Author: Trafficblast

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Warner Bros. has been building its house on a foundation of Harry Potter for almost 20 years now. It’s been a solid formula for the studio, but the last year has shaken the foundation. Author J.K. Rowling’s problematic tweets have caused the company to distance itself from the author, and this week the studio formally announced that Johnny Depp would be exiting Fantastic Beasts 3, where he was set to reprise his role as Gellert Grindelwald. Now, though, WB is reportedly eyeing actor Mads Mikkelsen to replace him.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is at the top of the short list to join the Fantastic Beasts 3 cast, according to a report from Deadline. Deadline’s sources say that Mikkelsen is Fantastic Beasts director David Yates’ first choice to play Grindelwald, and that he’s already in early talks to do so.

Depp, who played the character in the first two movies, found himself pushed out of the role earlier this week after losing a British court battle against a tabloid that labeled him a “wife beater” in connection to his marriage to actress Amber Heard. Warner Bros. asked Depp to leave after he’d filmed just one scene last month in London. Depp isn’t hurting–the studio is apparently paying out an eight-figure salary to the actor for his single scene.

Mads has become a fan favorite actor in recent years thanks to roles like Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the fan-favorite Hannibal show, Galen Erso in Rogue One, and even the undying soldier Clifford Unger the Hideo Kojima-directed game Death Stranding. The talks are, once again, early, but if chatter on social media is anything to go by, this casting decision would be well received.

If Mikkelsen takes the role, he has a lot of work to do. We were cool on the previous entry, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, thanks to the way it mistreated Harry Potter lore, ignored the rules the previous nine movies had established, and gave Depp very little to do with the character that Mikkelsen might be taking over. Then again, Mikkelsen might be the only thing that’ll get us watching Fantastic Beasts 3.

Back when the Xbox One S first launched in 2017, teardowns revealed that the console hid a tiny stylized Master Chief in the form of an etching on one of its internal components. Now, teardowns of the newly released Xbox Series S have revealed that the same is true of Microsoft’s latest console, as picked up by Kotaku.

A teardown posted by Modern Vintage Gamer found the easter egg, this time in the form of a tiny Master Chief helmet stamped on the console’s power supply.

It’s a cute touch for a part of the console that most users will never see–gaining access to your Xbox Series S’s internals requires removing two security stickers that will absolutely void the console’s warranty. The Xbox Series S’s minimalist black and white design was a stark departure from Xbox’s classic green and black consoles, so it’s nice to know that Xbox staple Master Chief is still keeping an eye on things from the inside.

The Xbox Series S officially released on November 10, though stock has so far been limited for those who didn’t manage to snag a pre-order. Check out our launch-day buying guide to see what retailers are stocking the Xbox Series X and S, though don’t be surprised if you can’t get your hands on a new console straight away. You can also check out our full review of the Series S here.

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One of the PlayStation 4’s most beloved games, Marvel’s Spider-Man has received a face lift (quite literally) for Sony’s brand-new PlayStation 5, so we compared it to a version of the game running on PlayStation 4 Pro.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered for PlayStation 5 is able to be played in two modes. In Performance Mode, the game runs at 60fps, but doesn’t have all the bells and whistles afforded to the next generation, such as ray tracing. In Fidelity Mode, the game is locked at 30fps, but has lighting enhancements, ray tracing, and additional visual effects. We compared the PS5 version’s Fidelity Mode to the PlayStation 4 Pro version of the game, which runs at 30fps in an upscaled 4K resolution.

We also show some more footage of Peter Parker’s new face, so you can compare it to the old one, and judge which you prefer. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Ultimate Edition includes Spider-Man Remastered. You can buy the game separately, or upgrade your PS4 version.

In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, there isn’t a waypoint for everything. In fact, a great deal of the coolest side quests and things to do or discover in the game aren’t even tracked in your Quest log. You just have to go out and find them, and mark down what you’re supposed to do in your mind or on a piece of paper. It’s so cool.

Below, we outline a few of our favorite hidden quests and secrets to discover in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla–not all of them mind you, just the ones that tickled our fancy or caught our eye. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. We’re just going to point out where to go to kick off a secret side quest or find a cool discovery.

Take A Beat To Take A Break

As per tradition, a great deal of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is someone in the present-day using an Animus to relive the memories of someone in the past. Unlike older games in the series, however, Valhalla doesn’t pull you out of the Animus all that often. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t just hop out every once in a while.

There’s actually a gold mine of lore to pick through in the modern-day. Check Layla’s laptop for some intriguing tidbits of lore, as well as a mention of how the COVID pandemic is affecting the world of Assassin’s Creed. Layla can talk to her allies as well, and the two will usually have new things to talk to Layla about after significant developments in Eivor’s story. The game won’t tell you about this, though. If you want to hear those conversations, you’ll need to choose to leave the Animus on your own.

Work In The Dark…

Upon unlocking the Hidden One Bureau in your settlement, Eivor will be able to learn the leap of faith, begin their quest to hunt down the Order of Ancients, and start helping Hytham collect codex pages. All of these are marked in your quest log, but there aren’t waypoints assigned to the latter two. Hunting down the codex pages are a definite highlight, especially if you like the lore behind the Hidden Ones and Assassin Brotherhood. Plus, each page is located in a spot that also hides pieces of something really cool.

To find these pages and the extra reward, you’ll have to think like an Assassin. Look at your map and think about the history of England. Who was in power the last time the Hidden Ones were here? Where would the Hidden Ones have set up in order to keep watch over the leaders of the people? Follow your instincts and you’ll discover the remnants of the Hidden Ones, claiming one of Valhalla’s coolest surprises in the process.

…To Serve The Light

Behind the longhouse in your settlement, you’ll see a pond. Walk over to the pond’s edge and you’ll get a prompt for something fairly cool that you can add to your brand-new home–provided you have some in your inventory. It’s sure to light up the place.

Trouble In Paradise

Speak to the members of your settlement and you’ll learn more about them, eventually unlocking new quests and abilities. This is also how you can start relationships with certain members of your community. Unlike Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Valhalla’s romances are a bit more long-term. You have to break them off in order to start a new one.

There is one romance in the settlement that will likely get you into a bit of trouble, as it possibly could direct you towards Valhalla’s “bad” ending depending on how you go about it. Keep talking to people and expanding your settlement so that you can attract even more settlers to talk to. The romance we’re talking about will present itself soon enough. Whether you want to pursue it and see how people react to Eivor afterward is totally up to you. If you do decide to go for it, don’t worry–you’re not locked into the bad ending of the game. You can still salvage Eivor’s reputation if you make certain decisions at key points in the story.

Daddy’s Little Girls

Deep in the lands of East Anglia is a small, ransacked home. An almost mystical aura hangs in the air, and scattered notes tell a frightening story of a man and his three daughters. It is not a welcoming place, but those willing to press on will find a nearby tomb, hiding a piece of gear behind a locked door. And the door needs three keys. If you’re having trouble finding this place, go to the eastern-most area of the country.

Become The King Of Puzzles

Ah, Stonehenge. Such a well-known landmark. You know, I bet if you looked at a map of England and then used that knowledge to determine where Stonehenge is, you’d be able to find it in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Who knows what type of secret is hidden there–or perhaps, close by? We’d advise you to check out any nearby caves. And then get ready for Valhalla’s take on the platforming-focused challenges seen in previous games. You’re about to do a lot, but it will be worth it.

A Snake In The Grass

You can actually find quite a few hidden secrets by zooming in on your map as close as you can and looking at the layout of the land. Are there some ancient-looking ruins that surround what appears to be an arena? Or a small town located deep in a forest? Or perhaps there’s…there’s…is that a snake designed into the hillside of Cent, Wessex? Huh…wonder what’s over there?

Prove Your Worth In Battle

Before leaving Norway for England, you may have noticed that there’s an area that asks you to be power level 280. If you’re willing to flee from some very angry polar bears, you can actually survive the area even in your lowly power level state. Your destination is the Hordafylke mountains. You’ll know you’re in the right place if thunder booms in the distance, likely scaring off the polar bears that are trying to eat you.

If you’ve already left Norway, don’t fret. You can easily sail back to Norway after setting yourself up in England. Now, when it comes to actually completing the quest you’ll find in those mountains, that’s a whole other thing entirely. Prepare yourself for a long journey, fraught with lots of tough battles–you’ll likely be power level 280 by the next time you’re back here. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, might we point you back to the East Anglia tomb mentioned earlier?

A Drug Trip

Okay, this one is kind of cheating because it’s not only added to your quest log when you start it, but you get a waypoint marker for it too. However, none of those show up until you actually unlock the quest, so we’re going to count it.

To be blunt, one of the coolest questlines in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is tied to Valka, the Raven Clan’s seer that you leave behind in Norway at the beginning of the game. She will not join your settlement in England until it has grown to a certain size. So early on in the campaign, your number one goal should be expanding the size of your settlement. And then when Valka shows up, you should build her home immediately. It’s not only common courtesy, but you’ll unlock a really fun questline that’s worth jumping into and completing as soon as you’re able.

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