll focus more on Master Chief. That’s good news, as Halo 5 strayed away from Master Chief in some ways.
Robey’s new role as Director of Player Voice sees him essentially representing the player’s voice during the ongoing development of Halo Infinite. A lot of this is staying under wraps for now, but we do know Halo Infinite will launch early through “flighting” programs through which people can play part of the game before launch and give 343 feedback to make the game better.
Halo Infinite is in development for Xbox One and PC, though no release date or other specifics have been announced yet. We do know it’ll run on a brand-new engine called Slipspace. You can watch a trailer for the Slipspace engine in the video embed above.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, Titanfall developer Respawn announced and released its latest game, Apex Legends. This free-to-play battle royale is set in the Titanfall universe and is strictly team-based, with 20 teams of three players facing off on one huge map. In addition, the game has an emphasis on classes, with each character assisting and supporting their squad using unique special abilities.
There are eight classes (known in the game as Legends) to choose from and each has a specific role to play. Below we outline what each does, as well as offer additional insight into their roles and abilities.
You can download Apex Legends from the Origin store on PC, and on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 right now. GameSpot got an early look at the game, and you can read more in our impressions. We’ll also have a full review of Apex Legends in the coming days.
Bloodhound:
The Bloodhound is essentially the tracker class. His Passive ability allows you to see where enemy players have been, while his Tactical ability pings the area to reveal tracks left behind by foes. And with the Bloodhound’s Beast of the Hunt, your abilities are enhanced with increased movement speed and advanced environmental awareness.
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Gibraltar is an ideal candidate for defensive players. His Passive ability is a riot shield that can deflect enemy fire, and his Tactical ability is a dome shield that lasts for 15 seconds after deployment. If your teammates are the type to get into trouble in a firefight, you’ll want to use Gibraltar to protect them when cover is limited or if your team becomes sitting ducks. And when the going gets tough, you can support your squad with his Ultimate ability, Defensive Bombardment, which calls in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position (warning: you can kill yourself with this, so watch out for that).
Lifeline:
Lifeline is your prototypical medic class. Her Passive ability is a one-direction shield that deploys to revive a teammate, while her Tactical ability is a drone that automatically heals nearby allies. If those abilities aren’t enough to get your squad in good shape, Lifeline has an Ultimate ability that spawns in a pod filled with high-quality gear.
Pathfinder:
Sometimes a squad’s path to success is made possible by a solid recon player. Pathfinder handles that role in spades with abilities that provide advantageous intel. This optimistic robot’s Passive ability reveals the next ring’s location, and its zipline gun is handy for getting to out-of-reach locations. It can also assist allies with its Ultimate ability, which deploys a zipline that can be used by all squadmates.
Wraith:
Wraith is an agile offensive fighter with an intriguing roster of abilities. Her Passive ability tells you when enemies are lining up shots on you or your squad. While Wraith doesn’t have the highest defense, she can get out of trouble pretty easily with her phase shifting Tactical ability, which makes you invisible and invincible (even outside the circle) for a brief duration. Lastly, Wraith’s Ultimate ability makes for a handy way to support squadmates, as you’re given the ability to create a portal pathway for them to use.
Bangalore:
Bangalore is your standard soldier class with a couple tricks upher sleeve. Her Passive ability is an increased sprint speed under fire, while her Tactical ability are smoke canisters that can thwart pursuing enemies. But if her smoke bombs can’t stop a sudden enemy offensive, Bangalore’s Ultimate ability is an artillery strike that can easily push back the assault.
Caustic:
Caustic is a defensive class that can assist squadmates with practical area-of-effect weapons. His Tactical ability allows you to deploy deadly gas traps that detonate upon proximity or when shot. All the while, Caustic’s Passive ability allows you to see enemies through the gas. And if all this talk of gas wasn’t enough, his Ultimate basically blankets a large area in more deadly gas.
Mirage:
Mirage is for those who love to toy with their foes. His Tactical ability allows you to drop a holographic decoy, while his Passive ability takes that same decoy and deploys it when you’re knocked down by the enemy. If these decoys weren’t enough to fool the opposing team, Mirage’s Ultimate deploys a team of them to further confuse enemies while you remain cloaked.
The Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is coming to Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix paid $9 million to get the movie following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in late January.
The film stars Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, with its story told from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins). The film also stars John Malkovich, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, Jim Parsons, and Angela Sarafyan. It’s directed by Joe Berlinger, who worked on the Oscar-nominated Paradise Lost series about the West Memphis Three murders.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netlix went up against Lionsgate and STX in bidding for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile before winning out.
Netflix makes a lot of sense for the film, as it already has Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which was created by Berlinger. You can check out the first full trailer for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in the embed above.
No release date has been set yet for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, but it’s also expected to have a limited theatrical run along with its showing on Netflix.
For weeks, viewers have suspected Amelia, Wayne’s wife, of foul play. She seems much too enthusiastic about the case; what better way for a murderer to hide in plain sight than to investigate the murder herself?
In Episode 5, we get formally introduced to Lori, the woman who Roland met at the church questioning in the prior episode. She and Roland have moved in together. And already, people are wondering if she also had something to do with the abductions and killings.
The evidence for this is scant: She’s close to the case, she’s not a suspect (which, by Agatha Christie law, means she is a suspect), and she majored in poultry science, a direct call back to the Hoyt chicken CEO, whom we suspect had something to do with Julie’s abduction, because he wanted a grandchild to replace the one who died.
Lori probably didn’t do either deed herself. But if she is works for Hoyt, as her degree might imply, she may know more than she’s letting on. And if Wayne is the one who discovers this connection, that might be one of the several grudges that old Roland is carrying.
While the future of the X-Men remains unknown due to Fox’s upcoming merger with Disney, even though there’s still two movies slated for release, franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner is confident that whatever happens will be for the best and said as much while promoting the third and final season of Legion at the Television Critics Association press tour.
While Marvel Studios will take control of the X-Men characters under the leadership of Kevin Feige–and Donner isn’t sure she’ll have any role in future films–the popular superheroes are in good hands. “He’s got a great story sense,” Donner says of her former assistant Feige, who she worked with on the first X-Men film. “He’s got a great ability to weave each world and weave those worlds together. I trust him and I trust that he will take care of the X-Men.”
Unfortunately, though, with the ownership changing hands, several projects are in flux. Gambit, X-Force, and Kitty Pryde are all movies Donner said are in Disney’s hands now, should they happen at all. “This is all now in Disney’s playground and they get to decide,” she said. “At least we know it’s in good hands. Everybody’s worked really hard on the Fox side, but now it’s going to be Disney’s call.”
Meanwhile, there was one interesting X-Men tidbit Donner was able to share. When asked if producers had begun thinking about finding a new actor to take over the Wolverine character from Hugh Jackman, she offered a short, “Yes.”
While Jackman has made no secret that he considered Logan his final curtain call as the character, many fans were holding out hope to see him one day team up with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) or appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
“Just the physicality of it all, just to bulk up, this man worked so hard to bulk up. He’d get up at 3 in the morning to bulk and eat protein meals every two hours,” she explained. “His natural state is a very skinny guy. Once you reach a certain age, the body just won’t go anymore. I think he was wise to say, ‘I’m at that point. I can’t do it.'”
Still, even Donner stipulated that you can never say never when it comes to comic book movies. “Now, that doesn’t mean he can’t come back as older Wolverine, you never know. Future Wolverine, you never know,” she said. “I don’t know what Kevin is thinking. I don’t even think Kevin knows yet. I think Kevin’s still dealing with this wealth of characters and trying to make sense of it.”
In the meantime, there’s no telling what the future of the X-Men looks like. Donner isn’t scared, though. She has faith that Marvel Studios will do right by the heroes she’s spent so much time with since 2000’s X-Men.
Of course, she also realizes that superhero fatigue can become a real thing, both for audiences and a studio tasked with creating movies for such a wide array of characters in a singular universe. “The problem is, as you guys well know, you cannot have too many Marvel/X-Men/superhero movies out there because we would cancel each other out,” she admitted. “Each one has to be distinctive and yet you have so many story canons to follow through and yet we want new ones. I don’t think you can have more than four. Four is a lot. People are going to get sick of it, so he has to be careful with it.”
Thankfully, there’s still at least two more X-Men films on the way. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 9. New Mutants, on the other hand, might arrive on August 2, though it’s been delayed more than once.
Take-Two Interactive Software has announced that game industry veteran Michael Condrey has joined 2K Games as the head of a new Silicon Valley-based studio. Currently unnamed, the studio will be working on a new, unannounced project.
“At 2K, we offer our collective audience a variety of engaging and captivating entertainment experiences,” 2K president David Ismailer said. “We continually seek opportunities to empower and invest in the right people and ideas. Michael’s unparalleled creative, production, and leadership accolades are well-documented and deserved. We are greatly inspired not only by his passion but the potential for his new studio to complement our existing portfolio and development expertise.”
“Today’s announcement represents a rare and special opportunity for developers to help build and shape a new Silicon Valley studio from the ground up,” Condrey added. “I couldn’t be more excited, or thankful, to embark on this next step in my career.” Condrey’s new studio joins the 2K umbrella alongside Firaxis, Hangar 13, Visual Concepts, and Cat Daddy.
Previously, Condrey co-founded Sledgehammer Games, which is responsible for several well-received Call of Duty games, specifically 2011’sModern Warfare 3, 2014’sAdvanced Warfare, and 2017’sWWII. Prior to that, Condrey led the Visceral team on a very different type of game: 2008’sDead Space. More than 10 years later, the influence of Dead Space is still felt today–specifically when it comes to more action-focused survival horror gameslike the Resident Evil franchise.
Given the recent critical acclaim of Resident Evil 2–which we gave a 9/10 in our review–it would be awesome to see Condrey leading a horror game again. EA’s decision to close down Visceral shut down one of the game industry’s leaders in the survival horror genre, creating a void that no other studio has managed to truly fill yet.
