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Streaming video quality is fine these days, provided you have a fast enough internet connection, but Blu-rays and especially 4K UHDs look significantly better. Plus, physical media looks great on the shelf, and it comes with extras and behind-the-scenes features you just don’t get from Netflix. As luck would have it, a number of Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray movies and box sets happen to be on sale right now.
Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren’t the best games, and they aren’t necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there’s no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.
In 2007, the newly annual Call of Duty series–while incredibly popular–had a lot of competition. It was a landmark year in games, particularly for shooters; BioShock, Team Fortress 2, and Halo 3 all arrived that year, as did Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, and Portal. These days, you might not expect the yearly Call of Duty entry to capture lasting attention among a sea of inventive new franchises. But in 2007, the fourth Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare, was a standout in its own right. Modern Warfare not only marked a shift for the series–it also fundamentally altered multiplayer shooters for over a decade to come.
In the 10 years or so leading up to Modern Warfare, first-person shooters had undergone rapid changes. In the mid-’90s, PC shooters were evolving thanks to technical advancements, and 1998’s Half-Life helped set a new standard for storytelling in the genre and in games generally. Both local and online multiplayer improved on a technical level, especially with regard to matchmaking and console multiplayer–thanks, in large part, to Halo 2 and Xbox Live. And then there were Medal of Honor and Call of Duty, which kicked off the World War II game boom of the early 2000s.
Modern Warfare owes a lot to these foundations. Its moment-to-moment gameplay, especially in the campaign, didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. If you looked past the waves of enemies and incredible set piece moments, the campaign was still a rather linear series of checkpoints and, as then-GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann noted, it was “almost shockingly short.” But shock was kind of the point. It was all too easy to get swept up in its larger-than-life action and its fictional-but-still-plausible modern-day narrative. Gerstmann summed up the now-infamous mission All Ghillied Up, in which you crawl through the grass as tanks rumble over you, as “a breathtaking moment in a campaign filled with breathtaking moments.”
In many ways, Modern Warfare tread new ground. It was the first Call of Duty game not set during World War II, breaking from the series’ origins as a Medal of Honor competitor. And it wasn’t a total power fantasy like those WWII games, either. Gerstmann said it perfectly in 2007: “In a world filled with war games in which the good guys come out unscathed and the world is left at total peace, Call of Duty 4 will wake you up like a face full of ice water.” That’s illustrated best by the mission Shock and Awe, in which you have to work to evacuate your AI squadmates before a nuke detonates, all set to a countdown timer. No matter how fast you operate, you will fail, and that nuke will go off–and everyone, including you, will die.
The single-player campaign received widespread praise among critics and fans, and so too did the multiplayer. Modern Warfare introduced a number of series mainstays, including Hardcore game modes (where your health is much lower and there’s no HUD, among other changes) and Killstreaks, which later branched out into different kinds of streak rewards. But it was Modern Warfare’s class-based progression system that would end up having the biggest impact.
In Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, you started off with a choice of three classes (five total, after you leveled up a bit and unlocked the rest) with different specializations and loadouts. What set it apart was the new perks system, in which each class had preset, distinct perks that you’d unlock as you played that class. That meant that, by playing a specific way, you’d be rewarded with further ways to improve that playstyle–and once you unlocked the ability to create a custom class, you could combine perks from each class you’d been playing and leveling up.
It was a system that gave you solid incentives to keep playing, outside the general fun of competition, and that’s the kind of thing that creates dedicated players who stick with a game for months and years. Many shooters adapted this in the years following. Once a strong competitor, 2010’s Medal of Honor emulated Modern Warfare’s progression system and Killstreaks (and was followed up by one final entry in 2012 before the series was shuttered). Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in 2010 also had similar class-specific rewards, a shift from previous Battlefield games’ broader unlock system. Even Halo: Reach, a decidedly very different kind of shooter, brought classes and customizable loadouts to the Halo series’ multiplayer.
In recent years, as team-based shooters and battle royale games grow in popularity, this exact kind of progression system is becoming less and less common. Today’s Call of Duty games take inspiration from these games, not the other way around; 2018’s Black Ops 4 included a battle royale mode, and progression in battle royale games is by design not gameplay-related. But Modern Warfare set the stage for the modern concept of multiplayer shooters, games that players keep coming back to for tangible reasons–whether those reasons are gameplay-specific rewards or a randomized loot box full of cosmetics.
Call of Duty is among the most successful video game series of all time, all but synonymous with gaming in general. It is a powerhouse, even when a yearly installment fails to impress. There have been 11 Call of Duty games since Modern Warfare, some of them more sensational, perhaps–Modern Warfare 2 caused quite the stir–and some of them outstanding in their own right. Some things that have since become almost essential to the Call of Duty experience, like Zombies, came after Modern Warfare. It speaks volumes that, over 10 years later, Modern Warfare is not only one of the most important Call of Duty games, but also one of the most notable games to come out of one of the best years in gaming in the 21st century.
Most games make it pretty clear how to be good and how to be evil. There are some recent examples, however, of games that make morality and decision-making far more complicated.
Having a child by your side can change how you play, and perhaps more significantly it can change how you feel about your decisions in games. You might want to be a murderous, bloodthirsty action hero playing solo, but with a child by your side you may want to think twice about rampaging through your foes.
Be sure to watch the full video above for our thoughts.
GameSpot’s A Plague Tale review scored the game an 8/10. Reviewer Khee Hoon Chan said the game tells an “emotive story of resilience against harrowing odds.”
Fortnite Season 9 is now in its third week and, like clockwork, a new batch of challenges is available. If you’re trying get some of the cosmetic customization options included in the Battle Pass, you’ll need to complete these challenges and earn the Battle Stars awarded for doing so. These will level up your Battle Pass and make those unlocks available.
As always, there are two sets of challenges, one for everyone to complete and then a second set exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks to purchase a premium pass. Free challenges this week include pulling off tricks with the Driftboard, searching chests, and dishing out damage after hopping out of the Slipstream.
Premium Battle Pass owners will also need to visit a bunch of specific locations as part of a multi-stage challenge, play with the Flying Disc toy, take out enemies with explosive eliminations, and deal damage with numerous weapons in one match. We’ve put a detailed list of the Week 3 challenges below.
Free
Stage 1: Land a trick with a Driftboard (1) — 2 Battle Star
Search chests at Lonely Lodge or Polar Peak (7) — 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to an opponent within 10s after using a Slipstream (200) — 10 Battle Stars
Premium
Stage 1: Visit Happy Hamlet and Shifty Shafts in a single match (2) — 1 Battle Star
Throw the Flying Disc toy and catch it before it lands (1) — 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with different weapons in a single match (5) — 10 Battle Stars
Fortnite’s 9.10 update was released on May 22 and developer Epic Games published the full patch notes alongside it. Among the new additions was Hot Spots, which are areas on the map that will have better loot, as well as a new limited-time mode that ties in with the Michael Jordan brand.
The first trailer for Terminator: Dark Fate is here. The movie is the latest film in the long-running sci-fi action series, and its sees the return of original stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The trailer shows a teenage girl (Natalia Reyes) being relentlessly chased by a Terminator, played by Gabriel Luna (Agents of SHIELD). She’s also got a cyborg protector in the shape of Blade Runner 2049’s Mackenzie Davis, and soon they are joined by gun-toting Sarah Connor (Hamilton). The promo doesn’t really give any plot details away beyond that, but Schwarzenegger appears as an aged, bearded Terminator, and the action certainly looks impressive. Check it out above.
This trailer follows the striking first poster, which was released earlier this week. The movie is directed by Deadpool’s Tim Miller and produced by James Cameron, who created the franchise and helmed the first two movies. It releases on November 1.
The series kicked off in 1984 with Cameron’s classic The Terminator, while the groundbreaking T2: Judgement Day followed in 1991. Dark Fate is the first movie in the series since 2015’s Terminator: Genisys, which was a critical and commercial disappointment.
Disney’s latest live-action remake of one of its classic animated movies, Aladdin, hits theatres this weekend in time for the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States.
Directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch), the film features Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, and Will Smith as the Genie in a role that mixes CG and live-action shots.
The film follows the same basic story of the acclaimed 1992 film where the “street rat” Aladdin finds a lamp containing the Genie who grants him wishes. The new movie features a number of songs from the original, including classics like “A Whole New World” and “Prince Ali.”
Ahead of Aladdin’s release, reviews for the film have started to appear online. We’re collecting excerpts here to help you get an idea for if the movie is worth your time and money. For more on the critical reaction to the film, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Aladdin
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Written By: John August, Guy Ritchie
Starring: Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Marwan Kenzari.
Release Date: May 24 (United States)
Runtime: 128 minutes
GameSpot
“Aladdin is good. It’s not perfect, but it’s a big, extravagant musical that’s filled with fun performances, bright colors, and some exciting moments. Will Smith’s turn as Genie isn’t better than what Robin Williams brought to the character, but it’s different enough that it stands on its own merit. And, if you’re into this sort of thing–and you should be–Smith has a new rap over the end credits that is themed to the movie.” — Chris Hayner [Full review]
The Seattle Times
“It’s got a flying carpet. It’s got an enchanted lamp. It’s got a shape-shifting genie. But alas, Aladdin lacks real magic. Instead, Disney’s misconceived live-action remake of the studio’s 1992 animated classic offers the audience overstuffed musical-production numbers that look like they’ve been edited with a meat ax. Chop, chop, choppy.” — Soren Andersen [Full review]
The Guardian
“It still holds up as a tale whose central couple’s deceptions and entrapments and self-discoverings have a pleasing symmetry to them, and whose ‘it’s what inside that counts’ morals are in the right place. That’s really all anyone wanted out of a new Aladdin: not a whole new world, just a slightly updated old one.” — Steve Rose [Full review]
Slant Magazine
Certainly there was a lot of room to bring a contemporary perspective to this material—to counter the original’s problematic representation of its Middle-Eastern milieu and deepen its characters. Instead, the film settles for telling you a joke you’ve already heard and botching the delivery. — Jake Cole [Full review]
San Francisco Chronicle
“Aladdin, the live-action remake of the 1992 Disney animation, is more than a pleasant surprise. It’s a complete delight that stands on its own and is, in many ways, an improvement on the original.” — Mick LaSalle [Full review]
Screen Crush
“There’s still noting that this Aladdin does better–or as well–as the original. Even the parts pulled directly from the 1992 Aladdinby Ron Clements and John Musker, like the songs, have lost something in translation. (The whole new world of ‘A Whole New World’ now looks like a generic CGI city.) The nicest thing I can say about 2019’s Aladdin is in its best moments it reminded me of a movie I liked a lot as a kid.” — Matt Singer [Full review]
USA Today
“Ritchie’s Aladdin doesn’t sing or soar like the 27-year-old cartoon still does, and headier themes might bypass little moviegoers, but it’s nonetheless quite a cool and nostalgic magic carpet ride.” — Brian Truitt [Full review]
