This is a SPOILER-FREE review of B: The Beginning Season 1.
Netflix’s B: The Beginning, one of 30 new anime series premiering in 2018 on the streaming provider, is a perplexing visual marvel filled with enough animated splendor to satisfy any fan of the genre.
The 12-episode series centers on the Royal Investigation Service, or RIS for short, as they pursue an elusive serial killer known as Killer B who’s been terrorizing the fictional nation of Cremona. Leading the investigation is Keith, a legendary detective reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes — he’s aloof, short-tempered, and brilliant. Keith is often referred to by his nickname Genie, which means Genius in German.
Microsoft has confirmed that State of Decay 2, the zombie-survival RPG from Undead Labs, will release on May 22 for the Xbox One family of consoles as well as Windows PC as a Play Anywhere title. It will also be available that day on Xbox Game Pass. Furthermore, Microsoft also confirmed a price point of $29.99 for the standard edition and $49.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
On the subject of the lower-than-expected price, Microsoft GM of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg said, “Our goal is to build a long-term relationship with the State of Decay community and to foster deeper experiences with the franchise. We believe State of Decay 2 accomplishes this goal by immersing fans in the ultimate zombie survival fantasy, and we want to give more players the opportunity to join in and experience this unique game.”
The latest free expansion for Rainbow Six Siege, Operation Chimera, launches today, thereby kicking off Year 3 for the popular shooter. This is a more substantial update than usual, as it adds new content to not only the core, competitive multiplayer component of the game, but it also introduces a new co-op event mode for a limited time. Chimera is now live on PC and PS4 and is in the process of rolling out on Xbox One.
As part of this new expansion, two new Operators are now available. Unusually, both are Attackers; Finka is able to heal and temporarily boost the health of teammates or revive them from a distance, while Lion possesses a drone that can be used to identify the location of enemies for a brief time. They’re both available to Year 3 season pass owners now, while other players will be able to purchase them with in-game currency soon. You can read all about them in our impressions of the new Chimera Operators.
Outbreak is another major highlight of this update. It’s a co-op mode quite unlike anything currently in the game; across three missions, teams of three players work together to deal with zombie-like enemies. This comes complete with new cutscenes featuring characters like Ash and Thermite, and it’s joined by a special loot box that includes exclusive gear. Outbreak and the loot box will only be available for a limited time, running from now until April 3.
The ‘will they, won’t they?’ speculation of whether Blizzard will release Diablo 3 on Nintendo Switch continues, and this time, we’re back to ‘they will’, as sources close to the project apparently confirm its existence.
Eurogamer reports that its sources have confirmed a Diablo 3 port for the Switch is a thing, but that the official reveal is scheduled for “several months away.”
The kerfuffle kicked off last week with a tweet from Blizzard showing a Diablo-themed nightlight being switched on and off. This was immediately followed by a whirlwind of speculation that Diablo 3 was on its way to the Switch.
Marvel’s Luke Cage will return with a new season on Netflix this June.
Netflix made the announcement via a trailer, revealing Season 2 will premiere on June 22. It’s been over a year since the show made its debut back in September 2016, but Mike Colter’s Luke Cage was a major part of last year’s The Defenders.
Season 2 will pick where the first season left off, with Luke Cage now having cleared his name. He’s become a celebrity on the streets of Harlem, but must now face a new enemy. Along with Colter, Simone Missick returns as Misty Knight, and Justin Swain will play detective Mark Bailey.
Another batch of free games for PlayStation Plus members has arrived. Although this month’s lineup is no different from the average one in terms of total games, there are some excellent titles to be had across PS4, PS3, and Vita.
Alongside that, Ratchet & Clank is also free right now. This is the most recent entry in Insomniac’s long-running platforming series, although it’s technically not an original game. It’s based in part on the animated film, which itself was based on the original Ratchet & Clank game.
That’s not it for PS4 owners, who will receive a total of five games this month thanks to Cross-Buy. Both games available on Vita, Claire: Extended Cut and Bombing Busters, are free on Plus, as is one of the two PS3 games, Mighty No. 9. PS3 owners also get their hands on Legend of Kay.
The Entertainment Software Association has confirmed that it has finally received an invitation to meet with President Trump to have a “fact-based conversation” about video game violence.
The ESA released a statement confirming its attendance at the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 8.
“Video games are enjoyed around the world and numerous authorities and reputable scientific studies have found no connection between games and real-life violence,” it said.
“Like all Americans, we are deeply concerned about the level of gun violence in the United States. Video games are plainly not the issue: entertainment is distributed and consumed globally, but the US has an exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation.”
It’s been nearly three years since the first season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones landed on Netflix. At long last, the series is back for another round. And even though the titular heroine conquered her biggest personal demon in Season 1, her challenges are just beginning.
To help get you prepped for these new episodes, here’s a breakdown of every character confirmed to be appearing in Season 2. With any luck, there will be a few surprises in store.
Karen Gillan’s character Nebula has appeared so far in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, where she’s played the rival and foil to Zoe Saldana’s Gamora. The two are adoptive sisters, “daughters” to the Mad Titan Thanos, who’s set to be the villain (and apparently, the main character) of Avengers: Infinity War.
But while Nebula’s been captivating any time she’s on the screen, we’ve never learned much about her. That’s going to change in upcoming MCU films, according to Gillan.
“I love my character so much,” Gillan told GameSpot while promoting Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘s home release (on digital March 6 and DVD/Blu-ray March 20). “I am so invested in her whole backstory, her whole relationship with her sister, the relationship with her father that we’re definitely going to explore in the movies that are coming out soon.”
The next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie on the docket is, of course, Avengers: Infinity War, whose release date was recently moved up a week to April 27. Given the movie’s expected focus on Thanos, it’s safe to guess that Infinity War is the movie Gillan is referring to. The next MCU movies on the schedule are Ant-Man and the Wasp over the summer on July 6 and Captain Marvel on March 8 next year, followed by the fourth, still-untitled Avengers movie on May 3.
It’s most likely that Infinity War will spend some time exploring the complicated relationship between Thanos and Nebula, and likely Gamora too–whether through flashbacks or present day exposition, we’ll have to wait and see.
What The Hell Is Thor’s New Infinity War Hammer?
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In the comics, Nebula plays a major role in the Infinity Gauntlet saga, though her on-screen version is significantly different from the source. Regardless, Gillan said she’s excited for audiences to witness the character’s journey.
“I just feel so lucky that I got this character who, you know, was initially a villain, and then we started to learn more about her, and then our view as the audience, I think, changed toward her,” Gillan said. “And she’s just such a well written character that I feel like lots of people are getting invested in her along with me. And so I’m just so excited for everyone to see where she ends up.”