Henry Cavill has always been the first choice to portray Geralt of Rivia, according The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich.
Cavill, who has been officially cast as Geralt in the upcoming Netflix series, met with Hissrich to discuss the role four months ago in late April, the showrunner confirmed on Twitter.
Hissrich also made sure to express her excitement about Cavill joining the project, saying “he has always been” the White Wolf in her eyes.
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Fortnite‘s recently teased High Stakes event is coming a little later than planned. Developer Epic Games announced on Twitter that the event–along with the 5.40 update–will now roll out for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile on Thursday, September 6, which will also delay the arrival of Week 9’s challenges.
According to the studio, the event and new patch have been pushed back “due to the discovery of a critical controller issue.” Epic didn’t divulge any further details about the issue, but as a result of its discovery, this week’s new set of challenges will also arrive a little later than normal; they’re now slated to go live on Friday, September 7, as opposed to their usual Thursday rollout.
Epic first announced High Stakes just before the start of PAX West last week. The heist-themed event will feature its own set of challenges and skins. Epic is also introducing a new limited-time mode called Getaway that completely changes the game. The objective here is to locate four safes that have been dropped around the item, extract the valuables inside, and safely reach the extraction zone.
The aforementioned 5.40 patch will also make some notable changes to the game. First, the edge of the storm will now deal damage to player structures “in the final phases” of the match, which Epic says will “provide a little more dynamic gameplay.” The developer is also vaulting the Revolver as part of an initiative to keep the item pool feeling fresh and dynamic.”
Season 5 of Fortnite has almost come to an end. The season concludes later this month, but as it has done in the lead up to previous seasons, Epic has already begun teasing what’s in store for Fortnite in the near future with some strange in-game phenomena. Recently, a giant lightning bolt emerged from the rift in the sky and struck the desert, leaving a mysterious purple cube in its wake. Players have since noticed the cube moving toward an unknown destination on the map, although what that signifies remains a mystery.
In addition to its regular weekly sale on Xbox One games, Microsoft’s digital store is running an enormous sale on backward compatible games. Between now and September 10, you can find some fantastic deals on some of the best games the Xbox 360 has to offer–and you can play them all on your Xbox One. We’ve combed through the deals and picked out some of the highlights below.
Let’s kick things off with Red Dead Redemption, which is on sale for $10 / £8. As you’ve probably heard, it’s getting a sequel–really a prequel–on October 26 that promises to set up many of the events of the original game. What better way to prepare for Red Dead Redemption 2 than by picking up the original on sale and playing through it? Several other Rockstar games are on sale as well, including Grand Theft Auto IV ($7 / £6) and Bully: Scholarship Edition ($6 / £5).
Many other major series from the 360 era got discounts. You can pick up any of the BioShock or Borderlands games for under $10 / £8 each. The entire Dead Space trilogy can be yours for less than $15 / £14. And anyone looking to sink their teeth into a meaty RPG can grab Dragon Age: Origins for $4 / £4 or Dragon Age 2 for $8 / £6.
Some of the standalone highlights include the compelling, narrative-driven puzzle game Catherine for $5 / £5, the classic platformer Sonic CD for $3 / £2, and the surprisingly deep meditation on the nature of war, Spec Ops: The Line, for $6 / £4.
These are all fantastic games, and it’s convenient you can play them now without having to dust off your old console. You can find more of our picks below, or check out the full list of backward compatible games on sale here.
Marvel’s iconic comic book hero Spider-Man has starred in numerous video game adaptations over the years, and while some of his outings have been excellent, the results haven’t always lived up to the webslinger’s reputation. His latest title, Marvel’s Spider-Man, arrives exclusively on PlayStation 4 later this week, and judging by the game’s early reception, it’s one of his best video game adventures yet.
Developed by Insomniac Games (the studio behind Ratchet & Clank and Sunset Overdrive), Marvel’s Spider-Man is set in an original, standalone universe separate from the comic series. The game casts players in the role of an older, more experienced Peter Parker, who must use his powers to save New York from some of his most memorable villains, including Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture, and Silver Sable.
GameSpot’s Edmond Tran praised Insomniac’s take on the comic book hero for its excellent narrative and satisfying web-swinging mechanics. “Swinging around New York as Spider-Man is endlessly fulfilling. It’s a relatively straightforward system that isn’t overly demanding on inputs, but the minor adjustments and variables in terrain you need to consider while in motion (webs require tangible attach points), as well as the weighty feeling of Spidey makes the process feel satisfyingly manual–there’s just enough effort required to make you feel as if it’s all on you,” he wrote in GameSpot’s Spider-Man review.
With its release only a few days away, reviews of Marvel’s Spider-Man have begun appearing online. We’ve rounded up a sample of them below to give you a quick overview of what critics have to say about Spider-Man’s latest outing. For a broader look at Marvel’s Spider-Man’s critical reception, be sure to visit GameSpot’s sister site, Metacritic.
“Minor shortcomings don’t detract from Insomniac’s achievement in creating a game that feels like an authentic interpretation of a beloved creation. The feeling of embodying Spidey and using his abilities is astonishing, and the time spent on exploring its major characters help make its story feel heartfelt, despite superhero bombast. There have been open-world Spider-Man games before, but none so riveting and full of personality, none that explore and do justice to this many facets of the universe. Insomniac has created a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll.” — Edmond Tran [Full review]
“I wanted Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 to make me feel like Spider-Man: To sail between the highrises of New York City, to nimbly web up hordes of enemies, and tussle with familiar, animal-themed villains. Insomniac Games’ first foray into the world of Marvel handily delivers on all of that. But what I didn’t expect from Spider-Man was to come away feeling just as fulfilled to have inhabited the life of Peter Parker. Aside from a few odd pacing issues, which momentarily took me out of the experience of being a superhero, and a world of optional missions that don’t always quite live up to the heft of the main story, Insomniac has delivered a Spider-Man story that both surprised and delighted me, coupled with gameplay that made me feel like Spider-Man nearly every step of the way. The Wall Crawler’s open world doesn’t consistently deliver the thrilling moments of its main campaign, but the foundation laid here is undoubtedly a spectacular one.” — Jonathon Dornbush [Full review]
“What I love more than anything, is that behind the traversal and combat, Insomniac is a wonderfully controlling developer. For the entire length of the campaign they won’t hand the city over to a day/night cycle or randomise the weather because they want total command of the atmosphere for the beats big and little to play out in. Just like they want those webs to attach to buildings in a convincing manner, they don’t want to leave too many other details to be ground up in the cogs of an open-world. Somebody, in other words, is looking out for Spider-Man, a superhero whose pleasing vulnerability means that he needs looking after now and then–just as he could do with a little help getting his belongings out of the trash.” — Christian Donlan [Full review]
“Insomniac Games takes Marvel’s most popular character for a spin and the results are fantastic. The developer establishes its own Spider-Man with a unique supporting cast and a beautiful recreation of New York to play around in. This is an absolutely beautiful game, with solid combat and a great story. Most of all, it really sells the feeling of being Spider-Man. The gaming history of Spider-Man has been uneven, but this is an amazing entry in that history. Pun intended.” — Mike Williams [Full review]
“Like Batman: Arkham Asylum before it, Spider-Man raises the bar for one of the world’s most beloved heroes. You feel like you’re doing everything he’s capable of. Insomniac succeeds in making Peter and the supporting cast just as memorable and engaging as the wall crawler. Excitement is delivered consistently from the outside of play right up to the last story frame, which is a real shocker that contains a reveal that will make the wait for the sequel almost unbearable.” — Andrew Reiner [Full review]
“Spider-Man is still a hugely enjoyable adventure full of great characters and moments, and just about one of the best videogame realisations of superheroing to date. Insomniac are a studio with nearly 25 year’s experience of producing slick, tactile action adventures that feel great to play, and seeing that expertise turned to a licensed game has created an impressively, polished and crafted experience.” — Leon Hurley [Full review]
Mission Impossible: Fallout actor Henry Cavill will star in the upcoming adaptation of The Witcher. The actor, also known for playing Superman in DC’s movies, hinted last month that he would like to play Geralt in the Netflix show. Now the streaming giant has confirmed that he will indeed take on the role.
Cavill will play Geralt in the eight-part show, which is based on the fantasy novel series written by Andrzej Sapkowski, on which the games are also based. Sapkowski is set to work on the English language drama series as a creative consultant.
The star gave fans the first clue that he was in line for the role in August. IGN asked him about other projects he would like to be involved in, and he expressed his love of the Witcher games. “Love that game. Really good game,” he said. Cavill was then asked specifically about playing the lead character of Geralt in Netflix’s adaptation. “Absolutely,” he said. “Yeah, that would be an amazing role.” Cavill also dropped some hints when he reposted fan art imagining him in the role on Instagram.
The show is being developed by Lauren S. Hissrich, who previously worked on Daredevil, The Defenders, and the upcoming Netflix drama Umbrella Academy. The show was announced in May, but it is not expected to hit the service until 2020. “We’re moving quickly ahead with everything–like, my head is spinning around Exorcist-style, except with enthusiasm, not evil possession–but one thing is certain: quality comes before speed,” Hissrich said at the time.
A Polish TV series based on The Witcher aired in 2002, but that has been the only adaptation of the franchise for TV so far. A Witcher movie with some big-name talent behind it was was announced for 2017, but that never happened.
As for the Witcher game series, the newest instalment was 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. No new projects in the series have been announced, and developer CD Projekt Red is now working on the much-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077.
The International Olympic Committee is still unsure of whether esports have a place in the future Olympic landscape, and Thomas Bach, the IOC President, is clear that esports “promoting violence or discrimination” will not be accepted.
The news came as Bach spoke with Associated Press reporters at the Asian Games this weekend, where esports featured for the first time, albeit as a demonstration sport (meaning that any medals achieved would not count towards a country’s final tally). Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Pro Evolution Soccer and StarCraft II all featured as tournaments.
It looks as though Noctis and co may be making their way to consoles in chibi form in the not too distant future.
The UK PSN store is currently showing the icon for an HD console edition of the game, although attempting to purchase it results in an error message.
Originally announced back at Gamescom 2017 and released earlier this year, Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is an abridged version of the console RPG designed specifically for mobile devices, retelling the original game’s story with chibified character designs and a more streamlined approach.
Bungie has confirmed that although there will be new locations included as part of Destiny 2’s new Annual Pass, these will not include any new planets.
The news comes courtesy of Polygon, who report on a recent Q&A with game director Steve Cotton and project lead Scott Taylor.
During the session, the developers were asked whether the Annual Pass would feature new locations to visit, with Taylor confirming that there would be new places to visit but that these would be restricted to what the developers call “bubble” locations as opposed to new planets. Cotton affirmed that there will be no new planets added over the course of the next year.