Author: Trafficblast

Making is to 100 episode of TV in the modern landscape is no easy feat. So many shows last only a season or two before meeting an untimely end. That’s what makes The Flash‘s achievement so special and worthy of celebration. What you might not have expected, though, was an episode that also served as a game changer for not just this season, but the series as a whole. Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Flash’s 100th episode, “What’s Past is Prologue.”

While visiting the past was a nice way to honor all that the show has become, what was especially important is how it shaped the future–namely how it involves Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy). “I really didn’t think I’d have a big part of it because I always sort of felt like the 100th episode should represent everyone that had been in the show so I was so surprised when I knew I was going to be such a huge part of it,” Kennedy told GameSpot on The Flash 100th episode red carpet.

She did play a massive role, though, which involves her own future. After meeting the Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh) that tormented her father throughout Season 1 of the series, it was revealed she’s actually working with him–or some version of him–in the future, long after her father disappeared. What her goal is, though, has yet to be revealed.

“There’s something going on but we don’t understand it exactly what it is,” she said. “Obviously, as the season goes on, that will make sense but I think the biggest thing is, is Norah good when there’s a part of Norah that’s bad? What are the reasons she’s there?”

That’s the question on the minds of every fan after realizing Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) daughter is working with his most dreaded enemy in some way. What would bring her to it and what happens now that she sees the man he truly was?

Of course, looking at it from Cavanagh’s point of view, bringing back Thawne is an exciting challenge. How do you revisit a former character but keep it fresh and new?

“I always think if you’re fortunate enough to be on a long-running TV show, maybe you don’t necessarily have to reinvent but it’s best not to get too staged in, you know, what you present to the viewership because I think they know you know an occasional ignition in one way or another,” he explained. “I think that with taking the classic villain, keeping him the classic villain, but showing a different error or different side or different aspect, if you will, with it was enjoyable.”

That was also the route showrunner Todd Helbing and his writers wanted to take when it came to penning the script for the episode and deciding where it would lead as the season goes on. “We don’t wanna just do the same villain over and over and if we had the exact same attitude with Eobard Thawne, that we’ve seen this whole time, that’s not going to be interesting either,” he said. “So, he was part of the pitch from the beginning and I think what we really wanted to do was just see a different attitude from Thawne that we hadn’t, see him in a different light and, you know, there’s a big theme of legacy this season. And so, when we started talking about that with every other character and then we got to Thawne, it’s like, ‘What does legacy mean to him?’ So that’s what we start to touch on in the background.”

What does this mean for Sherloque, though? The version of Wells helping the team out in current day was certainly teased to show a connection to Eobard. In the 100th episode, they both refer to Nora as a “clever girl,” referencing Jurassic Park. However, as Helbing revealed, the two are not the same person.

“I’ll just say he’s has a different agenda than Thawne.” the showrunner teased. As for what that agenda is, and whether it’s good or evil, you’re going to have to wait for the season to play out. We’ll also have to wait to see whether Barry and Nora traveling back in time will have any impact on the timeline. “I feel like towards the end of the season is where we’re going to see what kind of repercussions episode 100 had,” Gustin said. Helbing, meanwhile, teased, “There’s something that will happen probably way down the line that you realize but, no, right now we’re not playing it in the same way like that we do.”

With such a massive episode that featured so many major moments, you’re going to have to wait for any kind of immediate follow-up. Next, The Flash–along with Arrow and Supergirl–head into the massive “Elseworlds” crossover. The event kicks off on December 9. Make sure to check out our “Elseworlds” photos and spoiler teases so you’re ready to take it all in.

It’s been a long time coming, but Kingdom Hearts III is almost here. Set for a worldwide release on January 29, 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One, the next game in the incredibly complicated yet whimsical action-RPG series will conclude the main story with Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy and other friends as they face off against the evil Organization XIII and the swarming blight known as the Heartless. Since its debut, the Kingdom Hearts series blended together the exuberance and wonder of a Disney spectacle with the mechanics of an JRPG, offering something that really shouldn’t have worked as well as it did.

There’s a lot anticipation for Kingdom Hearts III, but at the same time there’s a number things that will be important to clear up. Just ahead of the game’s release, we’ve compiled a number of important details regarding Kingdom Hearts III, when it first debuted, the platforms it will launch on, and whether it’ll be safe to dive into this game if you’re a first timer. Here’s everything we know about Disney and Square Enix’s upcoming action-RPG spectacle.

What Is Kingdom Hearts III?

Kingdom Hearts III is the next game in the long-running series that debuted in 2002 on the PlayStation 2. Created by Tetsuya Nomura, Kingdom Hearts is an action-RPG amalgamation of the memorable movies and games from both Disney and Square Enix (particularly the Final Fantasy series). Over the course of the series, Sora and his allies have travelled across the expansive multiverse, forming bonds with many familiar characters such as Aladdin, Mulan, and Hercules, while also facing off against foes such as Scar from The Lion King and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.

Kingdom Hearts III will continue the tradition of offering richly realized worlds to explore, with each locale having a set of iconic characters to team up with. Though technically not the third game in the series–it’s really the eighth–KHIII will be the conclusion of the main storyline focusing on Sora and his friends and their travels across the Disney/Square universe. During their adventure, they’ll encounter many returning characters and explore new worlds, which have a greater level of freedom and advanced combat mechanics.

Can I Start With KH III?

While the Kingdom Hearts series is known for its incredibly involved and complex plot, possessing an interconnected web of character relationships and timelines, it’s still possible to jump into Kingdom Hearts III fresh. Much like other games, KHIII will offer a way for newcomers and fans who need to brush up on the story an opportunity to get up to speed with the new game. There will be numerous text files and docs that detail the major events throughout the series, key characters, and how it all led up to this point.

Debut And The First Trailer

Kingdom Hearts III made its debut during Sony’s E3 2013 press conference, revealing new visuals and designs for Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the locations they would visit–all powered by Unreal Engine 4. In this trailer, we saw some familiar scenes with the key characters before witnessing Sora fight off swarms of Heartless in a reimagined Twilight Town from KHII.

Where Does It Fit In The KH Timeline?

KHIII is the latest game chronologically on the series timeline. Though the numbered entries are seen as the core entries in the series, several important events have happened in the spin-off games that are vital for anyone looking to get the full story. While Kingdom Hearts Union X [Cross] (yes, that’s the actual title) is a mobile/browser title, it also expands the overall plot. It shows off the events prior to the Keyblade War–one of the more notable events referenced throughout the series.Aside from the main games, the side-stories in Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance not only reveal the backstories for many key side-characters, they reveal events that have come to shape the present story in Kingdom Hearts III. Here’s a list of every KH game in chronological order.

The Second Trailer

Debuting at E3 2015, the next trailer revealed footage of the Kingdom of Corona world from Tangled, along with Olympus Coliseum from Hercules. In the trailer, we also got to see footage of the new combat mechanic known as Attraction Flow, and saw two new characters exchange in cryptic dialog discussing the fate of other characters.

What’s New In Kingdom Hearts III?

The gameplay in Kingdom Hearts III is very similar to how it was in Kingdom Hearts II, albeit with a much larger scope. In addition to larger environments to explore, players will now be able to have five characters in a party at once, with two guest characters joining the trio. Continuing from Kingdom Hearts II, Sora will be able to call upon his allies and trigger special combination attacks and special moves. Summoning also makes a return as well, allowing you to call forth famous Disney characters like Wreck-It-Ralph and Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

However, Kingdom Hearts III tosses in several new abilities, which helps to bring combat to the next level. One of the new combat abilities is known as Attraction Flow, allowing Sora to conjure up a vehicle that’s based on a famous Disneyland ride–such as Splash Mountain or the teacups from the Mad Tea Party attraction. By taking control of these rides, Sora can quickly deal heavy damage to multiple enemies. Another new twist is the addition of the various Keyblade transformations. While the previous games had you collect a whole assortment of special keyblades, many of which referenced classic Disney films and Final Fantasy games, KHIII takes things further by having each weapon possess its own signature move–giving you another new skill to use in battle.

All The Confirmed Worlds (So Far)

With every Kingdom Hearts game comes an assortment of levels that strongly contrast with each other. Kingdom Hearts III is no different, and we’ve already gotten a taste of where we’ll be able to travel to in the upcoming game. Though the final game still has a number of worlds that have yet to be revealed, here’s a quick rundown of the worlds we know of so far.

• Kingdom of Corona (Tangled)
• Olympus Coliseum (Hercules)
• San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6)
• Monstropolis (Monsters Inc.)
• Toy Box (Toy Story)
• Arendalle (Frozen)
• The Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean 3)
• Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh)
• Twilight Town (Kingdom Hearts)

The Third Trailer

During D23 2017, Square-Enix and Disney released a new trailer showing off a first look at the Toy Box world from Toy Story. During the footage, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are transformed into action figures and have to battle Heartless in Andy’s room. They eventually meet up with Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and soon find themselves exploring the outside of Andy’s room and towards a massive toy-store where they control large mecha toys and confront another member of Organization XIII.

What Systems Is It On And What’s Its Release Date?

Kingdom Hearts III will be available for PS4 and Xbox One on January 29, 2019. Though the series has mostly been a fixture of the PlayStation consoles, with a few appearances on Nintendo’s handhelds, this game will mark the first time that the series will be available on a Microsoft console. Kingdom Hearts III will be available worldwide for PS4 and Xbox One on January 29, 2019. However, the game will be out in Japan nearly a week before on January 25.

Will It Come To PC?

As of now, there is no word on a PC release for the game. Though it’s not outside the realm of possibility for it to make its way to PC, since Kingdom Hearts III will be the first multi-platform release, Square Enix have been quiet about a PC launch for the series.

How Can I Catch Up?

If you find yourself with the urge to revisit the previous games, or you simply want to see what all the hype is about, then you’ll be pleased to know that Square Enix has re-released both the previous core Kingdom Hearts games in the 1.5 + 2.5 Remix edition for PS4. Originally released on PS3, these collections remaster the two games with new visuals and add in some new content.

Featuring the Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts I and II, along with remasters of Birth By Sleep, Chain of Memories, Dream Drop Distances, and Recoded–ReMIX on PS4 also include a brand-new epilogue episode for Birth By Sleep [Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A fragmentary passage], running on the same engine as Kingdom Hearts III, giving many a brief taste for what’s to come in the next game. Unfortunately, this edition is only available on PS4, so Xbox One owners will have to wait for the digest in Kingdom Hearts III or play the ReMIX on PS4.

Will there be a Theme Song?

Much like other mainline entries in the series, there’s always an opening number to kick off the new adventure–and KHIII is no different. In the new song, Face Your Fears, series vocalist Utada Hikaru returns for the main theme. In an interesting twist, the theme song is also produced by Skrillex, who made a name for himself over the last decade with his work in the dub-step sub-genre. The song will be released shortly before the launch of the game on January 18.

The Fourth Trailer

During E3 2018, we saw the next trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3–revealing the first look at the worlds for Frozen and the return of Pirates of the Caribbean. First shown during Microsoft’s E3 press conference, Sora and friends encounter Elsa in the frozen wilderness, who’s under attack from Heartless. We also saw a return visit to the Pirates of the Caribbean world, adapting the events from the third film At World’s End.

Is There A Special Edition?

Square Enix plans to release a deluxe version of the game on both PS4 and Xbox One for $230. The bundle comes packed with Sora, Donald, and Goofy action-figures based on their appearances in the Toy Box, along with a steelbook and an artbook. There are also plans to release a special PS4 Pro bundle for Kingdom Hearts III, which is available for pre-order on the official Square Enix online store.

The Xbox One’s backwards compatibility catalog continues to grow bigger still. As announced on Twitter by Major Nelson, the new Xbox 360 additions to the backwards compatibility library on Xbox One today include three titles from 2K Games: The Darkness, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, and Duke Nukem Forever.

And in a round of extra-good news, each title is currently on sale. The Darkness, which features Faith No More and Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton doing the voice of a horrible monster, can be had for only $4 USD. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, which was originally announced as a first-person shooter before changing directions, is also available for $4 USD. Duke Nukem Forever is also available for only $4 USD. The Gearbox Software-developed game is the Chinese Democracy of video games, sort of, in that, like the Guns ‘N Roses album, many believed it would never release. But it did.

As always, if you own these games already, you can simply put the disc into your Xbox One and start playing. If you own them digitally you can find them in your game collection and redownload them. Check out our full list of backwards compatible games for more.

1. Netflix

Netflix is such a powerful force in modern entertainment that it’s easy to take it for granted. In many households it has replaced regular TV as the go-to destination for an evening’s entertainment, and it continues to influence and disrupt more traditional outlets for films and TV. While Netflix does still stream shows and movies made by other studios and companies, it is of course increasingly interested in creating its own content, and 2018 saw it flex its muscles in that area more than ever before. On the TV side, its biggest dramas and comedies continued to pull in major talent, and many of the year’s best shows were Netflix Originals. It’s impossible to think about the year’s TV without talking about The Haunting Of Hill House, GLOW, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Maniac, or Daredevil.

When it comes to movies, 2018 saw the company attract some big-name filmmakers, with such acclaimed directors as the Coen brothers (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Jeremy Saulnier (Hold the Dark), David Mackenzie (Outlaw King), and Paul Greengrass (22 July) choosing to make their latest movies for the service. And that’s not mentioning the wealth of documentaries, reality shows, and family content that hit the service on a weekly basis. While it could be argued that the company’s rush to fill its arsenal means that the quality can sometimes suffer, the only real problem is having simply too much to watch.

Next year will see the streaming landscape shift even further, with Disney+ launching as a direct rival. We’ve already seen Netflix canceling the Marvel shows that it has to license from Disney, and questions remain about how many individual streaming subscriptions people are willing to pay for on a monthly basis. But whatever happens, Netflix is going nowhere.–Dan Auty

Epic Games has confirmed that it has stopped actively developing the new, community-infused Unreal Tournament game. Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney confirmed to Variety that the free game is still playable and available to new users, but Epic itself has stopped working on it.

“Unreal Tournament remains available in the store but isn’t actively developed,” he said.

This may be sad for those who were playing and enjoying Unreal Tournament, but it’s no surprise to learn Epic has stopped working on it. Back in September, Epic said the team working on it moved over to Fortnite to support that game’s ongoing development. As of September, the game was officially “on hold,” and that appears to continue to be the case.

Announced in 2014, the new Unreal Tournament was developed on Epic’s Unreal Engine 4 and aimed to be “true to its roots as a competitive FPS.” Epic was planning to develop the game “in the open,” as a collaboration between Epic Games, Unreal Tournament fans, and Unreal Engine 4 developers. Epic also planned to offer a marketplace where fans can buy and sell new content.

Unreal Tournament is not the first game Epic stopped working on after Fortnite grew in popularity. In January this year, Epic announced its free-to-play MOBA Paragon was shutting down, with refunds available to everyone. More recently, some Fortnite: Save the World players have said they feel second-class as the battle royale mode gets seemingly more attention than the paid game. Save the World will transition to a free-to-play game like Fortnite: Battle Royale, but the transition was recently delayed to 2019.

Fortnite is hugely popular on a level that seems unprecedented in gaming, so it makes sense that Epic would pour significant resources into its ongoing development. Still, it remains to be seen if Epic becomes a one-game studio now that Fortnite is riding high. Of course, the studio also operates the massively successful Unreal Engine, while it also announced a new Steam competitor; so even if the studio’s game development output is relatively lower, the studio is absolutely keeping busy with huge projects.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s report on how Fortnite’s success has impacted the industry in 2018.

Madden NFL 19 is erasing Kareem Hunt. After TMZ posted a video of the former Kansas City Chiefs running back assaulting a woman, Hunt was quickly dropped by his team, and now EA Sports is wiping the digital version of Hunt from the newest Madden games. Hunt is being erased from the main game, the mobile game Madden Overdrive, and the card-based Ultimate Team mode.

“We are in the process of removing Kareem Hunt from the Madden NFL 19 roster, Madden Overdrive, and Madden Ultimate Team,” an EA Sports representative told TMZ.

Anyone who has Hunt on their Ultimate Team roster will receive a replacement player who has identical stats.

Removing a player from Madden is not unprecedented. EA also wiped Aaron Hernandez and Ray Rice from Madden after their own assault charges emerged. Rice was removed after video emerged of him punching his then-fiancee, while Hernandez was dropped after he was charged with murder.

TMZ released a video last Friday that showed Hunt assaulting a woman in a hotel back in February. The Chiefs cut Hunt from their roster after the video emerged, and no team has picked him up.

EA Sports also found itself in the midst of controversy this year when the rape investigation into FIFA 19 cover star Cristiano Ronaldo was re-opened.

Best of the Year: Evolution

In 2018, WWE made gigantic strives to try an elevate the women’s division as much as possible, which all culminated in October’s all-women’s PPV, Evolution. Since we started reviewing the PPVs earlier this year, Evolution scored the highest between the two reviewers scoring the show an average of 7.8 for all its matches. And yes, the 6-woman tag match between The Riott Squad and Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Bayley was the quintessential pee break/filler for the evening, but when you look at what transpired before this match and after it, you understand why this Sunday Night Raw match was on the card.

Prior to that, there was the Mae Young Classic finals between Toni Storm and Io Shirai, which Chris E. Hayner said, “They threw out the best they had for this match and it was the exact kind of match I love.” And Mat Elfring said, “This match was a gateway drug to indie wrestling. It felt like something you’d seem more in NJPW or ROH rather than a WWE event.”

Then after the filler match, there were two of WWE’s best matches of the year. First, it was Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Bazsler for the NXT Women’s Championship, which gave the average WWE viewer just an idea of how great NXT is, week after week. Following that was the Last Woman Standing match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte for the Smackdown Women’s Championship, which was undoubtedly the best WWE match of the year. Even the Ronda Rousey match against Nikki Bella was a lot of fun

It is easily the strongest main roster WWE PPV of the year, and while NXT tends to put on a brilliant PPV product, this is the only WWE show which highlighted the main roster, superstars from the past, NXT, and stars who have yet to make a name within WWE with the Mae Young Classic. It is a total package for what WWE’s women’s division has become the past two years, which all culminates with this moment. — Mat Elfring

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