Author: Trafficblast

A Quiet Place Part II Review: A Fast-Moving And Intense Follow-Up

Many of the most effective horror movies work because of a single, clever gimmick. The 2018 hit A Quiet Place used sound as its biggest threat. In this post-apocalyptic monster movie, terrifying but blind alien creatures have invaded the planet and use sound to find their prey. Director and star John Krasinski delivered a tense and scary film focused on a family’s attempts to stay alive by being as quiet as possible–which is not easy when you need to find supplies, give birth, and avoid large nails jutting out from wooden steps.

The sequel, which finally arrives this month after a 14-month delay, is once again directed by Krasinski, who is also the sole screenwriter this time around. Krasinski’s character, Lee Abbott, didn’t make it out of the first movie alive, but he does appear in the opening sequence, which takes us back to the first day of the alien apocalypse. It’s a savage, intense scene that sets the tone for the rest of the movie, as Lee, his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) race for safety as their small town is invaded by the huge, multi-limbed creatures.

From there the story picks up moments after the end of the first movie, 18 months after the world ended. Evelyn, Regan, Marcus, and the newborn baby escape their now burning farmhouse and head out into the deserted and dangerous wider world. They soon encounter another local man, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who lost his family and is now surviving as best he can. At first, Emmett doesn’t want them to stay in the derelict building he is sheltering in, but when Regan leaves the group to go find help alone, Evelyn persuades him to head out into the wilderness to find her.

While the first Quiet Place mixed tense horror thrills with affecting family drama, the sequel puts far more emphasis on the former. The movie does find a few moments of downtime for the beleaguered Abbotts, but for most part this is a stripped-down and intense series of set-pieces, mostly based around the same thing: staying quiet so you don’t get torn apart. The movie runs for just 97 minutes, and is ruthlessly edited to maximise the scares. There are times when a bit more breathing room might have been appreciated, particularly when a community of survivors is encountered later on in the film, but credit to Krasinski for knowing how to keep the tension high by only including scenes that are absolutely necessary. A Zack Snyder movie this is not.

The strength of the cast goes a long way in keeping us invested in the survival of their characters. The first film established a strong, believable bond between them, and Krasinski relies on this natural chemistry. In particular the relationship between the hearing-impaired Regan and her brother Marcus is beautifully performed by Simmons and Jupe, who communicate via sign language. Regan is the movie’s bravest and most resourceful character, and Simmons proves herself to be a charismatic and commanding actor. It’s a shame that Blunt is literally left holding the baby for much of the film, meaning that Murphy gets to do far more of the action hero stuff, as Emmett and Regan embark on their own adventure.

Splitting the group for much of the film is a bold choice, considering the original worked so well with a family unit trying to stay alive in a single setting. But Krasinski really shows his developing skills as a filmmaker here, with some superbly executed cross-cutting ensuring we’re able to stay simultaneously gripped by dangerous encounters in two or three completely separate locations. And while the movie is more interested in scaring us than providing much in the way of character development or world-building, we’re given a look at the world beyond the farm for the first time–and it ain’t pretty. Despite the abundance of post-apocalyptic survivor stories in recent movies and TV, it’s still a shock to see how quickly society has broken down in this world.

Despite the top-notch CGI and impressively freaky creature design–the monsters are no longer kept in shadows–the use of sound remains one of the film’s biggest technical assets. Krasinski will often show how Regan perceives her environment, cutting the audio entirely, before switching back to the sound of the creatures’ terrifying screams and Marco Beltrami’s thunderous score. Emmett and Regan’s attempts to communicate through her lip-reading and his rudimentary sign language also give the movie some of its most touching scenes.

A Quiet Place Part III has already been announced, and while there is definitely more mileage to be had from these characters and this world, it’s hard to escape the feeling that it has affected the way the second film wraps up. In short–it doesn’t really end, it just stops. Which, to be fair, is in keeping with the relentless pacing throughout, and in this era of extended endings and mid-credits scenes, it’s refreshing to watch a movie that is confident enough to simply end. But there are questions remaining that just a few more minutes might have helped resolve and made it all feel less like the penultimate episode of a gripping TV show.

But for the most part, A Quiet Place Part II is the best kind of horror sequel–one that honors the elements that made the first so successful, but instead of simply repeating the formula, finds new ways to keep the story fresh and the scares effective. Krasinski has already handed the reins of the third movie over to Midnight Special’s Jeff Nichols, and it’s unclear whether he’ll stay in horror for subsequent movies as a director. It will be a loss to the genre if this is all we get, as A Quiet Place Part II continues his growth as one of its most skilled filmmakers.

Say Goodbye to Internet Explorer

Microsoft is pulling the plug on its Internet Explorer web browser for beginning June 15, 2022.

“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” Microsoft Edge program manager Sean Lyndersay announced in a blog post today. “Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.”

Microsoft Edge is the newer web browser released by the company originally released on Windows 10 and Xbox One in 2015.

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Although Microsoft is retiring the Internet Explorer web browser, Edge includes an “IE” mode, meaning you can still access Explorer-based websites and apps directly from Edge. Microsoft promises to support the Internet Explorer mode in Edge through “at least 2029.”

The news from Microsoft is no surprise from the company. Last year, Microsoft slowly began the process when it announced that Microsoft 365 apps suite, including Office 365 and Outlook, would support Internet Explorer 11 on August 17, 2021.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Outriders Surpasses 3.5 Million Unique Players In Its First Month

Square Enix has announced that Outriders has surpassed 3.5 million unique players worldwide in its first month alongside revealing what fixes are coming in its next patch.

While there was no further data as to how the players were split between those who purchased the game vs those who played via Xbox Game Pass, the Outriders team did share a few more fun facts from the game’s first month.

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As of May 1, Outriders has been played for over 120 million hours, with the average playtime reaching 31 hours. The Trickster is the most popular class with 27.9% of players choosing that path, followed by The Pyromancer, Technomancer, and Devastator.

The most used ability is the Trickster’s Slow Trap, there has been 1.6 quadrillion points of total damage, 9.2 billion Perforo kills, 20 billion total kills, 1.9 trillion Scrap collected, and 457 billion Titanium pieces collected.

The most popular legendary weapons are Deathshield and Funeral Pyre, and the player with the most amount of playtime is 797 hours.

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As previously mentioned, Square Enix shared that the upcoming patch, which is “designed primarily to address the damage mitigation issue,” is in final testing and is planned to be released on May 20, but “that will only be confirmed once it successfully passes through testing.”

The patch will also include crash fixes and added telemetry to help diagnose the outstanding sign-in issues. The team is also still working working on the player appreciation package.

For more, check out our Outriders review, our best tips and tricks, and the latest details on Outriders’ inventory wipe fix.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

CoD: Warzone Competition World Series Of Warzone Has $1.2 Million In Prize Money

Following the game’s successful first year and the launch of its third season, Activision has announced a tournament series for Call of Duty: Warzone. The series, titled the World Series of Warzone, will offer a total prize pool of $1.2 million across its four separate events and feature both prominent names in the competitive Call of Duty scene as well as regular players.

The World Series of Warzone (also known as WSOW) will only include players from either North American or European regions. Games will be hosted in custom lobbies and consist of either duos or trios matches. The first match, a trios competition, will be held on June 23 and consist exclusively of North American players. A total of 50 trio squads will be competing in this event for their share of its $200,000 reward.

Besides regular events, Captain’s Cup tournaments will also be a part of the WSOW. In these side competitions, captains draft their own teams of trio squads–10 total–to battle it out for a piece of a $100,000 prize pool.

While this tournament will feature professional Call of Duty players, Activision is encouraging anyone that thinks they’ve got the skills to throw their hat in the ring. Players can sign up for the tournament series’ first qualifier on Gamebattles. The qualifier tournament will be trios format and is set to take place on May 24. This event’s winning squad will be awarded an invitation to the WSOW: Trios tournament.

Considering Warzone’s history of cheaters and various exploits, opening up a tournament like this to anyone seems like a dangerous choice. However, Activision has stated that it will be screening all participants prior to any events. “All participants will need to pass an extensive and internal Activision security check to make sure their Activision accounts are in good standing,” reads an announcement post for the WSOW. Anyone that passes this preliminary check but then violates “competitive integrity standards” will then be banned from any Activision-sponsored Warzone events.

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Deathloop: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Deathloop is set to release for PS5 and PC on September 14 (see it on Amazon). It will be available in a standard edition, as well as a deluxe edition that comes with a few digital extras. You’ll find full details about what comes in each edition, as well as preorder bonus information below. Let’s get to it.

Preorder Deathloop (Standard Edition)

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The standard edition of Deathloop comes with the game itself, plus the preorder bonus (see below).

Deathloop Deluxe Edition

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The deluxe edition of Deathloop comes with the game itself, plus the following digital items:

  • .44 Karat Fourpounder Weapon
  • “Eat the Rich” Tribunal Weapon
  • “Sharp Shooter” Julianna Skin
  • “Party Crasher” Colt Skin
  • Soundtrack Selections
  • 2 Trinkets (Equippable Buffs)

Deathloop Preorder Bonus

deathloop-preorder-bonusPreorder Deathloop, and you’ll receive the following:

  • “Storm Rider” Colt Skin
  • 1 Trinket (Equippable Buff)
  • Royal Protector Machete (PS5 Exclusive)

Additionally, if you preorder Deathloop from Best Buy, you’ll get a $10 reward coupon to use on a future purchase. The only catch is that you have to be a My Best Buy member to take advantage of the deal, but signing up is free.

What is Deathloop?

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Deathloop is a first-person shooter from Arkane Lyon, the developer behind the Dishonored series. It’s about a pair of rival assassins who are stuck in a Groundhog Day-type loop where they keep living through the same day over and over again. You play as Colt, and your goal is to break the time loop by taking down eight targets in a single day. To do so, you can take advantage of a wide array of weaponry, as well as supernatural powers.

As you go about your business, you’re being hunted by Julianna Blake, another assassin. Julianna is controlled by the game’s AI, but if you want to, you can enable multiplayer to let Julianna be controlled by another player. Or you can invade another player’s game by taking control of Julianna and hunting down Colt.

Despite Microsoft now owning Bethesda, the parent company of Arkane Lyon, Deathloop remains a PS5 console exclusive. As such, it takes full advantage of the DualSense controller, offering haptic feedback and using the adaptive triggers.

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Things Get Slippery In Trailer For Netflix’s The Ice Road Starring Liam Neeson

The first trailer for Netflix’s action movie The Ice Road has landed, showing off Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne as ice road truckers on a perilous journey.

A diamond mine has collapsed in northern Canada, and Neeson and Fishburne take up the call to deliver an essential piece of equipment to rescue them. The only thing is they have to cross a slippery, scary 300-mile ice road to get there, and they only have 30 hours. At the same time, their mission is being sabotaged. None of it’s good, but if the Taken franchise has taught us anything, it’s to never bet against a man with a particular set of skills, whether those skills are murdering people to save your daughter or driving a truck across ice.

The Ice Road is scheduled for release on Netflix on June 25. It’s written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, who is no stranger to action movies. He wrote Die Hard: With A Vengeance and Armageddon, while he directed 2004’s The Punisher.

The film also features Benjamin Walker, Amber Midthunder, and Marcus Thomas.

The Ice Road’s story is fictional, but ice roads are real. Known for being dangerous, ice roads inspired the History Channel’s reality TV show, Ice Road Truckers, which ran for eleven seasons until it ended in 2017.

There is also a ice road trucking game called SnowRunner, and it just came to Xbox Game Pass so you can check it out with your subscription.

In other Netflix news, the company has announced that Jenna Ortega (Scream, The Fallout) will star in the titular role for its upcoming Tim Burton-directed Wednesday Addams series.

Rick & Morty and Three Other Adult Swim Shows are Getting Spin-Off Series

Adult Swim has announced that shortform spin-offs of Rick and Morty, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, and Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell are in development.

As reported by THR, these four new series are based on characters from or inspired by the previously mentioned shows. Each mini-spinoff will run for 8-10 episodes and will be available across global digital platforms.

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The Vindicators is the Rick and Morty spin-off and it stars Supernova, Vance Maxiumus, Alan Rails, Crocubot, and Noob Noob. The series will follow them as they “fight crime, avert genocides and yuk it up without Rick and Morty.” The Vindicators is being executive produced by Erica Rosbe, Sarah Carbiener, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.

Alabama Jackson is the Robot Chicken spin-off and it stars Donald Faison as the titular Alabama Jackson, a “smooth-talking time traveler who lands in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time, every time.” If he is able to survive the long enough to get back to the present, he “just might find something he wasn’t looking for – himself.”

Alabama Jackson is a “hilarious, action-packed stop-motion animated series” that is created by Faison and produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.

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AquaDonk Side Pieces is the continuation of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and fans “will be bestowed with the gift of learning what happens in the later lives of various side characters and villains such as The Mooninites, The Plutonians, MC Pee Pants, The Frat Aliens, Happy Time Harry, Handbanana and The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past.”

This series will premiere later this year and was created by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis.

Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell: The Animated Series is returning for its fifth season, this time in animated internet shorts. The official description teases that “Cruel boss Satan (Matt Servitto), bumbling demon Gary (Henry Zebrowski), and all your other favorites return in America’s beloved workplace comedy set in hell.”

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Fans will be able to expect “more laughs, more gore and maybe a talking animal. Seems like if it’s a cartoon they should add a talking animal. Maybe a fish?” The show is a Williams Street production and it is created by Casper Kelly and Dave Willis.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Returnal Patch 1.3.7 Fixes Crashes, Saves Your Eardrums

Returnal’s next patch, version 1.3.7, is releasing tomorrow, developer Housemarque has announced. The patch should help with some of the game’s remaining crashing issues, as well as a fix that should save you from hearing loss.

The patch notes posted on Housemarque’s website (and below) say it includes “multiple fixes for rare crashes during gameplay,” though it doesn’t specify if there are any specific triggers for that. We’ve experienced some Returnal crashes, ourselves, including one that shut down the PS5 itself, but they’ve been relatively rare.

Now Playing: Returnal Video Review

Additionally, a “rare audio bug causing loud noises during combat” has been addressed. This bug made an incredibly loud noise–it sounded like the Inception sound effect–blare through your speakers, seemingly at random. What isn’t mentioned is a separate issue that could cause all sound playing through the TV speakers to cut out, even outside the game on PS5, until the game was restarted. We also encountered this issue once.

Other fixes include a black screen during credits or gameplay, getting stuck in certain rooms, issues with Deceased Scouts, and an issue with the Ophion boss disappearing if the Reconstructor is used during the fight.

Patch 1.3.7 will go live on May 20 at 2 PM GMT+3, which is 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET. You can read the full patch notes below, and you can check out our Returnal review and Returnal boss fight guide to help you reach the final ending.

Patch Notes:

  • Fixed an issue with Deceased Scouts not appearing as often as intended.
  • After having one of their Deceased Scout corpses scavenged, players will no longer receive a negative-effect parasite on startup. Fixed an issue where the Ophion boss might disappear after a player uses the Reconstructor during the fight.
  • Fixed a rare audio bug causing loud noises during combat.
  • Fixed a small number of issues where players might become stuck in various rooms.
  • Fixed several issues where the player might encounter a black screen during the credits or whilst playing.
  • Multiple fixes for rare crashes during gameplay.

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Get Bose’s Popular QuietComfort 35 II Headphones For $182 (Save $118)

When it comes to high-end consumer headphones, it’s difficult to not immediately think of Bose. The audio company pioneered the best noise-canceling headphones for years, becoming a staple for travellers and audio aficionados alike. If you still haven’t heard them for yourself, eBay has an enticing deal on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Headphones, which you can grab for just under $182 just $182 today, down from their usual $300 list price (as a point of comparison, they’re still full price at Amazon). The headphones have an initial discount of $214, but when you add them to your cart, you’ll see the full discount applied automatically at checkout.

$182 (was $300)

The QuietComfort 35 II retains the traditional design of the enduring headphone line, albeit with optimizations to make its wireless experience better with your smartphone. The headphones feature a dedicated assistant button that can be paired with anything from Alexa to Siri, as well as physical volume buttons on the opposite ear cup to make it easier to tune your music to your liking.

These QuietComfort 35 II’s are a refurbished pair, but they come straight from Bose itself with the original packaging and all required cables. They also come with a two-year Allstate warranty, which is more than you get when buying a brand-new pair, too. You’ll also get free shipping and eBay’s money-back guarantee as well.

It isn’t a Bose set of headphones without industry-leading noise canceling, though, and the QuietComfort 35 II delivers that in spades. These will be perfect for when you get back to long flights, or if you just want to drown out the world for a few hours. The comfortable and lightweight design will ensure you can wear these cans throughout the day, and you can switch to a wired connection should the battery die.

These QuietComfort 35 II’s are a refurbished pair, but they come straight from Bose itself with the original packaging and all required cables. They also come with a two-year Allstate warranty, which is more than you get when buying a brand-new pair, too.

If you’re looking for headphones with more features suited to gaming, you can check out our guides on the best headsets for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. While you’re at it, be sure to check out a great deal Best Buy is running today only on an HDMI 2.1-equipped 4K LG TV.