Author: Trafficblast

In many ways, the first season of Marvel’s Luke Cage was about the rift between cousins Cottonmouth Stokes and Mariah Dillard. Now, in Season 2 of the Netflix series, Mariah stands in that spotlight alone and, in doing so, has become the show’s most exciting character.

Played masterfully by Alfre Woodard, Mariah is walking the line between good and evil–Dillard and Stokes–throughout Season 2. In many ways, she’s a hero to Harlem just like the titular Luke Cage. They both believe they are fighting to save their neighborhood. Of course, their methods are very different. While Luke is constantly trying to live within a moral code, Mariah doesn’t mind playing dirty to achieve her goals. For Woodard, getting to further explore this side of Mariah is what excites her so much about Season 2.

“One of the fun things about being an actor is you get to behave in a lot of different ways,” she says during a group interview. “And, especially as a woman, especially as a southern woman, from the time you’re three years old, everybody says to you, ‘Be nice. Be nice.’ They never say that to the guys, they can be whatever they want to… I think women actors like to be, you know, not compliant. They like to do what they feel like doing. Sometimes [it’s] not legal, sometimes it is. But I really liked finding a woman that answered to her conscience the way a man has always had liberty to do.”

And that’s certainly how she answers it. Without giving anything away, Season 2 is as violent and brutal as the first year of Luke Cage, and some of that blood falls right at the feet of Dillard.

“Alfre, in some ways, when you get deeper into the season, will prove to be the biggest bad,” creator Cheo Hodari Coker explains during a group interview. “You can’t really say that Bushmaster or Mariah Dillard is a bigger bad because they both do some pretty heinous things.”

In Mariah’s own mind, though, what she’s doing doesn’t make her the villain of the story. “She’s a hero,” Woodard says. “She doesn’t have superpowers, but she has super tenacity. And she is a hero.”

Adds Coker, “What I will say is that all of our villains have dimension. The one thing that [head of Marvel Television] Jeph Loeb always says is that the villain’s story should be a hero’s story from the villain’s perspective.” Together, he and Woodard have crafted that journey for Mariah in Season 2, even getting to a point where she may outshine Luke Cage himself.

“Alfre’s portrayal of Mariah Dillard is as a woman that’s conflicted on a moral level, but not paralyzed,” Coker teases. “She evolves, she reacts to things. There are very good reasons why she feels the way that she feels.”

That doesn’t mean she won’t pay the price for her actions, though. “When she makes a decision, when she turns a corner, that corner’s turned,” he explains. “She turns corners here, in the season, that are gonna be very hard for her to turn back from.”

What it will all come down to is how the character sees her true identity–which is one of the core stories of Season 2. “The thing is, in terms of Mariah, is that she can be strong for Harlem, but still be at war with herself as to, is she a Dillard or is she a Stokes?” Coker says. “It’s that split and her trying to figure that out that becomes the crux of the season. When she finally embraces one or the other.”

While he won’t reveal what side of the line she’ll fall on, Coker warns, “When you see her make her decision as to whether or not she’s a Stokes or a Dillard, it sticks. It’s a culminating moment; honestly, one of my favorite in all 26 episodes that we’ve filmed thus far.”

You’ll be able to see for yourself exactly what Coker is talking about when Season 2 of Luke Cage premieres June 29 on Netflix.

Lara Croft returns in the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the last entry in the Tomb Raider origin trilogy, which began with the titular series reboot in 2013. As one of Square Enix’s biggest upcoming games, we’re more than likely to hear about it at E3 2018. To prepare for what’s ahead, let’s breakdown what we already know about Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and what we’re hoping to see at this year’s E3.

What We Know So Far

Square Enix officially confirmed that Shadow of the Tomb Raider was in development with a trailer in March 2018, though it was technically leaked last year when an employee was spotted in a subway train working on a presentation with the game’s name. The game is scheduled to release on September 14 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While it’ll be developed primarily by Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Thief), it’s worth noting that original reboot developer Crystal Dynamics will provide additional development on the project.

You once again play as Lara Croft, who is on an expedition to Latin America in search of a Mayan relic. However, Trinity, a paramilitary organization that tried to hunt down Lara in the previous game, is also seeking the relic for its own gain. During this expedition, Lara accidentally sets off a Mayan apocalypse, which thrusts her on a journey to save the world. The game is being touted as the darkest adventure Lara has been on yet, with developers mentioning that there will be far more drama and internal conflict than past games.

In terms of mechanics, Shadow of the Tomb Raider sports a few key additions to the series, including revamped swimming controls for underwater exploration as well as more sophisticated stealth and AI systems.

What’s Confirmed For E3?

With Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s release in September, it’s likely we’ll see much more of the game at Square Enix’s E3 2018 press conference on June 11. In a recent interview with GamesBeat, Eidos Montreal studio head David Anfossi teased that they’ll be divulging more details on what differentiates Shadow of the Tomb Raider from past games. He described the future reveal as new, interesting, and very surprising for Tomb Raider fans.

What We Hope To See At E3

Aside from its initial reveal trailer and several screenshots, no actual gameplay has been shown of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. We’re hoping Square Enix remedies this by offering a full demonstration at this year’s press conference, showcasing the enhancements that Eidos Montreal has made to combat, stealth, and exploration. A closer look at any of the game’s larger hub worlds would also be nice.

There has been discussion of Lara experiencing more internal conflict this time around. We’d love to get a better idea of what’s going on with Lara, and how it has impacted her relationship to the game’s supporting cast. Currently, we know that Lara’s closest ally Jonah is returning, and it has been stated that he’s evolved since his appearance in Rise of the Tomb Raider. An example of how his views clash with Lara’s would be great to witness during gameplay. In addition, we hope to get a brief glimpse of the game’s antagonist, who we know to be a part of Trinity, the villainous organization from the second game.

This might seem a bit cheesy, but if we can get a confirmation that Lara can use her signature dual-pistols, that would be amazing. Since the reboot series began in 2013, we’ve been slowly seeing Lara grow into the Tomb Raider we all know her to be. From sheltered archaeology graduate student to strong-willed survivalist, it’s only a matter of time before she dawns the dual-pistols and performs acrobatic flips while simultaneously killing and skinning a grizzly bear. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too much, but we’re really hoping for another reference to Lara’s classic pistols–at the very least!

Further Reading

The broad premise of The Forest is far from unique. A plane crash lands on a seemingly deserted island, and you, a lone survivor, have to figure out a way to survive. It doesn’t take long, however, until blood curdling screeches fill the night and glowing eyes appear in the distance. Once it sets in that your new home isn’t as empty as it first appeared, The Forest evolves into a uniquely harrowing adventure that you won’t soon forget.

Cannibals inhabit the grassy fields and pristine lakes around you, watching your every move; they are the source of The Forest’s ever-present tension. You might expect monsters like this to attack on sight, but their behavior is erratic. Sometimes they’ll charge forward to unsettle you during daylight but stop just outside striking distance to simply stare in silence. Other times they might feign a retreat before leaping into nearby trees to quickly get behind you. The Forest’s enemies aren’t easy to predict, which makes each encounter thrilling.

The breadth of enemy types is impressive too, and they can get surprisingly weird. As you explore the island more and dive into terrifying, pitch-black caverns, enemies transform into terrifying body-horror figures–amalgamations of appendages that bellow deep, disturbing howls. They’re frightening to behold and even scarier to fight.

The Forest does a good job of trickling out these surprises while you’re already struggling to manage vital meters and resources. It’s also imperative that you keep a close eye on the quality of the resources you find. Not every berry bush contains a bounty that won’t poison you, and not all water is safe to drink. Meat you gather from hunted animals will rot if not cooked quickly. None of the resulting illnesses are serious enough to dissuade you from eating questionable food if you have no other choice, but needing to think about what you eat adds an additional layer to the minute-to-minute hunter-gatherer gameplay.

Chopping down trees for logs or scouting a route to clean water is paramount in your first few days on the island, and once you establish yourself, this goal shifts to fortifying your position with a base, and perhaps complex spike traps and tree swings. The sheer number of structures you’re able to build is impressive, and thankfully The Forest doesn’t gate your ingenuity with illusive blueprints. You’re given a notebook filled with outlines at the start.

Building has a tangible effect on the island in several ways. Resources like small game and shrubs will respawn over time, but larger trees will remain felled for the entirety of your stay. You might turn a dense forest into an open field of stumps not long after you start, which gives enemies a clearer line of sight into your doings. The more you impose yourself on the island, the more aggressive your aggressors become. Patrols will grow and the more monstrous creatures will emerge from their caves for an all-out assault. The Forest doesn’t force you to play in any specific way though, so a more reserved nomadic approach is sometimes safer and more viable. But the sheer delight at seeing an enemy trigger a well-placed trap during a raid is priceless, and well worth the risk of angering the locals.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to surviving in The Forest, but the balance between each of its interlocking parts keeps the game moving at a riveting pace. For every danger the island offers, there’s a smart solution around the corner.

Crafting smaller items plays a big part when it comes to personal safety, too. Your inventory screen allows you to combine items you’ve collected to create new tools; from something as simple as combining a few sticks and stones to make an axe, to creating high-powered explosives using a combination of wristwatches, electrical boards, and spare change. The number of items you can both collect and craft is vast, but the inventory page eventually becomes cumbersome and overwhelming to navigate. And with only four customizable hotkeys, you don’t have easy access to everything you want in a pinch.

Although it’s constantly testing your perseverance and wants you to feel stretched thin, The Forest never feels overbearing. You’ll always be able to depend on your crafted weapons as they aren’t hampered by durability. Your pocket lighter will always help you see in the dark, never running out of vital fluid. This reliability frees you from the burden of worrying about the lifespan of any potential upgrades you can make to items too.

Exploration in survival games is usually tied only to your immediate well-being, but The Forest features a narrative that’s slowly uncovered by exploration and incidental environmental storytelling. Abandoned camps are a great hunting ground for modern resources and offer hints at past and present events. Putrid remains of long-dead victims aren’t an uncommon sight, but you’ll also come across small photographs, videotapes and magazines that flesh out a conspiracy with the island at the center.

Uncovering The Forest doesn’t have to be a lonely experience, and it offers co-operative play for up to eight people. The time spent getting a fortified settlement up and running is drastically reduced, but remains just as compelling. Co-operative play does, however, deflate the the feeling of being exposed. Larger groups of enemies become easier to deal with, and the fear of diving into caves alone is undercut by both voice chat and the fact that enemies don’t scale accordingly. The Forest might be silly fun with friends, but it’s at its best when playing alone.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to surviving in The Forest, but the balance between each of its interlocking parts keeps the game moving at a riveting pace. For every danger the island offers, there’s a smart solution around the corner. Combined with unpredictable enemies and captivating horror set-pieces, The Forest strikes a compelling balance between survival and horror that you won’t soon forget.

Square Enix dumbfounded naysayers and hopeful fans alike when it announced Final Fantasy VII Remake at E3 2015. Given the resulting hype, you’d think that we would’ve seen more about the game over the past three years, but apart from a second trailer at PlayStation Experience 2015 a few months later, only rumors and scraps of info have surfaced. We’ve got our fingers crossed that this will be the year–that E3 2018 will be the event–when the curtain is raised and Final Fantasy VII Remake is properly unveiled. Square Enix will have a dedicated presentation at the show, and while we can reasonably expect to see Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts 3, and a few indies from the Square Enix Collective label, the publisher would do very well to feature Final Fantasy VII as much as possible.

What We Know So Far

All things considered, the 2015 trailers gave us a generous look at what’s to come, including a few tantalizing moments of combat. We got to see lead characters Cloud and Barret, some of the supporting cast, and a look at familiar locations like Midgar and the North Mako Reactor, the stage for the game’s opening infiltration mission.

The combat sections of the two-minute PSX trailer stood out because they took place in real time with characters running around a 3D environment; the traditional turn-based combat from the original game has been abandoned in favor of something closer to Final Fantasy XV. Given the 20-plus-year gap between the original and the remake, it makes sense that Square Enix would change up the game in drastic ways. Only time will tell how deep the changes go.

Additional info has been scarce since 2015. A common story that keeps popping up pertains to difficulties stemming from the collaboration with developer CyberConnect2. Reports from last year suggest that Square Enix had to scrap most of what it was given after taking back control of the game. It was at least confirmed that it’s now being made internally to ensure all quality and scheduling standards are met. If it’s true that a bunch of CyberConnect2’s content had to be remade from the bottom up, this purported restructuring could be a reason for the game’s absence at E3 if it winds up missing after all.

Otherwise, longtime Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase has confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a multi-game project due to the herculean task of rebuilding such a massive game to modern standards. Kitase also confirmed that renowned Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu will be involved with the remake, although the extent of his contributions isn’t entirely clear.

What’s Confirmed For E3?

Square Enix hasn’t confirmed whether Final Fantasy VII Remake will appear at this year’s E3 or not. If we were optimistic, we might assume the lack of confirmation either way means there’s a surprise in store.

Realistically speaking, however, it wouldn’t be shocking if the game didn’t show up as there’s been no word of a release date and no reason to expect that development has progressed far enough to be worthy of an extended showcase. (We hope we’re wrong.)

What We Hope To See At E3

There are countless aspects of Final Fantasy VII that Square Enix could reveal at the show: iconic characters, specific battle mechanics (including the new Materia system), and maybe even locations from advanced chapters in the game. We’d love to see it all.

The big question at the moment is the release date. Lots of folks forsee a post-2020 launch on the horizon, but until Square Enix says anything officially it’s difficult to pinpoint a window of time, especially in light of the reportedly tumultuous dev cycle.

Love it or hate it, Final Fantasy VII is an incredibly well-known game, and no matter what we see next, the new version will be rigorously examined and compared to the past. There are high expectations afloat, lots of skepticism, and no doubt tons of pressure on the game’s developers to deliver something that lives up to Final Fantasy VII’s notoriety. It will be amazing if they pull it off, and E3 is a great opportunity for them to turn the tide of opinion for the better. Let’s hope that comes to pass.

Further Reading

The dream of the ’90s is alive on Netflix. It was a cinematic age where gritty serial killer stories found their niche, indie filmmakers hit the mainstream, and larger-than-life blockbusters set new benchmarks for what could be done on the big screen. Jeff Goldblum fought dinosaurs, Will Smith saved us from aliens, and an unknown video clerk by the name of Quentin Tarantino changed movies forever.

Two decades later, it’s hard not to look back on the ’90s with nostalgic fondness. And thankfully, plenty of these retro flicks are at your fingertips right now. From a handful of Disney classics to some Oscar-winning dramas to a plethora of big budget action films, here are the 25 best ’90s movies currently available on Netflix.

Dillon the Armadillo is every stoic hero of the Old West… but as an anthropomorphic armadillo. He doesn’t say much because he really doesn’t need to. His prowess with weapons and dedication to defending good folks just trying to make their way is essentially his whole character. And while, until now, he’s been known for his forays within small downloadable games, Dead-Heat Breakers represents a big next step for the franchise.

Most of the game makes the transition well, in part because the premise is played in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. Dillon’s a no-nonsense guy, and seeing him surrounded by a colorful cast of goofy sapient animals works pretty well. But, after a time there’s definitely the feeling that too little game is spread out over too much time. Dead-Heat Breakers grinds to a crawl at times, and while it’s far from insurmountable, it’s hard to shake the feeling that in this case less would have been more.

While Dillon may be the game’s namesake and main action hero, he’s not the actual protagonist. When you start up the game, you’ll have a Mii of your choice polymorphed into an Amiimal. And it’s this “person” that the story centers around. In short, you’ve narrowly survived an attack on your home town, and you’ve gone to get help from the infamous “Red Flash,” Dillon. On your way, your big rig is attacked by some industrial monstrosities and Dillon and his sidekick/mechanic Russ happen to be in the right place at the right time.

Most of the proceedings are played for comedy, poking at the classic tropes of the western, while mixing a good bit of modern absurdity. Not too long after that encounter, for instance, Russ determines that the team needs a massive gun. And they aren’t kidding. He maps it all out in his head and sets to work getting the materials to build a weapon that would put World War II-era train-mounted cannons to shame.

This pair of scenes (the battle between your would-be attackers and Dillon, as well as the process for gathering materials after the fact) make up the two primary phases of play. They loosely correspond to the day and night and will follow that pattern throughout. In the prep part (daytime), you’ll wander around town doing odd jobs for the people and participating in mini-games to gather up the required gear for your nightly missions. This works well for pacing at first, but you’ll start to feel the drag as the cycles wear on.

Daytime will put you through a few different main activities, including time-trial races and bouts against the series’ most iconic foe–the stone-headed, space-faring Groks. Here you can earn money which you can then toss to Wendon for supplies, which go to Russ for assembly into the Breaker (i.e. that giant gun). These are meant to help give you some practice for the more rough-and-tumble nighttime bouts but are too dissimilar to serve as a proper warm-up, and not unique enough to feel like a good break from the main action.

When that time does come, though, you and the Amiimals of your friends and other Miis on your system will assemble into a group, ready to tackle the big bad of the night. This is where the series’ touted tower defense-action fusion comes in. Here, like in the opening segment, you’ll command the Red Flash and have the option of hiring on the different Amiimals to play defense. Each carries a different weapon with their own attack styles and strengths. Ostensibly the daytime’s mini-games are there to help acclimate you to these differences, but in practice, over the game’s 15 missions, you’ll know who does what pretty quickly and can make your own appropriate choices.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is best enjoyed in spurts. Powering through the game quickly reveals its many weaknesses (the toll on your hands, and the repetitiveness of the combat and day-night cycle being chief among them), but no part of the adventure is bad, really; it simply wears thin.

Once you’ve made your choices, you’re off to the fight. Your job as Dillon is to keep the pressure off the Amiimals. Using a powerful accelerator as well as Dillon’s natural claws and thick hide, you can slam and slash your foes while zooming about the map. On the bottom screen, you’ll be able to see a breakdown of the map, the attack range of your team, and which places need your help.

Recruiting more teammates helps take the pressure off you but depletes your coffers and therefore cuts your strategic options for later down quite a bit. Therein lies the big question for how to allocate resources.

Dillon himself can be great fun to play, but the controls are perplexing. Most everything is handled with the joystick and the A button; attacks are somewhat contextual but rely on holding the button down, releasing before pressing, and holding or tapping quickly to different moves. This isn’t ideal as it can be occasionally easy to accidentally dash instead of landing an attack, and the constant strain on your thumb during combat sections would have been reduced if you simply used another button or trigger when your attack was ready.

Many of these sequences devolve into high-speed chases where you’ll have to clear out every foe during their final assault. There’s an excellent bit of white-knuckled tension as you rush from enemy to enemy, spinning up, bashing them, and slashing to bits. Combined with some smart visuals and a great system for snapping you to baddies so you don’t inadvertently overshoot them makes these segments a great bit of intense fun–even if they leave your thumbs sore.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is best enjoyed in spurts. Powering through the game quickly reveals its many weaknesses (the toll on your hands, and the repetitiveness of the combat and day-night cycle being chief among them), but no part of the adventure is bad, really; it simply wears thin. It’s a competent, fun little outing that’s almost perfectly suited for kids who need something silly and ridiculous that won’t require too much thought or technical mastery.