Category: Games

Game of Thrones’ “Long Night” is over, for better or worse, and with the White Walkers defeated, what remains is what’s always been there: the battle for the Iron Throne.

But before Jon or Dany (or Jaime or Tyrion or Arya or basically every other character on the show) can shove a knife through Cersei’s stupid face and plant a more deserving butt in that seat, Game of Thrones has to do something it’s been building toward for many years: Cleganebowl, the battle between the Hound, Sandor Clegane, and the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.

Why does this matter? We’ll get to that. But there’s more than just the history of Game of Thrones to look at; the show’s most recent events, including the Hound’s visions in the flames and adventures with Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion, may give us some new insight into how Cleganebowl might play out.

Let’s get that context out of the way first, though.

What Is Cleganebowl?

“Cleganebowl” is the name Game of Thrones fans (and fans of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire before them) have given to the theorized clash between the Hound, Sandor Clegane, and his brother, the Mountain, Gregor Clegane.

This theory was born long ago for those who read the novels, and the reasoning behind it is the same in the show as it was in the books. But since the last book came out almost a decade ago and as far as the books are concerned, the Hound has retired to a religious commune and is out of the running, the most egregious and tantalizing foreshadowing for this fight has taken place in the show’s recent seasons.

Admittedly, it’s a pretty simple story: As Sandor has discussed at various points throughout both versions of Game of Thrones, his brother Gregor is a total dick. When they were kids, Gregor bullied Sandor incessantly, even burning the Hound’s face in a hot brazier as they fought over a toy. That gave Sandor the distinctive scars on his face, an all-encompassing cynicism for the world in general, the fear of fire that has influenced the Hound’s participation in at least two battles, and a burning hatred for his brother that’s lasted their entire lives.

For his part, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane has lumbered here and there throughout the books and the show, wreaking havoc and despair everywhere he went. He brutalized a horse at the tourney in Season 1, and he terrorized Arya during Season 2. In Season 4, he smashed Oberyn Martell’s face even while succumbing to the Red Viper’s deadly poison, and was later revived as an apparently unthinking, mute zombie to lead Cersei’s personal Queensguard. He also has a history of being super terrible in the past; When Daenerys’s father, the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, was overthrown, the Mountain reportedly raped and murdered Elia Martel, the wife of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and killed her children–including an infant. Just about everyone has a score to settle with the guy.

When Sandor and Gregor finally came face to face again for the first time since Season 1, it was in the show’s Season 7 finale, during The Fateful Meeting of Named Characters in the dragon pit outside King’s Landing. “Remember me? Yeah, you do,” the Hound told his brother. “You’re even uglier than I am now. What did they do to you? Doesn’t matter. That’s not how it ends for you, brother. You know who’s coming for you. You’ve always known.”

In other words, Sandor doesn’t give a flying chicken whether his brother is a brainless zombie or there’s still a glimmer of the old rotten son-of-a-gun in there somewhere behind those purple eyes. The Hound is going to kill the Mountain in the end, and we couldn’t be more excited for their final throwdown.

How Could The Lord of Light, R’hllor, Fit In?

After Arya Stark casually slipped a dagger into the Night King’s exposed belly fat like so many joking Reddit commenters and fandom s***-posters had accidentally correctly guessed she would over the years, a question arose: Is the story of R’hllor, the Lord of Light, the God of Flame and Shadow who the Red Priests worship, now finished?

Melisandre is dead, her mission to gently suggest that Arya do what Arya does complete. Beric is also dead, having protected Arya so she could reach said pep talk. Thoros died last season after getting mauled by a zombie bear, then being fine, then dying later for no reason. And the Red Priestess Kinvara, who you probably don’t remember because she appeared in a single scene back in Meereen two seasons ago, might as well be dead, because there’s no way she’s ever appearing on this show again.

But R’hllor might have one follower left on the continent of Westeros: Sandor Clegane. With every other R’hllor-loving character dead, the Hound may be next to take up the Lord of Light’s cause.

The narrative set-up is all there. The Hound witnessed Thoros bring Beric back to life many seasons ago (after being the one to land the killing blow, in fact), and seemed shaken. He saw visions in the fire that inspired his group of misfits to head north to the Edifice Formerly Known As The Wall, where they helped Jon on his extremely stupid mission to kidnap a zombie. He’s been hanging around with these characters for seasons on end, and despite his projected cynicism, Sandor has seen the signs himself.

And there’s plenty of thematic pay-off to be had in Sandow Clegane embracing the God of Fire. Fire is the tool his brother used to scar him for life, both physically and emotionally; fire is the source of Sandor’s cynicism, and his greatest fear, producing a primal response in him that we’ve seen over and over, whether at the Battle of the Blackwater, his duel with Beric long ago, or the recent Battle of Winterfell. Fire is the Hound’s greatest weakness, and overcoming that weakness could represent the growth of his character if he finally abandons his cynicism and finds inner calm.

Plus, Red Priests get to light their swords on fire. There’s poetic justice in the idea of the Hound bashing his undead brother’s big, stupid head in with a flaming blade, and more importantly–the reason I think the show may actually follow through on this one–it would look awesome.

There are three episodes left to go in Game of Thrones’ final season, and more than anything else, Cleganebowl happening is just shy of certain. Here’s hoping the show manages to do it in a way that has actual narrative and thematic pay-off, and looks cool too.

More Game of Thrones:

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This week has been jam-packed with Golden Week game deals at Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo Eshop, and the latest deal is actually a freebie that Final Fantasy XIV Online players will want to snag. If you don’t already own Heavensward, the critically acclaimed DLC is available for free on both PC and PS4 until June 27.

Important things to know: The PC edition is free from the Square Enix Store as part of its Golden Week sale, while the PS4 version is available from the PlayStation Store. However, both the PC and PS4 expansion require The Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition to play (and in PlayStation’s case, you must own it to even claim). Square Enix notes that its PC download of Heavensward isn’t compatible with Steam’s version of the Starter Edition, so you’ll have to own the base game in some capacity outside Steam.

Here’s where a Twitch Prime membership comes in handy–the streaming site is currently giving away a free PC download of Final Fantasy XIV Online: Starter Edition, but that deal ends tomorrow, May 3, so grab it ASAP if you’re also planning to get the Heavensward DLC while its free. On the Twitch Prime website, scroll right under “Free In-Game Loot & More,” and you’ll see the FFXIV offer.

Get Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition for free on PC »

(US) Get Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward for free on PC »

(EU) Get Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward for free on PC »

(US) Get Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward for free on PS4 »

The Heavensward expansion earned a 9/10 from GameSpot for its exciting and epic continuation of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s story, gorgeous visuals, detailed environments, and variety of dungeons and challenges.

“Heavensward is an essential purchase for those who have spent more hours than they’d care to admit in Eorzea,” wrote critic Pete Davison in his Heavensward review. “While new players–or those who never beat A Realm Reborn’s complete story–may feel aggravated at being locked-out of the expansion until they catch up, there’s little denying that Final Fantasy XIV as a whole offers astonishing value for those willing to immerse themselves, and it will only continue to grow and expand over time.”

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Avengers: Endgame is setting box office records left and right, so chances are pretty good that you’ve already seen it. If you haven’t made time, though, you might want to head to the cinema over the next few days, because directors Joe and Anthony Russo have declared that the statute of limitations on spoilers is almost over. As of Monday, May 6, spoilers are fair game.

Co-director Joe Russo gave the end date in an interview with Good Morning America, and then the brothers collectively shared the clip on Twitter. Russo said he feels there has to be an end-date when spoilers are no longer off-limits, because part of the reason they make movies is to encourage discussion. With that in mind, it’s fair enough if you couldn’t make it out opening weekend, but after two weekends the conversation should be free to spoil.

This film is the final one in the Infinity Saga, and culminates in a lot of story and character payoffs that have been building for more than ten years. As a result spoiler sensitivity has been higher than usual, as fans eagerly await seeing what happens to earth’s mightiest heroes. If you’ve managed to avoid plot details so far, now you have a firm due date. The Russos have previously pleaded with fans not to spoil the film, and of course not everyone has or will abide by their own determination of when to begin spoiling.

If on the other hand you already have seen Endgame, you may still be puzzling out some of the finer details. In that case check out the endings explained and read up on plot holes. Or for the lighter side you can catch up with a ton of Easter eggs and scenes that weren’t in the trailers.

It’s been 35 years since The Karate Kid crane kicked its way into theaters–and our hearts. In the time since, there’s been a long list of movies of varying quality and a revival series on YouTube Premium that, against all odds, is pretty amazing. Now, celebrating its milestone 35th anniversary, the original Karate Kid is back with a 4K release. Is it worth replacing the copy you already own, though?

The answer, honestly, depends on what you’re looking for in the set. If film’s quality is what you covet the most, this is by far the best-looking version of The Karate Kid you’re going to find. That said, this is still a 35-year-old movie shot on 35mm film. The 4K scan of the original camera negative can be grainy, but that’s to be expected–and it a bit comforting–when it comes to a movie this old. The colors are definitely more vibrant in this release, though.

The sound has also been given an upgrade. There’s still stereo and 5.1 mixes of the movie’s soundtrack; however, there’s also a new track option for those with Dolby Atmos audio systems.

If the movie’s picture quality isn’t as important to you as the bonus content packaged with the set, this is what might hold you back. While the 4K release comes with all of the special features that the 2010 Blu-ray release, including audio commentary with Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi), director John G. Avildsen, and writer Robert Mark Kamen, there’s not a ton of new content offered. On the 4K disc, you’ll find a 1080p version of the movie’s theatrical trailer, along with a new 10-minute featurette that looks back on the movies featuring interviews with Macchio, William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence), and Martin Kove (Sensei Kreese).

Were it not for Cobra Kai, this featurette would be a truly exciting addition. However, that trio has done so many interviews promoting the series over the last year that there’s only so much new ground to cover. That said, it’s still a short and fun watch.

Even without a bunch of new bonus features, though, it’s hard to ignore just how good this movie looks. This is the best transfer of The Karate Kid you’re going to find. So if you’re looking for an excuse to upgrade from your DVD or Blu-ray copy, it’s definitely worth it–especially if you’re planning to watch it on a large TV or have an impressive home audio setup. And if you somehow don’t own a copy of The Karate Kid, what are you waiting for? It’s an ’80s classic and it’s going to be hard to ever get a better version of it than this.

The Karate Kid is available now on 4K at participating retailers.

Disclosure: GameSpot was provided a copy of Karate Kid’s 4K release by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.