biteho.com

Note: this is a spoiler-free review of the first episode of The Punisher: Season 2. 

Here we are with what we’re probably all assuming is the last season premiere we’re ever going to get out of The Punisher. The knowledge that the show is almost certainly due for the chopping block in a week or two puts a real damper on the new season, but at least the show comes back strong. If the first episode is any indication, Season 2 looks to be addressing some of the biggest complaints about the first.

Judging from the premiere, it appears that showrunner Steven Lightfoot and his team are intent on making a clean break from the events of Season 1. That makes sense. Up till now, Frank’s story in the MCU has been defined by his vendetta against the military handlers who betrayed him and took his family from him. He got his vengeance and found some semblance of peace by the end of Season 1. The question now is whether Frank can find a new purpose in life. Can he truly leave his war behind? Is it possible for someone like Frank Castle to be normal again? Does he even want that?

Continue reading…

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Just when I thought I was out of the amiibo game, Nintendo pulled me back. The newer amiibo are so much more detailed, and delightful, than the original releases, and they’re perfect collectibles for any video game fan. I don’t have all of them, but I do have a substantial, and growing, collection. If you’re like me, you struggle with amiibo addiction, but also, you still give in to it.

We’re still waiting on availability for the Super Smash Bros. versions of Pichu, Daisy, Ken, Simon Belmont, Richter Belmont, Chrom, and Dark Samus. The first wave of new amiibo, including Inkling Girl, Wolf, and Ridley, came out at the start of December. If you didn’t grab them, or the Octoling 3-pack, there’s still hope. The Octoling 3-pack is on Amazon and GameStop. You can also find Ridley in-stock at Amazon and GameStop. The Inkling Girl Smash Bros. amiibo is at GameStop, and you can grab the Wolf amiibo at Best Buy.

Continue reading…

Destiny franchise director, Luke Smith, has made clear that Bungie’s future lies with the sci-fi shooter series.

Following Bungie’s split from its publisher, Smith has posted on the company website, thanking Activision and other development partners for their help on the series so far, before detailing the short and long-term plans for the series.

In the short term, Bungie’s “continuing to build the content we’ve promised for the Annual Pass.” Smith acknowledges criticism of the last expansion’s high Power requirement, going on to say, “we want to find the line between new content that many players can play, and aspirational content for players to progress toward. We’re exploring improvements to catch-up mechanics for players in upcoming seasons.”

Continue reading…

Alex, Joe and Dale return to regale you with tales of the unnecessarily lavish Mortal Kombat 11 reveal event, some bad new games, and then unveil Mr. Driver’s unexpected new bundle of joy.

And we’re not referring to Dale’s turn on The Endless Search this week, although it is a joy.

IGN UK Podcast #471: Disappointing Games Feat. Donervon Driver

And remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: [email protected]

• IGN UK Podcast #470: Charlie Garlic’s Job Tips

Continue reading…

Looking for the best cheap TV for gaming? The TCL 55R617 is your best bet, but there are plenty of other cheap TVs in full HD and 4K to meet your needs.

In the mood for a new graphics card? We’ve done the research and rounded up the best of the best, no matter your budget.

Warning: Full spoilers for The Punisher Season 2, Episode 2 below. If you need a refresher on where we left off, check out our review of the Season 2 premiere.

I’ll say this much for The Punisher Season 2 so far – it seems more willing to build and maintain story momentum than its predecessor. Whereas Season 1 seemed willing to go multiple episodes without a real action scene, Frank has already racked up a respectable body count in the span of two episodes. The problem we’re seeing right now, however, is that the show isn’t doing a great job of making his new foes feel like anything more than disposable cannon fodder.

Continue reading…

Warning: Full spoilers for The Punisher Season 2, Episode 6 below. If you need a refresher on where we left off, check out our review for Season 2, Episode 5.

Perhaps the biggest question surrounding The Punisher: Season 2 is whether we’ll see Frank Castle evolve into a character more in line with the one from the comics. In those stories, Frank is an inhuman force of nature. He punishes indiscriminately. If you’re a criminal, he kills you. If you’re a criminal who helps him, he kills you anyway. By comparison, Jon Bernthal’s Frank is much more restrained. He tends to limit his wrath to those who have specifically wronged him. But with this episode, there’s a definite sense that the real Punisher is fighting his way to the surface.

Continue reading…

Warning: Full spoilers for The Punisher Season 2, Episode 7 below. If you need a refresher on where we left off, check out our review of Season 2, Episode 6.

Well, it only took them seven episodes this season to actually get Frank Castle in the Punisher costume again. I guess that’s progress. The season seems to be gaining momentum in general as it rounds the halfway mark, with Frank now firmly in the hunt for his nemesis and Billy working his way up the ranks from escaped felon to criminal mastermind.

This episode is another that plays into what is easily the new season’s strongest element – the dubious morality of Frank Castle. For the most part, every single person he’s attacked over the course of the season has deserved a little Punishing, whether it was the pedophile ringleader from Episode 6 or John Pilgrim’s hired goons. But seeing Frank resorting to “enhanced interrogation” to pry Billy’s location out of Jake shows our “hero” crossing a fundamental line. We don’t even need the distraught Agent Madani there to know Frank has become the bad guy. He’s losing himself to his mission, bringing suffering to a poor war vet who just happened to get swept up in the wrong scheme with the wrong guy. In that sequence we see Frank through a very different and not at all flattering lens. And for Curtis to stand their stoically backing up Frank speaks to how desperate he’s become.

Continue reading…

Warning: Full spoilers for The Punisher Season 2, Episode 4 below. If you need a refresher on where we left off, check out our review of Season 2, Episode 3.

The fourth episode of The Punisher Season 2 bumps up Billy Russo from supporting player to main event. Even as Frank and Agent Madani begin the long, difficult search for their shared nemesis, this episode explores Billy’s fractured state of mind and a few key tidbits of his tragic past. This episode is a great reminder that, for whatever else these Netflix Marvel shows may struggle with, they really know how to make the most of their villains.

Continue reading…