Author: Trafficblast

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 10. If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for Season 7, Episode 9.

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Ashley Eckstein wasn’t being hyperbolic when she declared this last stretch of Clone Wars episodes is “some of the best Star Wars ever made.” To quote Han Solo, it’s true. All of it. The Siege of Mandalore is only half over and it’s already lived up to all the hype that’s built up over the past year. Last week’s “Old Friends Not Forgotten” was a terrific start to this climactic story arc. But “The Phantom Apprentice?” There’s a strong case to be made for this installment being the single best Clone Wars episode ever. Which, by default, basically makes it the best Star Wars TV episode overall.

It’s actually pretty impressive how well this episode functions as a piece of standalone entertainment when it’s also one small piece of a bigger whole. More so than even the other two Season arcs, The Siege of Mandalore feels like one big movie broken into four parts. There’s the more cinematic intro sequences, for one thing, but also the fact that Episode 9’s cliffhanger flows directly into Episode 10’s first scene. It seems even more likely that Lucasfilm will be releasing a feature-length cut of this arc, either theatrically or straight to Blu-ray. If the series began life via a lackluster movie, it might as well end with a much better movie.

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Speed is definitely one of the show’s biggest assets right now, something that couldn’t be said for either of the previous Season 7 arcs. This show normally has a bad habit of wasting time during the longer arcs and stretching out storylines that would be better served in tighter, shorter formats. But once Ahsoka confronted Maul in the climax Episode 9, it was clear speed wasn’t going to an issue this time. That efficient pacing continues in Episode 10, which manages to forge a much deeper connection between Ahsoka and Maul and cram in not one, but two major lightsaber battles for good measure.

On the subject of those battles, this episode is yet another showcase for the improved animation quality in Season 7. The fact that original Maul actor Ray Park was brought in to provide motion-capture for the lightsaber fights brings a new level of realism and authenticity to the combat. The character models may be heavily stylized, but their movement is graceful and organic. In a series full of epic lightsaber showdowns, the two Ahsoka vs. Maul sequences stand out as some of the best and most lavishly rendered. It’s not just the choreography itself, but the way body language is used to show Maul dominating the first fight and then Ahsoka surging back to overwhelm an increasingly tired and desperate Maul in Round 2. There’s a great sense of progression that’s reminiscent of the Cloud City duel in The Empire Strikes Back.

This episode is great about adding far more depth and nuance to the Ahsoka/Maul dynamic. While both are among the most important players in this series, they haven’t actually had much (or any?) direct interaction. Maul has always been pretty laser-focused on Obi-Wan, after all. B e we see a fascinating relationship develop. Where first Ahsoka is an annoyance to Maul – a stand-in for the enemy he truly craves – she quickly becomes something more to him. It’s a lot of fun seeing Maul grow to respect Ahsoka and even attempt to make her his new apprentice. All three movie trilogies had their own “Join me and we’ll rule the galaxy” moments, and this episode gives us a fantastic riff on that old trope.

Another reason “The Phantom Apprentice” works as well as it does is it mages to highlight just how pointless and destructive the entire Clone Wars conflict has been. Maul’s lingering insanity really shines through (kudos, as always, to voice actor Sam Witwer) as he grapples with his foreboding premonitions and the even deeper understanding of how much a pawn he was to Darth Sidious. Seeing Maul sink from ambitious usurper to a twisted, petty man who seeks only to ruin his old master’s plan casts Maul in an even more tragic light. This series has brought such a new level of depth and pathos to a character who was previously known for looking cool. Even at this late stage, it’s finding new ways to explore Maul’s tragic arc.

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This episode is equally haunting in hit portrays the growing devastation of Mandalore and Ahsoka’s despair at seeing the monster she’s unleashed. She may have come to this world with the best of intentions, but the images of Clonetroopers wearing her colors and herding “liberated” Mandalorians like prisoners of war speak for themselves. It’s a dark but necessary counterpoint to the rousing scene of Ahsoka being greeted by her old comrades in Episode 9. And it only draws further attention to the question of what will happen with the 501st are forced to choose between their commander and their Empire.

This arc continues to use the looming specter of Episode III to its advantage. We may know what’s coming for most of these characters, but rather than deflating the tension it only adds to it. This episode cleverly ties into the events of the movie through Ahsoka’s conversation with Obi-Wan (quite possibly the last they’ll ever share), cluing us into the fact that the death of General Grievous and the beginning of Order 66 are mere hours away. It creates a ticking time bomb that’s impossible to ignore. And again, the rapid-fire pacing of these first two episodes really pays off. The fact that we’re only halfway through the Siege of Mandalore and Maul has already been taken off the board suggests anything can happen in these final two episodes. To quote Han again, it’s not over yet.

Until now, the Xbox One and Switch versions of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age have had extra features that the PS4 and PC releases did not. The job reset function, which allowed you to change jobs easily mid-game, and the expanded Gambit system were not available.

That’s now changed. Patch 1.0.4.0 has landed on Steam, and it contains just two changes:

• Job reset function has been added
• Gambit system has been expanded to 3 sets

This brings the Steam version of the popular Final Fantasy entry in line with the Switch and Xbox One versions, meaning that anyone playing on PC can now reset their jobs easily. Gematsu is reporting that this patch has also come to the PS4 version of the game.

Despite missing these features, the PS4 version of the game earned a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review. “While its enhancements do not translate into a brand new game for existing fans, The Zodiac Age is nonetheless invigorating,” wrote reviewer Miguel Concepcion. “For an experience that can last over a hundred hours, the subtle tweaks therein go a long way in showcasing Final Fantasy 12’s grand trek in a new light. Its epic, lore-abundant story and its time-tested Gambit System should also appeal to those who missed out on the mainline series’ trip to Ivalice the first time around.”

Fallout 76 recently released its new Wastelanders update, adding NPCs and making the whole game feel a bit more like a traditional Fallout game. Now, as fans enjoy this update, Bethesda has released a community calendar, providing a roadmap for what players can expect over the next month.

The community calendar outlines a coming double XP weekend in May, when galleries will be going live, vanity updates, and more. It’ll let you plan our your next month of Fallout 76 play. You can have a look at it below.

The developer is also promising a return of the Public Test Server for patches planned in the future. The PTS was used to test Wasterlanders, as well as the earlier Nuclear Winter mode. “We would like to re-open the PTS starting next Thursday, April 30, so that we can get lots of early community feedback for our next update, which is currently planned for May,” the post reads. “As with Wastelanders, your participation will help us get a head start on any needed improvements or fixes.”

The upcoming round of testing will be invite-only, and players will need to sign and return an NDA. Players who used the PTS to test out Wastelanders will not need to sign up again.

Fallout 76 Wastelanders is currently afflicted with a strange bug that makes NPCs steal from player’s corpses.

In 2018, it was revealed that The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios was working on a new IP. The game remains unannounced, but now the studio has hired big industry name to work on the title.

Colin Campbell–who previously worked on Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning–has joined ZeniMax Online Studios as lead level designer for the studio’s unannounced new IP.

The game’s creative director, Ben Jones, welcomed Campbell to the team in a tweet, where he also stated that Campbell will have a “major impact” on the new game.

According to Campbell’s LinkedIn page, his first game development credit was as lead world designer on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the role-playing game from Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios. After the developer went belly up, Campbell joined Epic Games Maryland where he served as senior level designer on Infinity Blade: Dungeons.

He then moved to BioWare where he worked as lead level designer on Mass Effect: Andromeda. His next job was also with EA, as he was the lead narrative designer on Star Wars: Battlefront II and a producer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

ZeniMax Online Studios currently has more than 30 open positions posted on its careers site, which may indicate the studio is ramping up development on the new IP.

In addition to the new IP, ZeniMax Online Studios continues to work on The Elder Scrolls Online, which was originally released in 2014. The developer has plans to support the MMO throughout 2020 and beyond.

The Borderlands 3 new expansion, Revenge of the Cartel, has gone live. With the 80s flair of neon colors and an all-new arch nemesis, Revenge of the Cartel is bringing even more loot to the base game for a limited-time on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

The new area will bring in never-before-seen enemy types, limited-time challenges, and new legendary loot. Players will need to complete a number of side-missions to unlock the new Villa Ultraviolet area.

Maurice will be adding some new, repeatable quests to his job board inside Sanctuary III, with each quest zeroing in on Cartel Operatives across the universe. Take enough of the Cartel members down and you’ll unlock Villa Ultraviolet and meet the Cartel crime boss Joey Ultraviolet.

There are 18 total limited-time in-game challenges to complete, with each giving out exclusive rewards on completion.

Borderlands 3 Revenge Of The Cartels Challenge Rewards:

• 3 Challenges: VECH-tor Graphics ECHO Device Skin
• 6 Challenges: Retro Outrunner Weapon Trinket
• 10 Challenges: Framed Firewall Room Decoration
• 14 Challenges: Hotline Pandora Vault Hunter Head
• 18 Challenges: Death by Filigrees Vault Hunter Skin

Revenge of the Cartel is free for players who own Borderlands 3 right now, with the event running until June 4.

The turnip trade has become a hot commodity in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with players able to make millions in bells thanks to the community working together and opening their islands when they get a spicy price. Everyday people on Twitter are tweeting how much their stores are offering for turnips and opening their gates for anyone to come in and make some money, apparently including celebrities.

Once the call goes out online that an island is open with a high selling price on turnips people start to flock to these islands, lining up in front of the store in single file. One user, Jessa, posted on Twitter that her turnip prices were selling for 599 bells each, only to have Elijah Wood slide into her DMs.

Apparently, the Lord of the Rings star DMed her if he could have her Dodo Code in order to visit her island and sell his turnips. Once it was sent Woods flew over and joined Jessa and her friends who had gathered for the once in a lifetime event.

Woods was reportedly very kind, asking for permission to gather fruit, complimenting his host on their island decorating skills, and even posing for some photos with his fans. The Hollywood star was the ultimate island visitor, a role model for how people should act when visiting other islands.

Before leaving, Woods made sure to shout out Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently available on Nintendo Switch. For more on how you too can lure a celebrity to your island and make millions on the turnip market, head over to our turnip guide.

A new update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone will release on April 28, Activision has announced. The update is coming to PS4 and Xbox One, and it’s a mandatory update, which means you must download it to keep playing.

After the update installs, players will then be asked to download “Data Pack 1” from the in-game menus. After this update is finished, players must quit and restart to keep playing.

Activision did not provide any details on what’s actually included in the Data Pack, but those details should become available soon. Activision did not say if this patch is also coming to PC.

The April 28 update will be just the latest update for Modern Warfare/Warzone, following a patch released on April 23 that fixed two major exploits.

In other news, players identified as potential cheaters are now being put into matches together so they can suffer their terribleness together.