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World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role playing game that takes places four years since the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos where thousands of players can interact within the same world, from adventuring together to fighting against each other in epic battles.

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis finds its main character, Gregor Samsa, waking up one morning, suddenly and inexplicably transformed into a giant insect. It’s an utterly bizarre premise for a novel that evolves into a tragic story, but as the inspiration for developer Ovid Works’ Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation provides an opportunity to explore a strange idea, the surreal world it spawns, and the peculiar creatures who inhabit it.

I went hands-on with the first hour or so of Metamorphosis, which runs with Kafka’s idea of transforming into a bug and only seems to get weirder from there. While Gregor wakes up to find himself in a bug body in the novel, the game’s Gregor wakes up at his friend Josef’s house after a night of drunken celebration. Vaguely hungover, Gregor starts to head out for work, only to find that as he travels the house and through doors, the world transforms around him. He walks through a door to find himself in a larger version of the room he just left–or in a shrunken state. And before long, he’s scrambling around on six spindly legs, with his internal monologue transforming from human speech to insectile chittering.

The whole situation has a very Alice in Wonderland feel as you explore a surreal world whose rules don’t seem particularly rigid. Gregor’s first task as a human is to open drawers around the bedroom he awakes in to find the key to the door, and you repeat that same task as a bug. It’s a pretty good early indication of how Metamorphosis seems like it’ll play out: Metamorphosis is an exploration game about finding ways to traverse its environment and solving puzzles about how to venture from one area to the next. Since you’re an insect, a lot of the solutions you have to find about how to get where you’re going in an oversized world have to be fairly novel.

While Kafka might have thought the idea of waking up as a bug was both horrifying and fascinating, moving around as an insect in a video game isn’t quite as mindblowing. It does allow you to climb up the sides of objects, provided you walk through some sticky everyday substance such as glue, ink, or even butter. But it’s pretty standard platforming stuff as Gregor makes his way across tables and across bookshelves, through drain pipes and between the blades of ventilation fans.

It’s the setting, however, that’s most intriguing about Metamorphosis so far. Gregor in the novel was a man-sized bug, but you’re a bug-sized one in the game, which means that you’re constantly traversing a world full of enormous objects and struggling to figure out how to navigate it. Your sticky leg trick is useful at times, but the first hour of Metamorphosis is much more about interpreting your environment to find viable paths. Your insect size forces you to look at giant objects like books, silverware, and office supplies in new ways, and while the environmental puzzles in the first part of the game are never particularly confounding, they routinely require you to recontextualize how you think about the objects you’re seeing and how they’re positioned together.

The early elements of Metamorphosis’ story mostly concern Gregor trying to get the attention of a human person for some assistance–you position yourself on books or try to use objects like a music box to make noise in hopes of getting the attention of Josef, Gregor’s friend. Josef has his own problems, though, when some especially uncooperative police officers show up at his house, diverting his attention from the imperiled but diminutive Gregor. As you struggle to get Josef to notice your microscopic plight, you discover a potential alternative path to returning to human form through notes left by a strange organization called the Tower.

Being the size of an insect is a big part of the Metamorphosis experience, but not every part of the first hour can be described as “regular stuff, but big.” Like the premise itself, several locations you work through take on a twisted, surreal look and feel, as well. At one point you traverse a pile of chairs to reach a desk, and looking around reveals that the furniture isn’t all just stacked precariously, it’s also floating inexplicably in the air. And when you discover a letter from the Tower–which offers newly transformed insect-people some exceedingly normal-sounding employment opportunities along with the possibility of returning to human form–the process of uncovering its message has you climbing what seem like floating fragments of letters, like the metallic pieces of typewriter keys shattered and assembled into a fantastical floating pathway.

Starting your journey toward the Tower also reveals another element of the burgeoning world of Metamorphosis–there’s a whole bug society living in the walls, floors, and furniture of Josef’s building. You start to meet them along the way; one bug is an especially big fan of the hallucinogenic mushrooms growing on Josef’s plumbing, while another is annoyed her husband is using a suspiciously easy-to-turn-off ventilation fan as an excuse to delay his journey to the Tower. Several bugs seem to be members of an anti-Tower cult.

But most of the bugs you meet are just extremely pedantic bureaucrats, playing into an underlying humor of banality that goes along with Metamorphosis’s world. You might be a bug-man lost in a physics-defying fantasy, but your goal of getting back into your own body primarily consists of getting a job. You can’t do that until you ride the bug airship to the Tower, and to do that, you need a bug passport. You can’t get a bug passport until you visit the office of a (human) lawyer, and it doesn’t open up until 2:15. The queue has already formed, and it’s over there.

Even just a quick look at Metamorphosis hints at an expansive, strange world worth exploring. What I’ve seen is mostly that: a game that relies on being fascinating and a little twisted, asking you only to look around, speak to other characters, and try to find your way through it. It’s not clear where exactly the journey of Metamorphosis will take you, but getting there will definitely be strange.

Metamorphosis is headed to PC later this year.

Call Of Duty: Warzone, Infinity Ward’s battle royale shooter, released in March of 2020 and is going into season 5 in August. Activision is also expected to publish the rumored Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War title later this year which is being made by Treyarch. It’s unclear at this stage if Cold War’s multiplayer will include or tie into Warzone, but it would make sense for it to return in some fashion.

This interview with Amos Hodge, Joe Cecot, and Geoffrey Smith covers the evolution of Warzone from season one to four, game modifiers, contracts, gun balancing, limited-time modes, and seasonal events. We also discuss the challenge of toxicity and keeping Warzone relevant with further releases of Call Of Duty.

Warzone is one of the many multiplayer modes in Call Of Duty: Modern warfare. Warzone has also experimented with limited timed variations including increasing the player count to 200 and a mode where players fight over juggernaut suits. Modern Warfare is currently out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Warzone is also available standalone and free-to-play.

Comic-Con has announced the programming line-up for the Friday, July 24 day of the virtual event Comic-Con@Home. The entire event will take place July 22-26. All of the below can be viewed later for free on SDCC’s YouTube channel and comic-con.org. If you’re looking for a more curated list for the virtual event, make sure to check our GameSpot’s must-watch Comic-Con@Home panels.

Like the rest of the world adapting to the reality if COVID-19, Comic-Con has had to shift its original plans from an in-person San Diego event. As the above paragraph suggests, it has pivoted to a free, online day event across multiple days. Lots of networks and studios like HBO, Disney, and Amazon are just a few of the content providers who have stepped up to announce a virtual presence at Comic-Con@Home.

Here are our picks for the must-watch panels with their official descriptions.

Charlize Theron: Evolution of a Badass – An Action Hero Career Retrospective

Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. P.T.

Actress and producer Charlize Theron reflects on portraying over two decades of action heroes, from Æon Flux to The Old Guard’s Andromache, Mad Max: Fury Road’s Furiosa to Atomic Blonde’s Lorraine Broughton. In a lengthy retrospective Q&A moderated by IGN’s Terri Schwartz, Theron discusses the evolution of the modern female action hero, the roles that inspired her and what drives her to constantly push her limits with fight training.

AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead

Friday, July 24 at 12 p.m. P.T.

Fear the Walking Dead will present a panel for the series’ upcoming sixth season, premiering later this year. Moderated by Chris Hardwick, the panel will feature TWDU chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunners and executive producers Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, and cast members Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Karen David, Jenna Elfman, and Rubén Blades. Season six of Fear the Walking Dead explores what has become of the unlikely family once united by a mission to help those in need. After being torn apart by Virginia (Colby Minifie) and her Pioneers, the group is now dispersed across her far-reaching settlements. Morgan’s (James) last message at the end of season five implored the group to “Just Live” and this season we’ll see what that means to each of them. Some will find the stability and opportunity within Virginia’s communities to be intriguing, some will sink into darkness, while others will fight back against what has been forced upon them. Life behind Virginia’s walls will test each and every one of them in different ways, forcing them to define who they are in this new world.

AMC’s The Walking Dead

Friday, July 24 at 1 p.m. P.T.

The Walking Dead will make its 11th San Diego Comic-Con appearance with a panel spotlighting “A Certain Doom, ” which will air as a standalone episode later this year. Moderated by Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead), the panel will feature TWDU chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunner and executive producer Angela Kang, executive producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the episode, and cast members Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, and Paola Lazaro. In The Walking Dead episode 1016, “A Certain Doom, ” Beta engages in the final battle of the Whisperer War.

AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Friday, July 24 at 2 p.m. P.T.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond makes its Comic-Con International debut as the third series in the wildly successful The Walking Dead Universe. Moderated by Chris Hardwick, the series’ panel will feature TWDU chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunner and executive producer Matt Negrete and cast members Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicholas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Julia Ormond, and Joe Holt. The Walking Dead: World Beyond delves into a new mythology and story that follows the first generation raised in a surviving civilization of the post-apocalyptic world. Two sisters along with two friends leave a place of safety and comfort to brave dangers, known and unknown, living and undead on an important quest. Pursued by those who wish to protect them and those who wish to harm them, a tale of growing up and transformation unfurls across dangerous terrain, challenging everything they know about the world, themselves and each other. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. But all of them will find the truths they seek.

First Look at Hulu’s Helstrom

Friday, July 24 at 3 p.m. P.T.

Talk about some family drama! Join Helstrom showrunner Paul Zbyszewski and cast–Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon, Elizabeth Marvel, Robert Wisdom, Ariana Guerra, June Carryl, and Alain Uy–for one hell of a sneak-peek look and conversation around bringing this terror-filled comic to life as Hulu’s next horror series. Moderated by IGN’s Laura Prudom.

Bob’s Burgers

Friday, July 24 at 4 p.m. P.T.

The Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series Bob’s Burgers invites fans into their homes for a virtual panel with all of the laughs and surprises they generally bring to the Indigo Ballroom. Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard will break news about the upcoming season, and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz, and Larry Murphy will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a lively panel discussion and fan Q&A.

A Zoom with Joss Whedon

Friday, July 24 at 5 p.m. P.T.

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This week, Destiny 2 added a bunch of new content, including this year’s Moments of Triumph and the quest for Ruinous Effigy, a new Exotic trace rifle. If you’re itching for more Exotics, though, you can visit Xur for his weekly visit to the solar system. Here’s where to find Xur and what Exotics he’s offering.

Head to Nessus to find Xur this week, hanging out in Watcher’s Grave region. For his weapon, Xur is offering Black Talon. Hunters can pick up the Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves gauntlets; for Titans, there’s the Dunemarchers leg armor; and for Warlocks, Xur has the Claws of Ahamkara gauntlets. Read on for a breakdown of each item’s stats and what you need to know about them.

Xur Location

Use the Watcher’s Grave transmat zone to spawn in on Nessus, then hop on your sparrow and ride northwest. Look for Calus’s golden barge and use the rocks toward its back to climb aboard. You’ll find Xur waiting on the barge’s deck on the left.

Xur Exotic Items

Xur’s weapon this week is Black Talon, a powerful Exotic sword that offers a ranged attack–something few other swords can boast. As for armor, all of Xur’s Exotics now comes with much higher stats than in past seasons, making them all worthy of your consideration. If you’re not a fan of his other options, Xur also sells an Exotic engram that will decrypt into an Exotic you don’t already own. He also has the Five of Swords challenge card, which lets you enable modifiers for Nightfall Strikes.

• Exotic Engram — 97 legendary shards
• Black Talon — 29 legendary shards
• Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves — 23 legendary shards
• Dunemarchers — 23 legendary shards
• Claws of Ahamkara — 23 legendary shards
• Five of Swords — free

Black Talon

Back before the Season of Arrivals, Black Talon was pretty much unique among swords. The blade’s heavy attack fires a powerful projectile, giving you a ranged attack on a melee weapon. Black Talon still does a little more than the new Temptation’s Hook sword, which also fires a projectile, because Black Talon’s powerful energy bolt also seeks targets. You’ll often see this heavy weapon in the Crucible because its seeking projectile is pretty darn reliable for kills.

Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves (Hunter)

If you’re a fan of sidearms, Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves will give you an edge with the guns. Wearing the Exotic speeds up the reload and ready speeds of your sidearms, making these quick guns even quicker. If you’re critically wounded, your sidearms become even more effective, dishing out increased damage.

Stats:

• Mobility: 10
• Resilience: 13
• Recovery: 9
• Discipline: 22
• Intellect: 2
• Strength: 7
• Total: 63

Dunemarchers (Titan)

A tried-and-true Titan Exotic, Dunemarchers are great for doing serious melee damage. The leg armor increases your sprint speed, and the more you run, the more static electricity you build up. When you melee an enemy, you release that static, sending a bolt of electricity chaining through nearby enemies. It’s deadly in PvE, but you’ll see Dunemarchers in the Crucible too, where Titans can mess up a whole team with one melee–even if their opponents are pretty far apart.

Stats:

• Mobility: 11
• Resilience: 19
• Recovery: 2
• Discipline: 6
• Intellect: 9
• Strength: 14
• Total: 61

Claws of Young Ahamkara (Warlock)

The most straightforward of this week’s Exotics, Claws of Young Ahamkara let you punch more people more often. The Exotic adds an additional melee charge to your repertoire, so if you’re focusing on powerful Warlock melees in your build, consider adding this one to your rotation.

Stats:

• Mobility: 7
• Resilience: 8
• Recovery: 17
• Discipline: 9
• Intellect: 6
• Strength: 15
• Total: 62

Now Playing: Destiny 2 – Moments Of Triumph Explained

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

HBO Max has announced a new original series set in the world of Batman’s home town, Gotham City. The original series will be set in the world director Matt Reeves is creating for his upcoming film The Batman, which stars Robert Pattison as the Caped Crusader.

Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter will write the upcoming series, and the show will be produced by Warner Bros. Television and The Batman producer Dylan Clark. The series will explore some of the more compelling and complex characters in the city, according to a press release. DC has explored other characters in the crime-infested city. Fox ran the series Gotham–following characters in the Gotham City Police Department and the city’s villains–for five seasons.

“This is an amazing opportunity, not only to expand the vision of the world I am creating in the film, but to explore it in the kind of depth and detail that only a longform format can afford–and getting to work with the incredibly talented Terence Winter, who has written so insightfully and powerfully about worlds of crime and corruption, is an absolute dream,” Matt Reeves said.

At the time of the announcement, no release date, synopsis, title, or casting information has been announced. As for Reeves’ The Batman, filming was halted back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, because of new production guidelines, The Batman could begin filming again as soon as July. While it was supposed to arrive in theaters in June 2021, the movie was pushed back to October 1, 2021.

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and Andy Serkis as Alfred.

There are more DC movies on the horizon as well. Wonder Woman: 1984 recently had its release date pushed back, and now, it will arrive in theaters on October 2, 2020. The Flash solo movie also had its release date changed, but it’s arriving earlier than expected. It will now release on June 3, 2022. Finally, Shazam 2 is still in the works, and will release on November 4, 2022.