A new trailer for Call of the Sea premiered during Future Games Show, discussing the themes of Out of the Blue Games’ debut title. According to Out of the Blue Games co-founder Tatiana Delgado, Call of the Sea takes inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, albeit with a twist.
“But as you can see, although our game is heavily influenced by his tales, Call of the Sea is a twist on the traditional H.P. Lovecraft works,” Delgado said. “We’re trying to focus on the surreal and the oneiric more than the horrific and the grim. In short, Call of the Sea isn’t a descent into madness but a rise to sanity. Losing your mind makes you see a dream-like, colorful world.”
Previously, Delgado said the team wanted to specifically “target the next gen” with Call of the Sea, which is scheduled to release for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC later this year. The game will be available through Xbox Game Pass as well.
“As soon as we saw what was possible, we wanted to do it because–although we have a stylized, visual style, so it’s not realistic–we wanted to get as much as possible from the graphics side,” Delgado said. “And I think we can benefit a lot from the next-gen and, we’re kind of different for what you would expect from a next-gen game.”
Note: This post contains some spoilers for Control and some tiny story tidbits. If you want to uncover it all on your own, you might want to come back after you’ve completed Control and the AWE DLC.
When Control was released, it was fascinatingly weird and full of mystery. As we tried to fight the extra-dimensional Hiss, we learned about the strange entities in charge of the Federal Bureau of Control, discovered supernaturally Altered Items, and uncovered story tidbits linking Control to a Remedy cult classic, 2010’s Alan Wake. But the game’s greatest secret was hidden away in its best sequence, the Ashtray Maze. Listen carefully to the song that plays there, and you could hear a secret message that seemed to hint at hidden content buried somewhere inside Control.
One year later to the day, Control fans have discovered what that secret message was all about. It did hint at hidden content–but it was content that didn’t appear in Control until the release of its final DLC expansion, AWE. Discover the right nook of the Oldest House in AWE and you’ll find the puzzle’s solution, unlocking a tiny tidbit of a story Easter egg–and what seems to be the game’s greatest piece of gear.
Here’s what the secret message is all about, how to find it, how to solve it, what it reveals about Alan Wake, and what you get as a reward.
The Secret Message
To understand what was uncovered with the Control secret message, you have to understand what it’s telling you to begin with. The message appears in the song “Take Control,” which appears in the Ashtray Maze toward the end of Control’s story. The song is credited to the Old Gods of Asgard, a band that appears in Alan Wake, made up of brothers Tor and Odin Anderson (the Old Gods are portrayed by real-life musical group Poets of the Fall). In Alan Wake, the Old Gods of Asgard’s songs had the same reality-bending powers as Wake’s writing, but they had fought, and defeated, the supernatural Dark Presence that eventually captures Wake at the end of that game.
The Old Gods of Asgard have manifested supernatural powers from their music, which seems to be why their song helps you get through the Ashtray Maze.
So the Andersons are characters in the world of Control, but there’s more to the song than an Easter egg. Between verses, there are portion where you can hear someone talking–but the words are reversed. Run those portion backward and you discover Control’s hidden message (our interpretation of it, anyway, but there on Reddit there have been others):
“In their drunken fevered state, seeing double, profoundly, the pyramid in the stolen file becomes a spruce tree.”
“The diamond will tell you where 1-19-7-1-18-4-9-19 (an A1Z26 cipher that translates to ‘Asgard is’).”
“Landing on the polar star and rushing on to the red room, find the cord to take you to a secret rendezvous.”
Players tried to figure out what these instructions were referring to, but came up empty in the aftermath of Control’s release. Now we know that they (or at least some of them) were referring to AWE, although not all the clues make perfect sense just yet.
The Diamond Will Tell You Where
The first part of the secret message, the “drunken fevered state,” always sounded like it referred to the Anderson brothers and the background story in Alan Wake about how they drank moonshine made with water from Cauldron Lake, which might have given them the power from the Dark Presence to alter reality through their music. The “pyramid in the stolen file becomes a spruce tree” bit isn’t really relevant to the rest of the puzzle, but it seems like it might have been referring to The Foundation DLC, and the description of the Oldest House as an ancient, living tree.
The AWE DLC focuses heavily on tying Control to Alan Wake. Control protagonist Jesse Faden receives a message from Wake through the Hotline that directs her to the Investigations Sector, a previously sealed area of the Oldest House. There, she discovers why the section was sealed: There’s a murderous, hideous monster running around in the area. That monster is what remains of Alan Wake character Dr. Emil Hartman. In the 2010 game, Hartman, a psychiatrist, briefly held Wake at his lodge in an attempt to understand and use Wake’s supernatural abilities for his own gain. Wake escaped when the Dark Presence attacked, but Hartman survived.
Throughout AWE, we find out what happened to Hartman. He briefly tried to work with the FBC, but was prosecuted for his attempts to take advantage of artists, including Wake and the Andersons, as a “paracriminal.” After doing his time, Hartman went directly back to his work attempting to gain control of the power of Cauldron Lake and the Dark Presence, however. He dove into the lake to try to learn more, and apparently was possessed by the Dark Presence. The FBC found him, captured him, and interred him in Investigations for study, until he broke out and killed a bunch of people.
Blow a hole in the wall near a radio playing “Take Control” and you’ll find the next step in the puzzle.
As Jesse chases Hartman through Investigations, intent on finally putting him down before he can escape into the rest of the FBC and wreak more mayhem. After an encounter in the Eagle Limited AWE section of the sector, Hartman escape through a passage in the wall. The section is called “Shifting Passage,” and as Jesse gives chase through it, and if you’re paying attention, you might spot a picture hanging on a wall that shows that same wall with a hole in it.
Blast a hole in the wall and you’ll enter a secret area, which contains a hidden bit of lore to pick up. If you look up, though, you’ll see that there’s an office above you, turned on its side. Fly up through its door to get a look around. There’s a radio nearby that’s playing, what else, “Take Control.”
This is the spot you want to be in. Smash through the wall beside the desk that holds the radio and you’ll find another secret location. This is a diamond-shaped passageway that leads to a small, strange clock sitting on a pedestal.
Finding Asgard
The next chunk of the song is just a series of numbers, and at the time the message was being deciphered, players discovered the numbers were a simple cipher about the location of “Asgard.” That’s in keeping with all the Norse mythology theming with the Old Gods of Asgard, but what does the sequence mean?
When you find the clock, you’ll quickly discover that you can start and stop the movement of its hands on the clock’s face. Stop them on certain numbers and the clock will ring like an alarm. The trick here is to plug in the numbers from the cypher sequence. Any that are over 12 are taken to be in 24-hour format, or “military time.”
Pressing the interact button causes the hand of the clock to move around its face. Stop it on each number in the sequence to unlock the path forward.
So the sequence appears like this in the song: “1-19-7-1-18-4-9-19.”
But inputting into the clock, you need this sequence: “1-7-7-1-6-4-9-7.”
You do that by stopping the clock hand on each number in sequence as it rotates around the face–if you stop on the wrong number, you have to start over, like a combination lock. Enter the full sequence into the clock and a hole opens in the floor behind it. If you look down in the hole, you’ll see your next step: the Polar Star, a star-shaped stone set into the bottom of the shaft.
The Red Room
Drop down onto the “polar star”-shaped platform, then head into the Red Room, where you’ll have to fight waves of enemies.
When you drop down the shaft to the Polar Star, your next destination is just ahead: the Red Room. This is a usual Oldest House office area, but bathed completely in red light. There are no lore drops or anything else to find inside, but when you enter the Red Room, you’re attacked by waves of Hiss. Fighting them off is tough, but if you manage to beat them, the next step of the puzzle unlocks.
The song tells you to “find the cord to take you to a secret rendezvous.” In Control, the “cord” refers to a strange light cord that appears periodically in the Oldest House. Pulling the cord three times instantly transports you to the Oceanview Motel, a strange supernatural location that can link parts of the Oldest House together. In the AWE DLC, you visit the Oceanview a couple of times, where you’re treated to cutscenes in which you see Wake talking with Thomas Zane, another Alan Wake character. After all the enemies in the Red Room are dead, you’ll find a cord pretty much in the center of it. Pulling it three times, predictably, takes you back to the Red Room.
Where Asgard Is
Once you get into the Oceanview Motel, you’ll get a message from Wake that gives you a tidbit of Alan Wake lore.
This is a bit of a lackluster visit to the Oceanview, given some of the others in Control and even in AWE. When you arrive, there’s nothing much going on. As usual, your goal is to find the key to the door with the inverted pyramid on it, which provides your exit. To get it, you’ll need to go to the one open guest room in the motel and collect the key off the desk.
When that happens, you receive a quick, brief Hotline message from Wake, who talks briefly about Valhalla, a retirement home founded to be a place where the (already ludicrously old) Anderson brothers could live out their twilight years. There’s not a lot of information, but that’s basically the gist of what this secret is all about. AWE tells the story of what happened to Emil Hartman after Alan Wake, and this year-long secret tells what happened to the Andersons. THe pair live (or lived) out their days in a retirement home that was founded some five years before Control in 2014, called Valhalla. Despite being there, the existence of “Take Control” suggests they continued to entertain with supernatural rock god prowess.
Your Reward
The Aerobics personal mod might be the very best one in the game.
Though the secret provides only a tidbit of Alan Wake lore, it does dish out something pretty significant: a “Personal Mod,” one of the pieces of gear you can equip in Control. This one is called Aerobics, a top-tier mod that gives you health whenever you use your Evade move in the game. Since most players are likely to use Evade almost constantly to avoid incoming enemy fire and other danger, this is an exceedingly good mod. And with the addition of the Shum horde mode in AWE, the Aerobics mod is likely to be exceptionally useful to anyone who finds it.
The next generation of consoles is pushing hardware power further and faster, but the gulf of noticeable graphical and technical upgrades between generations is shrinking. Microsoft, for example, is consciously blurring the line by promising cross-generation support going forward with the launch of Xbox Series X. That makes quality-of-life features more valuable than ever, including at least one that’s more significant than it may seem: multi-game suspension.
The feature has largely flown under the radar, part of the suite of new features casually announced when Microsoft first revealed its next-gen plans. It was announced alongside other ambitious plans and quality-of-life features for new hardware, like an SSD to support faster load times and a new version of its standard wireless controller.
Sony has not detailed specific plans for multi-game suspension, but it stands to reason that the feature could be included into the PlayStation 5. The company has already talked about a similar feature, reportedly to be called Activities, that will let you jump into individual game modes straight from the console dashboard without needing to load into a game’s standard menu. It’s conceivable that both console manufacturers could borrow these ideas from each other.
These types of features more broadly could have a huge impact on how we interact with games, and what we expect from our console interfaces well into the future. These minor improvements that reduce friction in your everyday life end up becoming normalized, taken for granted, and then missed if they’re ever gone. In five years, it may seem frustrating or even unacceptable not to be able to swap between multiple games on-the-fly or jump straight into a multiplayer match without hassling with a game bootup.
Imagine, for example, you’re in the middle of a narrative single-player game mission. A friend messages you looking for a fourth for a battle royale quad, but she only has time for a single match. Rather than leave your friend hanging as you finish the mission or lose your mid-mission progress, you simply accept the invite, play a match, and hop right back in where you left off. Or you could play several single-player experiences back-to-back, jumping between them like novels with bookmarks.
The feature may also be a boon to game demos and subscription services like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Now. Sometimes the frequency and volume of updates to these services make it difficult to sample everything of interest. Being able to keep your place in a game while quickly sampling a bunch of new offerings can help encourage trying more new games and create more discoverability on the platforms.
Before long, the seemingly small features we never knew we wanted could feel like ones that we can’t live without.
Whatever one may think of Apple devices, Apple’s marketing brilliance has been based around simplicity. In the aughts, the company rocketed to unprecedented financial success by pitching its interfaces as simple, intuitive, and user-friendly. Some features we now take for granted were introduced this way, instilling a sudden sense of “why didn’t anyone think of this before?” clarity. As consoles increasingly gain value in the mainstream market, it makes sense that companies would begin to focus less on pushing polygons and more on this simplicity-focused approach. Creating a device that works the way you wish it would is significant, even if those changes solve the problems you didn’t realize you had.
The coming generation looks to be an evolutionary step for console gaming. Its visual upgrades are bound to be impressive but may not signify the evolutionary leap we’ve come to expect from previous transitions. That means the generation could be much more defined by expansive online services and quality-of-life improvements. Before long, the seemingly small features we never knew we wanted could feel like ones that we can’t live without.
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It may have taken three decades, but the third installment in the Bill & Ted franchise is here. Bill & Ted Face the Music has arrived in select theaters and on digital release for you to enjoy, whether you watch it on its own or watch it along with Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey for the greatest triple feature of all time.
Bill & Ted Face the Music picks up years after 1991’s Bogus Journey, finding Bill and Ted middle-aged and not the wildly successful rock stars they expected to be. They do, however, wind up adventuring across time once again in an attempt to save reality from tearing itself apart. How does it end, though? And should you stick around after the credits? Keep reading to find out.
Warning: The following contains major spoilers for the end of Bill and Ted Face the Music. You’re going to want to watch this one, so go away until you’ve done that, then come back here so we can dig into that ending.
At the climax of the film, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) realize they aren’t the Preston and Logan that are meant to create the song that will save all of time and space. It’s actually their daughters that save the day–Bill and Ted are ultimately there to be a part of their band.
So, with Bill and Ted on guitars, the daughters–Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving)–gather Jimmy Hendrix, Mozart, Louis Armstrong, Kid Cudi, and a host of other major names from throughout music history to create the song “Face the Music.” Death (William Sadler) is also in the band, once again joining Wyld Stallyns as bass player. Together, they all save the day and restore balance to the space-time continuum. There was no way for this to do other than with a happy ending, obviously.
That’s the end of the film, but it’s not the last we see of Bill and Ted. After the credits, viewers are taken back to the distant future, in which an elderly Bill and Ted rock out one last time in their retirement home. All those years later, they still have it.
Bill & Ted Face the Music is out on digital release and in select theaters now. Make sure to check out our Easter egg guide for anything you might have missed.
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We did it! We made it to the release of Bill & Ted Face the Music, at long last. The film, which reunited Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as their iconic characters for the first time in nearly three decades, is available in select theaters and on digital release as of now.
If you’re a fan of the franchise, chances are you’ve already watched the movie at least once. Did you catch all of the Easter eggs and references sprinkled throughout the film, though? If you didn’t, that’s quite alright. GameSpot has you covered. After watching Face the Music multiple times, we’ve uncovered 45 different things you should keep an eye out for in the new film.
It’s been 29 years since Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, so beginning things with a recap was a good call.
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2. It hasn’t gone well
The recap also shows how things have gone for the Wyld Stallyns since the last film. The band hasn’t done well, they haven’t saved the world, and Bill and Ted have become a joke. How the most excellent have fallen.
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3. The last supper
Early on in the film, viewers earn that the fabric of time is being ripped apart and we’re shown quick shots of a variety of historic moments–from Babe Ruth playing baseball to the last supper of Jesus Christ.
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4. They’re back
All these years later, through thick and thin, Bill and Ted are still at each other’s side.
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5. Missy, I mean mom
First, she married Bill’s dad in Excellent Adventure, then Ted’s in Bogus Journey. Now, in Face the Music, Missy has found a new love of her life–Ted’s little brother Deacon.
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6. Deacon’s all grown up
That’s right, Deacon is back in Face the Music and he’s all grown up. He’s also played by a new actor. In Excellent Adventure, he was played by Frazier Bane. In Face the Music, Saturday Night Live’s Beck Bennett takes over the role.
Bane has gone on to produce a number of reality TV shows, including Last Comic Standing and Pawnography.
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7. The princesses
The princesses Bill and Ted married are also back, though much like with Deacon they are played by new actresses. Jayma Mays (Joanna) and Erinn Hayes (Elizabeth) feature heavily in the movie. That’s not new to the series, though. In Excellent Adventure, Diane Franklin and Kimberley LaBella played Joanna and Elizabeth, respectively. In Bogus Journey, they were replaced by Sarah Trigger and Annette Azcuy.
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8. Ted’s dad still looks angry
If we’ve earned anything from the movies that game before, Ted’s dad John Logan (Hal Landon Jr.) does not think highly of his son or Bill. Some things never change.
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9. The Wyld Stallyns have not aged well
In their attempt to find a song to unite the world, Bill and Ted have strayed far from their rock and roll roots. This is nothing like Those Who Rock. Instead, it’s just a lot of throat-singing and theremin.
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10. Little Bill & Ted
Viewers were first introduced to Little Bill and Ted in Bogus Journey. Now, we meet them all grown up. Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving) are a lot like their dads.
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11. Rufus’s daughter
Kristen Schall plays Kelly, the daughter of Rufus (George Carlin). The naming of the character is a nod to Carlin’s real-life daughter.
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12. The future
The future looks a lot more high tech in Face the Music. The CGI put to use in crafting it makes it look far brighter, even though circumstances are more dire.
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13. The phone booth
Now here’s a true relic of the past. When Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey were released, phone booths were still a fairly normal thing to see. Now, though, that’s definitely changed. Still, seeing Bill and Ted come across their old time machine is a special moment.
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14. Rufus returns
It was previously revealed that Rufus would appear in the new film, and it’s hard to argue that this is the perfect way to do it. With just a bit of repurposed footage, Face the Music was able to craft a truly emotional moment.
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15. Be excellent to each other
It turns out that Bill and Ted’s life motto of “Be excellent to each other and party on” doesn’t carry as much weight now as it did three decades ago.
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16. A more reliable watch
In the first film, Ted had a wind-up watch that he has to be reminded to keep winding. Thankfully, they were given Rufus’s watch for this new adventure, which doesn’t need that kind of attention.
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17. Circuits of time phone book
That phone book sure looks familiar. It’s the only way to travel through time.
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18. Air guitar
Bill and Ted’s signature air guitar was sorely missed. It only happens a couple of times in Face the Music, but they still do it even when middle-aged.
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19. Sad future Bill and Ted
The first of a few future versions of Bill and Ted we meet in the film. These two are mostly washed-up rock stars who play open mic nights and definitely live in their van.
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20. Ted’s drinking problem
This is also the first hint we get that Ted might have a drinking problem, as he seems pretty attached to that flask.
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21. Excellent Adventure 2.0
In an effort to help their dads, Billie and Thea set off on a journey through history, much like Bill and Ted did in Excellent Adventure.
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22. The weirdest therapy session ever
Time travel. Princesses. The end of space and time as we know it. Bill, Ted, Joanna, and Elizabeth sure do unload some heavy exposition on their couples’ therapist.
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23. Ridiculous rock star Bill and Ted
So many future versions of Bil and Ted are just awful, including these over-the-top rock stars with bad British accents. Of course, we learn this is all part of a con they’re pulling.
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24. Hey, Dave Grohl
That leads to a cameo by Dave Grohl. It seems Bill and Ted are squatting in his house while he’s out of town, just to convince their past selves they figured out the song to save reality. Instead, they just stole it from Grohl.
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25. No, seriously, we gotta talk about Ted’s drinking
And, naturally, Ted’s drinking had only gotten worse. He’s graduated from a flask to simply chugging from a bottle of vodka.
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26. The return of Death
In his first appearance in Face the Music, we see Death watching Ted’s dad as he plummets to hell.
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27. Jimi Hendrix
Where else would Billie and Thea’s first stop be to enlist a band member than one of the greatest guitarists to ever live?
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28. Louis Armstrong
Next on their checklist is Louis Armstrong, who quickly becomes a fan of both Hendrix and smartphones.
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29. Mozart
Bill and Ted had Beethoven, Billie and Thea enlisted Mozart.
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30. Muscular prisoner Bill and Ted
The next version of future Bill and Ted is downright silly. Now in prison after being arrested for breaking into Dave Grohl’s house, Bill and Ted are giant, muscled, and tattooed. Watching the duo come face-to-face with this version of themselves is incredibly entertaining.
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31. Ling Lun
In Chinese mythology, Ling Lun is described as the founder of music in the country. According to said mythology, Ling Lun was a man and believed to have created bamboo flutes. In the film, Ling Lun is a woman played by Sharon Gee.
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32. Greatest drummer of all time
While we couldn’t find any information about a prehistoric drummer named Grom, the character is played by acclaimed drummer Patty Anne Miller, who was in Beyonce’s band during her Super Bowl performance.
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33. Super old Bill and Ted
Finally, a version of future Bill and Ted that doesn’t totally suck. A very old and incredibly peaceful Bill and Ted not only present the boys with the song that will save reality–it’s called “Face the Music”–they also have heart-to-hearts with their younger selves.
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34. Death competing against himself
It’s a nice nod to Bogus Journey that all these years later, Death is still playing games–and cheating at them–even when he’s playing against himself.
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35. The crumbling of the Wyld Stallyns
Bill and Ted reuniting with Death also shed light on what happened when the Stallyns fell apart. Death left the band and tried to claim Wyld Stallyns name for himself, which led to a lawsuit between the two sides. We learn that Death went solo after leaving the band, though the world wasn’t too keen on a bass guitar-only act.
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36. The 210 freeway
Yes, the 210 freeway is real and it goes right through San Dimas. However, it’s not the multi-leveled massive highway that’s seen in the movie.
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37. The real Peston and Logan
Who knew that all along it wasn’t Bill and Ted that would save the universe–it was their kids?
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38. Circle K lives
Unfortunately, Bill and Ted don’t have a chance to hang out at Circle K in Face the Music. However, there is a billboard
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39. Mozart vs. Beethoven
In what is clearly a nod to Beethoven’s discovery of keyboards in Excellent Adventure, Mozart is a bit more shocked by the sounds he hears the first time he strikes a key. Beethoven was immediately at home, while Mozart seems startled.
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40. Station
Unfortunately, we don’t see Station the alien in the movie. However, Kid Cudi pays tribute to the fuzzy creature that splits into twins when addressing Bill and Ted.
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41. 69, dudes
Of course, the time circuit code for infinity begins with 69–Bill and Ted’s favorite number. It’s worth noting, though, the numbers on the page don’t match.
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42. The Wyld Stallyns ride again
At long last, Preston and Logan found their song and saved all of reality–and the newest Wyld Stallyns lineup rocked the universe, complete with Bill, Ted, and the princesses.
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43. Wait, that’s Weird Al
The end credits feature tons of Bill and Ted fans pretending to play music and rocking out. Among them is “Weird Al” Yankovic, jamming on his accordion.
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44. And Guillermo, because why not
Another notable face is Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo, playing air guitar.
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45. The end
There is no more fitting end than to see Bill and Ted still rocking, even as old men. Given that the franchise’s co-writers told GameSpot this is the end of Bill and Ted’s story, this is quite possibly the last time we’ll see them.
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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company
A new trailer for Cris Tales debuted during Future Games Show. It provided a fresh look at the upcoming stylish RPG. You can watch it, below.
In Cris Tales, you take control of the titular Crisbell (unless the title is actually in reference to her ally, Cristopher–yup, there’s more than one Cris), a young orphan who becomes a time mage. Each time mage can affect time in a unique way–in Crisbell’s case, she can see the world in the past, present, and future all at the same time. Using this knowledge, she can change the flow of time and influence the course of events.
For example, early-on in the game, Crisbell sees that in the future, two shops in town will fall on hard times after their respective store fronts mysteriously collapse. The means of preventing their collapse can only be achieved by mixing a potion from a rare fruit.
After planting the seed in the present, one of Crisbell’s allies–a talking frog named Matias with powers of his own–can skip to her vision of the future where the plant is fully grown and then take the fruit back to Crisbell’s time. You only get enough to make one potion though, forcing you to choose which store to save, ultimately only changing the future for one of the store owners.
Cris Tales implements this mechanic in combat too, allowing Crisbell to affect enemies in different ways depending on which time period she fights them in. Fighting a strong soldier in the future is far easier when he’s a weak and old man, for example, and sending someone to the past, drenching their shield in water, and then quickly returning them to the present will result in their defense rusting away.
Cris Tales is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia on November 17.
The death of actor Chadwick Boseman from cancer has shocked not just the film industry but the entire world. Boseman was a man and an artist in the prime of his life and career, the star of one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most significant films and biggest creative and commercial successes … and now he’s gone.
Those who worked with Boseman, including the community of the MCU, have been sharing their condolences and thoughts on his death on social media. They hail an actor and filmmaker with so much more left to contribute and a passionate advocate for social causes.
Marvel Studios saluted Boseman, promising: “Your legacy will live on forever.”
Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/DyibBLoBxz
The extended Marvel Studios community have been sharing their tributes to Boseman on social media, including War Machine actor Don Cheadle, Captain Marvel’s Brie Larson, Shang-Chi star Simu Liu, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson, future Captain Marvel 2 director Nia DaCosta, and Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds:
Chadwick Boseman, the star of Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has died at the age of 43.
Boseman’s family confirmed his death, first reported by AP, with a message:
“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.
“It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.
“He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.
“The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
As mentioned in the note by Boseman’s family, the actor had starred in a number of productions throughout his life, playing real-life figures Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get on Up, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.
He is perhaps most well-known for his role as T’Challa/Black Panther, a role he took on in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, and would have again in the upcoming Black Panther 2, which was previously planned for a 2022 release. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, based on the play by August Wilson, has yet to be released.
Chadwick Boseman, the actor best known for his starring role in Black Panther, has passed away at 43. He had been fighting a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The news was reported by the AP and then confirmed on Boseman’s Twitter account, which states that he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. Over the last four years, it progressed to stage IV.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.
“It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
The tweet goes on to say he died at home with his wife and family.
Boseman is best known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having debuted as T’Challa in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. But his credits extend back to the early 2000s, with roles on shows like Law & Order, Third Watch, and CSI: NY. In 2013, he starred as Jackie Robinson in 42, a well-received biopic about the life of the first African American player in Major League Baseball.
His appearance in Civil War paved the way for 2018’s Black Panther, the first Marvel Studios film centered around a Black star. He has since appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther 2 was slated to release in May 2022 as part of MCU’s Phase 4. The yet-to-be-released Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a Netflix drama based on the play, may now be his final acting role.
In reaction to the news, co-stars and admirers have been sharing their reactions and memorials on Twitter. These include Marvel co-stars Don Cheadle and Brie Larson, Black Panther comic writer Evan Narcisse, and Joe Biden, among many others.
Hard to hear about this. Rest in love, brother. Thank you for shining your light and sharing your talent with the world. My love and strength to your family. https://t.co/hNAWav7Cq8
The true power of @ChadwickBoseman was bigger than anything we saw on screen. From the Black Panther to Jackie Robinson, he inspired generations and showed them they can be anything they want — even super heroes. Jill and I are praying for his loved ones at this difficult time.
Madden NFL 21 is a tale of two games, really. It introduces The Yard, the best new Madden game mode in more than a decade, situating itself nicely alongside the breezy and fun Superstar KO mode that arrived last year. But outside of these exciting inclusions that are well-suited for short sessions, Madden NFL 21 feels all too familiar, even for an annual sports sim. The tentpole modes that require a deep investment haven’t received meaningful updates, and the on-the-field gameplay doesn’t do much to move the series forward and is hampered by surprising technical issues.
EA Sports has done well as of late with recognizing that not every player wants to sink a dizzying number of hours into Franchise or Ultimate Team. With Madden NFL 20, EA added Superstar KO, a sudden death overtime mode where each player gets one possession. It returns in Madden NFL 21 largely unchanged, retaining its excellent high-stakes matches. With Madden NFL 21, EA has added a second casual game mode that is even better than Superstar KO.
The Yard is easily the most over-the-top game mode to ever appear in Madden. Inspired by backyard football, teams of six compete on an 80-yard field, getting three possessions each to try and score. You can play against the computer, team up with one or two friends, or see how you stack up online against other players. While it doesn’t feature NFL Blitz-esque hits, you can get really imaginative with the stripped-down playbooks. You’re allowed to throw unlimited forward passes behind the line of scrimmage, and many of the plays are set up to encourage this. Adding to this mechanic is the ability to snap the ball to any of your teammates. The Yard hinges on extravagant plays, as it requires you to move the ball 20 yards for a first down. Due to the limited number of blockers, there’s a delay before the defense can pass the line of scrimmage.
Where things really get interesting is the scoring system. After scoring a touchdown, you can choose to go for one-, two-, or three-point conversions, which require you to score from different yard lines. There’s a risk-reward element in play here, as you can lose by a decent margin even if you score three touchdowns. Bonus points are rewarded for passing the ball multiple times on a scoring play. The basic setup and chaotic variables in play create some of the most thrilling Madden moments I’ve ever experienced, and games typically only last around 20 minutes or less. It’s both brief and delightful, making it the antithesis of Madden’s long-running Ultimate Team mode.
Unfortunately, Madden NFL 21 begins to show its blemishes in the familiar modes. Franchise, once again, hasn’t received any noticeable improvements. It still gives you the opportunity to manage every aspect of your team over the course of many NFL seasons, but it’s essentially the same loop that’s been in place for the past few years, giving little reason to upgrade if you primarily play Franchise. This is particularly disappointing because The Yard and Superstar KO show that it’s possible to rework the best aspects of Madden to create an experience that’s fresh and exciting again.
Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame, the single-player story mode, is the worst part of the package by far. EA Sports hit its stride with Madden NFL 18’s Longshot, thanks to a surprisingly moving cinematic story. Since then, the story mode has been altered significantly to give players more time on the sticks and less time watching cutscenes. This year’s iteration of Face of the Franchise attempts to reintroduce more narrative after last year’s lackluster Face of the Franchise: QB1.
It doesn’t work–at all. Rise to Fame is set up as flashbacks told to a reporter back at the high school where your legendary journey began. Of course, there’s a stereotypical brash starting QB named Tommy who gives you a hard time. Quickly, it’s revealed that the starter has a health condition that he’s been hiding, which thrusts you into the limelight in the second half of a game.
After playing a few games in high school, you pick to play at one of 10 NCAA programs, and your rival-turned-wide-receiver joins you. It flashes forward to your junior year when you’re told by the coach that you’ll split time as quarterback with your frenemy–yes, he wants to play QB again–in the upcoming season. The problem here is that your play on the field really doesn’t matter at all. Despite winning in blowout fashion in the two collegiate games I started, all of the cutscenes mentioned how the team was struggling. Even after winning the College Football Playoff semifinal in dominant fashion, I was benched in the first half of the National Title game for Tommy. The story only gets more ridiculous from there, but quickly leads you to the NFL, where it starts to play out more in the fashion of the traditional Franchise mode.
It’s nice that Madden has continued its focus on narrative modes that mirror offerings in NBA 2K and MLB The Show, but Rise to Fame entirely misses the mark. Unless you really want to guide a player with your name to the Hall of Fame, it’s not worth checking out–you’re far better off jumping straight into the normal Franchise mode. Groan-inducing writing, stiff animations, and a disjointed story arc make Rise to Fame every bit as lackluster as last year. Since there’s more of it here, it’s actually even more disenchanting.
The card-collecting Ultimate Team mode doesn’t fare any better than Franchise when it comes to new features. At this point, EA has added so many superfluous details that half the time it feels like you’re playing a tedious management sim rather than a football game. It also doesn’t help that Ultimate Team remains steadfastly committed to microtransactions, which puts players who don’t feel like spending money on digital cards at a disadvantage.
Though Ultimate Team has a long list of solo challenges that introduce you to the basics, they’re all relatively bland. Rather than emphasizing the mostly solid on-the-field simulation gameplay, Ultimate Team demands that you spend an inordinate amount of time in the menus micromanaging a growing collection of players with attributes that are often quite lower than reality. To get them closer to their real-life counterparts, you have to sink a dizzying number of hours into the mode, much of it spent completing mundane tasks and playing online against those who sometimes buy their way to a good team.
While there’s much to do in Ultimate Team whether you play solo against the CPU or online, nothing here moves MUT in a positive direction. Assembling and modifying your team is a monotonous task that forces you to examine a slew of different attributes in addition to a player’s overall rating to compose the best team possible. It’s certainly deep and filled with customization, but now more than ever, the dullness of it all is much more apparent.
Despite its shortcomings in the most prominent game modes, Madden NFL 21 still offers better on-the-field gameplay than in previous years–most of the time. The biggest change I noticed came with run defense. Last year, the run game was far too challenging to stop, but this time CPU defenders smartly fill gaps and notice ball carriers more often while engaged with offensive linemen. Tackling in the open field also received noticeable improvements, including new animations and fewer (unrealistic) broken tackles.
On the offensive side of the ball, the main improvement comes with your evasive moves, which can now be utilized with the right stick. Making cuts in the open field to evade defenders feels far more intuitive than before. Two new moves, a side hurdle and dead leg, add to the number of ways you can make the defender miss. Since hesitation running is big in football, it’s nice to see the dead leg added. Directional hurdles–called jurdles–let you jump left and right rather than just forward, which comes in handy when you’re running along the sidelines. All told, ball carrier moves are more dynamic, giving you new ways to catch defenders off guard.
Quarterback play is a tad more in-step with the real thing, as there’s more nuance to throws made with defenders breathing down your neck. While QBs can now hasten their release, the accuracy of passes when under pressure can vary wildly depending on the player. This also means that attempting throws with a backup QB in the same fashion as you would with, say, Patrick Mahomes can lead to some big misses. And new Superstar and X-Factor abilities further emphasize the disparity between the stars and role players, including numerous new receiver abilities that give those with hot hands high-percentage opportunities to nab anything thrown in their direction.
When Madden NFL 21 is running without a hitch, the football gameplay is quite good, even if it’s only incrementally better than last year. Sadly, in its current state, Madden NFL 21 has some real issues, especially in regard to kicking. On more than half of my kickoffs, field goals, and punts, there was some fairly extreme lag with the kicking meter, which led to laughably errant kicks. More than usual, receivers simply do not turn back to look at the ball at all, even when it hits them directly in the back of the head.
There are also bigger-picture issues with the overall experience. Sometimes the field didn’t fully render, forcing me to quit and reload. Other times the game got stuck in a loading loop after finishing a contest. Lagging animations aren’t super common, but I encountered one or two every few games. While I assume these issues will get patched with the planned day-one update, they add up to create an inconsistent and sometimes frustrating experience.
As the PS5 and Xbox Series X loom–PS4 and Xbox One editions come with free upgrades to next-gen–Madden has reached a crossroads. One side of the road is freshly paved and inspired thanks to the shenanigans featured in The Yard, while the other is beaten down and filled with potholes. With far more technical issues than normal and large chunks of recycled content, Madden NFL 21 feels more like an update than a brand-new game.
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