With each new expansion Destiny 2 seems determined to reinvent itself, and Shadowkeep is no exception. This time the big push is centered around making everything more complex, customizable, RPG-like, and downright nerdy. The host of tweaks and adjustments the newly independent Bungie’s made to this end are numerous: armor, the quest tab, and additional progression systems provide more rewards and customization options for truly committed guardians. Of course, the side effect of all these tweaks catering to longtime players is that Destiny 2 has become even more confusing in the process, which might annoy those who were hoping to simply log on and shoot some moon goblins in the face.
This is an advanced, spoiler-free review of the Castle Rock Season 2 premiere, titled “Let the River Run,” which debuted at New York Comic Con 2019. The first three episodes of Season 2 will premiere on Hulu on Wednesday, October 23.
Misery never felt quite so good as it does in the Season 2 premiere of Hulu’s Castle Rock, which brings Kingverse villainess Annie Wilkes (Masters of Sex star Lizzy Caplan) to the small Maine town when she and her daughter, Joy (portrayed by Eighth Grade’s Elsie Fisher), are waylaid after a car accident. Hulu’s decision to allow (or compel?) showrunners Dustin Thomason and Sam Shaw to go the anthology route with something “wholly original” for their second outing appears to have paid off. Caplan’s Wilkes is a creative fresh coat of paint for the series, and even though the town looks the same outwardly, its narrative inner-workings are already more intriguing than Season 1.
One of the mysteries in director Todd Phillips’ Joker is whether Arthur Fleck really is the son of Thomas Wayne as his mother Penny Fleck claimed. Both Wayne himself and Arthur Pennyworth said it was untrue and that Penny was delusional, hence her eventual stay in Arkham Asylum. But to Brett Cullen, the actor who plays Wayne, “in my mind, Thomas Wayne put her there.”
Penny Fleck worked for the Waynes thirty years before the events of the film, with Arthur learning that he was adopted by her while she worked for them. Penny had previously admitted to Arthur that she and Thomas had an affair, that Arthur is Thomas’ son, and that’s why she’s been incessantly writing to him so that he could help them out financially. Penny also said she was made to sign some papers requiring her silence on the matter.
A new trailer for Star Trek: Picard was unveiled today at New York Comic Con, where Patrick Stewart took the stage to talk about the return of the one and only Jean-Luc Picard. And yes, Riker and Troi have returned!
We also now know when we will see the show, with a release date of Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, announced during the panel. The 10-episode season will drop every week on Thursdays on CBS All Access in the U.S.
Joining Stewart on the panel were castmembers Isa Briones (Dahj), Santiago Cabrera (Cristobal “Chris” Rios), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Harry Treadaway (Narek) and Evan Evagora (Elnor), executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman and Heather Kadin, co-executive producer and director Hanelle Culpepper, and supervising producer Kirsten Beyer.
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Up for Preorder: Marvel Avengers The Infinity Saga 24-Disc Collector’s Edition in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray
If you’re an MCU fan, you have got to consider this Best Buy exclusive collector’s edition that just went up for preorder today. The Infinity Saga set includes all 23 MCU movies in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, each individually packed in their own art cases. You also get a bonus disc with never before seen content and a bunch of extra goodies that we’ve detailed out here. Not including the bonus content, you’re paying $24 per 4K movie, which is less than what you would normally pay for each movie individually. This set ships on November 15.
TNT released a sneak-peek clip from its upcoming Snowpiercer TV series, which is based on the acclaimed 2013 movie (starring Chris Evans and Ed Harris) and graphic novel series of the same name.
Check out the Snowpiercer scene, which features a mix of animation and live-action…
As you can see, the clip pays homage to the graphic novel roots of this post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, detailing the backstory of how Earth was frozen over and why the Snowpiercer train became a mix of both the wealthy and destitute.
TNT also released a batch of images from the series.
Snowpiercer, which has already been renewed for a second season ahead of its 2020 premiere, stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly, Tony Award-winner Daveed Diggs, Emmy-nominee Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, and Tony Award-winner and Grammy-nominee Lena Hall.
You won’t have to wait long for Netflix’s Lost in Space Season 2. The 10-episode second season of the sci-fi adventure series is coming to the streaming service on December 24th, 2019, the cast and creative team announced at New York Comic Con.
Season 2 takes place seven months after the events of Season 1, with the themes being coming of age and growing up. After the Robinsons go through the Rift, Will is on the hunt for the Robot, which actor Maxwell Jenkins teases will take them on a “different path this season,” figuring out new things about themselves along the way. The trailer teases them going “through the looking glass” to a new planet, with new terrifying and awe-inspiring creatures along the way.
Following its debut, Overwatch quickly became one of Blizzard Entertainment’s most recognizable brands, fueling the current obsession with multiplayer games known as hero-shooters. It’s unsurprising then that, following the success of the fantastic Switch release of Diablo 3: Eternal Collection, Overwatch became one of the more requested Switch ports from fans. This sentiment turned out to be a relief for the developers at Blizzard, which, as it turns out, was already working on bringing the online hero-shooter to the Nintendo Switch.
Ahead of its release on October 15, I spent some time playing the new version of the game, while speaking with director Jeff Kaplan and lead producer Matthew Hawley about its development. Co-developed with Iron Galaxy, Overwatch on Switch has been over a year in the making. It not only keeps its fast-paced team-oriented competitive gameplay intact, but it also includes some new features that you can only find on the portable console.
One of the reasons why the Switch has been a great destination for ports is because it allows players to re-examine games in a new light thanks to the console’s portability and flexible playstyle. On Switch, you can still play Overwatch on a monitor with a standard controller like its counterparts, but getting to play the game in the handheld mode made the shooter feel a bit more laid-back. What’s also new to Overwatch are the gyroscopic motion-controls via Joy-Cons, which can be used in tandem with the traditional set-up. This new style was something that took some getting used to, but I eventually took to it after a few rounds. In a way, I felt more drawn into the game when playing in handheld mode and with the gyroscope controls. This relaxed and immediately responsive playstyle makes Overwatch on the Switch feels especially distinct. Speaking with game director Jeff Kaplan, he reflected on his first time holding the Switch, which made him realize that Overwatch was a great fit.
“It’s been a project of passion. I actually waited in line to buy a Switch the day it came out, that’s how much the platform meant to me,” said the game director. “I remember getting my hands on it and going, ‘Oh my God, we need to be here.’ It’s just a great platform. We’ve worked on this for over a year now, and after getting Diablo 3 out there last year and seeing that excitement, we’re now launching Overwatch for the Switch. This has been the end result of that first excitement we had for the Switch back then.”
At launch, Overwatch on Switch will have all existing heroes and content from the PC and console versions. Unlike the release of Diablo 3, however, there aren’t any plans as of this time to include any Nintendo-exclusive items. The Switch version is an impressive port, but it was clear that some clear concessions had to be made to get it running on the more modest hardware. For starters, the Switch version runs at a mostly firm 30 FPS. When docked, the resolution is set at 900p, while undocked brings it down to 720p–with some slight moments of frame rate dips during heavy engagements. Kaplan stated that they’re aiming to release new updates at the same time with other versions, however, unlike Diablo 3: Eternal Collection, the Switch release won’t feature cross-progression, meaning players will have to start fresh within the new ecosystem.
This has been the end result of that first excitement we had for the Switch back then. — Jeff Kaplan, game director.
One of the more unique aspects of Overwatch’s outing on the Switch is the gyroscopic controls. Like Splatoon 2, which lead producer Matthew Hawley said was a source of inspiration from the team, you can use the Joy-Cons or Pro controller’s motion-sensors to move the camera and line up your shots. In the options menu, I noticed that there were several options that could be tweaked to fit your preferences, which include enabling or disabling motion-aiming while using the camera control stick and adjusting the sensitivity of your aim. Of course, if you prefer to stick with the game’s traditional set-up, you’re free to disable motion controls entirely. According to the devs, gyroscopic controls was something they wanted to include in the port, and they collaborated with Nintendo to get it working just right.
“We actually have a designer on our team who is a big Splatoon fan and he really likes gyroscopic aiming,” said the lead producer. “He detaches the joy-cons and kind of points one at the screen, in Wiimote style, and his level of precision just blows me away. It’s pretty cool. There’s no other platform that we currently have Overwatch on that has that kind of motion control, and Nintendo was really excited for us to try and implement it for Switch. There’s a whole world of people that have never played Overwatch before because they only play on Nintendo platforms, so bringing in a Nintendo audience into Overwatch is really, really exciting for us.”
In the dozen or so games I played, any concerns I felt about the game’s technical shortcomings went away when getting into the thick of it. I anticipate it’ll be tough for some players who are into the more competitive side of Overwatch to adjust to the scaled-back format, putting it in noticeable contrast to the high-resolution and 60fps gameplay from the other releases. In my experience, I didn’t really mind the change. If anything, the relaxed set-up that the Switch offered made it all the more easy to get back into. Overwatch on Switch is just as colorful and hectic as its PS4, Xbox One, and PC counterparts, and I really enjoyed myself playing it.
As the Switch is seeing more ports of online-centric games, the arrival of Overwatch–which is a more accessible team-based shooter–is especially welcome. Still, I can’t deny that it’s disappointing that cross-progression isn’t possible on the Switch. The newest release doesn’t totally deviate from the original, yet, the more flexible and responsive playstyle, along with the opportunity to bring Overwatch with you anywhere makes it feel especially novel in comparison to other versions. With its release on October 15, I foresee this port being a great way for players, new and lapsed alike, to revisit the game in a more fresh and laid back way.
