IGN UK Podcast #463: Star Wars vs. Rocky

This week we settle the debate which has plagued pop culture nerds for years…

Which film series is better: Star Wars or Rocky?

By the end of this podcast not only will you have a definitive answer to that question but you will have also heard awesome interviewed from Creed 2 director Steven Caple Jr. and the fantastic Tessa Thompson.

Krupa, Dale and Gav also give you their predictions on where they think the Rocky series will go in Creed 3.

There’s still time to buy tickets to our Prestige screening and live podcast so get yours now.

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More Pokemon Go PvP Trainer Battle Details Revealed

After many rumors and teases, Niantic finally announced that PvP Trainer Battles are on the way to Pokemon Go. The developer hasn’t confirmed when the highly requested feature will go live, but it did share some more details about how it’ll work via Twitter.

While it’s still unclear how Trainer Battles are initiated, Niantic revealed that there will be three separate Trainer Battle Leagues: Great, Ultra, and Master. Each League features a different Combat Power limit for your Pokemon: in the Great League, each monster can have a maximum of 1,500 CP; Ultra League’s limited is 2,500 CP per Pokemon; and Master League features no CP restriction.

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“When designing Trainer Battles, we wanted to create an experience that everyone can enjoy and ensure that different kinds of Pokémon can show their strengths,” Niantic wrote. “With Leagues in Trainer Battles, we hope to create a system that’s accessible to many Trainers.”

Beyond that, there is still much we don’t know about how PvP matches will operate. While the first teaser screenshot that Niantic shared looks similar to Trainer Battles from the core Pokemon games, it’s still unclear whether Go’s Trainer Battles will use the same combat system as Gym and Raid Battles–which ultimately boil down to tapping the screen quickly–or something closer to the main series.

We won’t have to wait much longer to learn more. Niantic says Trainer Battles will roll out for Pokemon Go “soon” and that additional details are on the way. In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s latest Community Day is underway. This one runs through the entire weekend and brings back all of the featured Pokemon and special moves from previous Community Days. Niantic is also bringing back six Legendaries for December’s Field Research tasks.

Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us Review

There’s something incredibly charming about watching Pokémon on the big screen. It helps that Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us is a filled with dynamic animation, introduces a whole cast of engaging new characters, and crafts a positive environmentally-focused narrative which aims to teach without ever losing the fun that a film like this needs. The Power of Us is a continuation of the new timeline introduced in Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You, which reimagined the origin of the classic character, Ash Ketchum, and his partner in battle, Pikachu, establishing its own continuity separate from the multiple games, TV series, and previous films. The Power of Us is a sweet story about friendship and responsibility with an ecological bent.

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Cosmic Top Secret Review – Declassified

There’s a particular milestone of growing up that goes relatively unexamined as far as shared experiences go, and that is the moment you realize your parents had deep inner lives of their own before you were born. That’s true for Cosmic Top Secret‘s writer/director/protagonist Trine Laier, whose parents are hiding one of the coolest secrets imaginable, and yet that palpable sense of a once-impenetrable boundary having been crossed between them is still huge. Cosmic Top Secret trying to translate those feelings into a video game makes it remarkable. Ironically, what stops it from being brilliant is that it’s not very good at being an engaging video game.

The game’s title refers to an actual security designation within the Danish equivalent of the Department of Defense, which, unbeknownst to Trine until her late 30s, was the security level both her parents held while working there on a classified spy project during the most tense years of the Cold War. Determined to get the full details, Trine ropes both her parents into doing interviews for a documentary on their lives. The project runs into major snags since neither of her parents know if their work is declassified, even after Trine actually gives the Department of Defense a call and has a high-ranking official essentially debrief them on what’s safe.

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Cosmic Top Secret is a series of five relatively self-contained open worlds, all relating to a specific point in Trine’s time trying to squeeze what she can from her parents. It all takes place in a papercraft, pop-up-book representation of her journey; imagine the living papier-mache world of Media Molecule’s Tearaway, except crafted by 50 years of shredded classified documents, and you have an idea of what Cosmic Top Secret feels like.

From marching alongside her mother at a military base to going orienteering–a sort of free-form competitive hike–with her father in a local forest, everything takes on a sort of twisted, mesmerizing magic. That abstract interpretation includes the paper doll avatars of Trine, her parents, and all their former colleagues, rendered as googly-eyed exaggerations that shift, change, break, and rip along with whatever their current mental and physical status is. While in real life Trine’s father injured his shoulder while orienteering, his paper doll self in-game gets its arm torn off, and you have to find it. Trine being reminded of a specific family tragedy might cause her doll version to fall apart entirely, meaning you have to put her back together again to finish the conversation. It’s a sort of emotional sleight-of-hand that could only have been executed in games, trying to inhabit a documentarian’s feelings and internal dialogue. It’s a magic trick not every game–even the ones specifically aiming to evoke emotions from the player–pull off as successfully as Cosmic Top Secret does.

All the while, Trine herself must explore each environment, sifting through the chaos of years of espionage history for the clues to lead her closer to the truth. The process had to take months of looking through filing cabinets in real life, but the game portrays it as a huge collect-a-thon of Trine running around the open world. Everything is clearly marked on the map, which is conveniently laid out like an alphanumeric grid, and there’s no puzzle so difficult that it’d require consulting a wiki. There’s just so much of it, and it’s not until you pick something up that you know whether the item will actually unlock the next snippet of story or not. Thankfully, every single item in the game unlocks a piece of obscure history (like the secret operation to steal a sample of former Russian president Nikita Khrushchev’s feces), a fascinating anecdote (a man imprisoned for years for taking the wrong pictures in Poland), or a video clip of the real-life interviews Trine conducted with her parents.

Had Cosmic Top Secret been a documentary, this is the kind of meticulous detail she’d have to leave on the cutting room floor. As sheer experience in the realm of gaming, it’s all contextual gold, giving you an extensive picture of not just Trine’s parents as people but the world they operated in–even as they try to keep Trine at arm’s length from it.

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The caginess has a universal feel to it. Many parents talk to their kids as kids for so long, transitioning to talking to them like adults can be difficult. Trine’s parents are so used to talking around their work in the name of national security, they actually don’t even remember how to talk about it. Much of the actual story structure of the game is about Trine finding her parents at just the right moment or coming at a question at just the right angle to get them to open up. What they reveal isn’t necessarily the stuff they make award-winning cable shows about–no, they didn’t assassinate anybody or anything like that–but it does tell quite a bit about the kinds of people her parents were, how that knowledge relates to her and how that changes how she sees her parents.

In trying to relate to her parents lives as agents of the state, Trine has to come to grips with the fact that her parents were not just her parents and not just spies, but grown adults with their own regrets and secrets and feelings. Many of them come from when they were younger than Trine was when she made the game. She speaks to former colleagues who had never met her but knew her parents as friends or by reputation, maybe the first times Trine hears her parents spoken of in such a way.

One of the big revelations that stops the investigation in its tracks a moment is Trine’s mother remembers her first husband, who died young, and whose best friend became her second husband and, eventually, Trine’s father. By her admission, Trine doesn’t think about it much because it breaks her heart, but her mother tosses the matter out as mere trivia, a fact of life she’s long come to terms with. The game is full of these tiny moments of reckoning for Trine, and these are the times when the game transcends being a simple mystery into a story of poignance. In a documentary, those thoughts and feelings would be essentially carried by narration, dialogue and candid moments surreptitiously caught by an intrepid cameraperson. Cosmic Top Secret, however, is less about saying how Trine feels–or even about showing it–and more about thoroughly immersing the player in a vast, interpretive world of her feelings about it.

Cosmic Top Secret’s very existence and ethos makes it special in the realm of gaming.

The trouble comes while navigating through Trine’s feelings on everything, and unfortunately, that’s not a metaphor. You move in Cosmic Top Secret by moving your mouse over Trine, which crumples her up into a tiny ball of trash you can roll around a stage. It’s extremely easy to lose control and send the ball flying off into corners, and you’re unable to reel the ball back and stop, turn on a dime, or even just roll straight–which you need to do far too often and far too precisely to be enjoyable. Later, one of the middle stages has Trine turning into a paper airplane that has the reverse problem, where the controls barely respond to the degree you need to land on the very small platforms you’re guided to. Combine those problems with a finicky camera that actively limits your rotation until Trine turns around, and for large chunks of the game, you’re stalled not because you’re reading about fascinating history but because you’re trying to wrestle the game’s controls into submission. There’s this concept that a game that’s primarily about exploration needs some sort of challenging gameplay element to be considered a “real game,” and seeing Cosmic Top Secret trip over its own feet for the sake of adding that extra challenge should put that argument to bed once and for all.

Cosmic Top Secret’s very existence and ethos makes it special in the realm of gaming. It’s conceptually brilliant and heartwarming. Arguably, it’s still worth fighting the game’s mechanics just because Trine–and you, by proxy–deserves to know the truth and hear every angle of these peoples’ captivating story firsthand. Trine started her journey with curiosity and finds herself closer to the people who raised her than ever, while also giving them the ultimate familial gift: a literal living history of their youth, and their work for the greater good, through the fantastical, imaginative eye of their clearly talented, inquisitive daughter. But there’s a barrier to entry here, and it has nothing to do with the embarrassment of asking a parent what they were like when they were younger or their hesitation with the truth, and everything to do with the aggravation of even exploring the world in which their story is told.

Batman Arkham Dev Denies Superman Game Rumors

Rumors have circulated for some time that Rocksteady Games, the developer of the core Batman Arkham series, was at work on a new Superman game. With The Game Awards coming up next week and promising 10 new game announcements, there had been some speculation that such a project could be announced during the show. In fact, Rocksteady won’t announce a new game at the show, nor is its in-development project a Superman game, according to the studio.

Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill tempered expectations on Twitter, stating, “Looking forward to #TheGameAwards this year! We’re still hard at work in our development bunker so don’t expect an announcement from @Rocksteadygames. When it’s ready to show, you’ll be the first to know. Spoiler: it’s not Superman.”

That doesn’t necessarily rule out Superman being present in the studio’s next game–some have their fingers crossed for a wide-ranging Justice League game–but it seems clear that it won’t be a dedicated Superman game. He could of course be trying to throw fans off the scent, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Rocksteady job listings from earlier this year revealed the studio is working on what it’s deemed a triple-A game, as you’d expect. But what was more notable was the mention of it coming to “next generation platforms,” which would suggest it’s potentially years away from release.

While Rocksteady is known for its partnership with DC, rival Marvel has a new Avengers game coming from Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. Avengers 4 directors Joe and Anthony Russo were recently confirmed to be coming to The Game Awards, and while they’re officially only there in the capacity of presenters, it still has fans hoping for some kind of news regarding the as-yet untitled Avengers project or the impending Avengers 4 trailer.

Where Is Xur Today? Destiny 2 Xur Location & Exotics Guide (Nov. 30-Dec. 4)

It’s been an exciting week for Destiny 2 players, as not only did it mark the start of Season 5 with a new update, but we learned about much of the content coming in Black Armory and in the coming months. The weekend has now arrived, which means a new visit from the mysterious merchant Xur. He has an array of Exotic items for sale, as you can see in the video above; here’s what he has and where to find him.

Finding Xur is no different in the new season than it has been over the past 15 months. This week, Xur is located on Nessus. Head to the Watcher’s Grave landing zone, hop on your Sparrow, and head straight and to the left. You’ll quickly see a giant tree; make your way to the base and climb the branch outward to find Xur.

Bungie has revealed new Exotics coming to the game, so does that mean Xur’s wares are more exciting than usual? If you’re asking that question, you probably already know the answer–nope. It’s another slate of Year One Exotics, with one weapon and one piece of armor each for Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters.

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The weapon is Riskrunner, the fun submachine gun that causes chain lightning to damage enemies. Hunters get the gauntlets Young Ahamkara’s Spine (giving you enhanced tripmines when causing ability damage). Warlocks get the Karnstein Armlets gauntlets (melee kills restore health). And Titans get the Armamentarium chest armor (providing an extra grenade charge). Yes, this means both Warlocks and Titans actually have the same items for sale as last week, though Year Two versions of armor do at least have the chance to sport different perks.

  • Riskrunner (Exotic submachine gun) — 29 Legendary Shards
  • Young Ahamkara’s Spine (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards
  • Karnstein Armlets (Exotic Warlock gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards
  • Armamentarium (Exotic Titan chest armor) — 23 Legendary Shards

Xur also has the Fated Engram for sale, which is expensive but guarantees to decrypt into a Year One Exotic you don’t already own.

You have until the weekly reset on Tuesday, December 4 to visit Xur. That day is a big one for the game, as it marks the release of The Black Armory, the first of three expansions releasing as part of the Annual Pass. It introduces the aforementioned new Exotics, a new Raid, and other new content, but it doesn’t feature a new campaign. It does, however, increase the Power level cap to 650 (up from the current 600 max).

Titans Debuts Another Memorable DC Hero

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

It’s an even-numbered episode of Titans, which means it’s time for the series to draw another outside character into Dick Grayson’s world. At least in this case the focus shifts to another long-standing Teen Titans character rather than whatever batch of heroes DC is attempting to position for a spinoff series. Donna Troy doesn’t make as strong a first impression as the likes of the Doom Patrol, but she does show more potential in terms of being a lasting, significant presence on the show.

The opening flashback scene is key in terms of establishing the history between Dick and Donna. They’re basically two lonely sidekicks who found a friend in each other while their parents discussed work. In a rare moment of innocence, Dick even explains their relationship by saying, “Her mom knew my dad.” It’s a great way to induct Donna into the fold and reveal that not every aspect of Dick’s childhood at Chez Wayne was so awful. It helped this episode feel like less of a side-story than most of the even-numbered episodes have been. Donna is basically the source of stability Dick needs as he grapples with giving up the Robin mantle and searching for something new.

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Pokemon Go’s December Community Day Weekend Starts Today: Featured Pokemon, Start Time, And More

Niantic kicked off the first-ever Pokemon Go Community Day this past January, and since then, the developer has hosted a new one every month in 2018. These special events give players a chance to head outdoors and earn bonuses, capture rare Pokemon, and even learn event-exclusive moves that they wouldn’t typically be able to get. For the final Community Day of the year, however, the developer is doing something a little different.

Rather than holding December’s Community Day on a single day, as it has for most previous events, Niantic is closing out the year with a big Community Day weekend celebration. The event kicks off this Friday, November 30, and runs through Sunday, December 2, during which time you’ll have another chance to get some previously featured Pokemon and special attacks. To help you prepare, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about December 2018’s Community Day below.

What Is The Featured Pokemon?

Every Community Day, Niantic designates one particular Pokemon as that month’s featured monster, which means that for the duration of the event it will appear in the wild much more frequently than it normally does. While each previous Community Day has only starred one featured Pokemon, Niantic is bringing all of them back at the same time for December’s. Throughout the entire weekend, you’ll be able to find increased spawns of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Dratini, Beldum, and all of the other featured Pokemon from previous Community Days.

Moreover, this weekend’s event will give you another opportunity to learn all of the special moves that were available during previous Community Days. These attacks normally cannot be learned in Pokemon Go any other way, making them particularly desirable; for instance, during January’s Community Day, players could get a Pikachu that knows Surf. In order to learn these special attacks, you typically need to evolve a featured Pokemon into its final form before the Community Day ends. You can read more about all of the previous Community Day moves and how to get them in the guides below.

What Time Does It Start?

While Community Days typically only run for three hours and have varying schedules depending on your region, December’s event will be available throughout the entire weekend. The festivities begin at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on November 30 and conclude at 11 PM PT on December 2 (2 AM ET on December 3). You’ll have that entire window of time to catch the aforementioned featured Pokemon and obtain their event-exclusive moves.

What Other Bonuses Are There?

On top of increased Pokemon spawns, Niantic also offers other in-game bonuses during every Community Day. December’s event is no exception. However, unlike the featured Pokemon spawns, which will be available throughout the entire weekend, you’ll only be able to take advantage of the other Community Day bonuses during a specific three-hour window of time.

The date and time these bonuses will be available will vary depending on what part of the world you live in; you can find the schedule for each region below. However, the bonuses themselves will be consistent across regions. This time, you’ll be able to earn double the normal amount of XP and Stardust for capturing Pokemon. Niantic is also doubling Incubator effectiveness during the designated times, allowing you to hatch Pokemon Eggs more easily.

Europe, Middle East, Africa, India

  • Saturday, December 1
  • 10 AM – 1 PM UTC

Americas, Greenland

  • Saturday, December 1
  • 11 AM – 2 PM PST

Asia-Pacific

  • Sunday, December 2
  • 12 PM – 3 PM JST

Pokemon Go PvP Battles Finally Coming Soon

PvP battles are finally on the way to Pokemon Go. Developer Niantic had previously teased that the highly requested feature was in the works, although it hadn’t provided any details on when they would arrive or how they would operate. Now, the official Pokemon Go Twitter account has shared a new screenshot that gives us our first glimpse at them.

The image, which you can see below, should look immediately familiar to anyone who has played a mainline Pokemon game. It shows a rival player standing at the opposite end of a battle arena, with a designated spot for each trainer’s Pokemon in the middle of the field.

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Unfortunately, Niantic hasn’t shared any more details about PvP battles beyond that screenshot, so we don’t know how they’ll be initiated or whether they’ll use the same combat system as Gym and Raid Battles, which have you tapping the screen quickly to power up Charged attacks. It appears we won’t have to wait too long to learn more, however, as Niantic says the feature will be added to the game “soon.”

Niantic has been working on a number of new features for Pokemon Go this year. Earlier this summer, the developer rolled out friends lists and trading, while this month saw the arrival of Adventure Sync, a feature that allows the game to track your walking distance even when idle. Niantic is also testing a PokeStop nomination system, although that is currently only available to high-level players in certain parts of the world.

Pokemon Go’s next Community Day kicks off on November 30. This time, the event runs through the entire weekend and brings back all of the featured Pokemon and special moves from previous Community Days. Niantic is also rolling out a new set of Field Research on December 1, which likewise brings back previously featured Pokemon and some popular tasks.