May 2021 – Page 38

Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Regrets Whitewashing Doctor Strange’s The Ancient One

Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige has said he regrets whitewashing the movie Doctor Strange, which featured Tilda Swinton playing The Ancient One in the 2016 film.

Speaking to Men’s Health, Feige said Marvel wanted to avoid making The Ancient One a cliche of the “old, wise Asian man,” so they cast Swinton in the role. This turned out to be a mistake, however, Feige said.

“We thought we were being so smart, and so cutting-edge,” he said. “We’re not going to do the cliché of the wizened, old, wise Asian man. But it was a wake-up call to say, ‘Well, wait a minute, is there any other way to figure it out? Is there any other way to both not fall into the cliché and cast an Asian actor?’ And the answer to that, of course, is yes.”

A scene from 2016's Doctor Strange — A scene from 2016’s Doctor Strange

Scott Derrickson, who directed the original Doctor Strange, addressed the controversy in 2017. He said in an interview with The Daily Beast that year that he believed Marvel would cast an Asian woman to play The Ancient One, but this presented problems.

“We talked about Asian actors who could do it, as we were working on the script, every iteration of it–including the one that Tilda played–but when I envisioned that character being played by an Asian actress, it was a straight-up Dragon Lady,” he said.

“I just didn’t feel like there was any way to get around that because the Dragon Lady, by definition, is a domineering, powerful, secretive, mysterious, Asian woman of age with duplicitous motives–and I just described Tilda’s character,” he added. “I really felt like I was going to be contributing to a bad stereotype.”

The Doctor Strange sequel, In the Multiverse of Madness, is due for release in March 2022, with Spider-Man’s Sam Raimi directing. Swinton’s The Ancient One died in the original Doctor Strange, but she made an appearance in Avengers: Endgame through a time travel storyline. Whether or not she’ll appear in the Doctor Strange sequel remains to be seen.

For more on the future of the MCU, check out GameSpot’s primer, Marvel Phase 4: What We Know About The Next Movies – The Marvels, Wakanda Forever, Fantastic Four, And More.

How To Defeat Orda In CoD: Black Ops Cold War Zombies Outbreak

Call of Duty’s mid-season update for Black Ops Cold War Zombies adds lots of new content, and you’ll likely notice a giant boss encounter for Outbreak mode. This massive creature can be difficult to kill, so here are some tips to help you fight Outbreak’s newest undead beast.

Black Ops Cold War‘s Season 3 Reloaded update adds a new world event for the Zombies Outbreak mode, which comes in the form of Orda, a boss creature so massive it will literally tower over you. Players might already be familiar with this boss if they attempted the Firebase Z Easter egg, as Orda is the final boss fight needed to complete the Easter egg story quest.

Orda can randomly spawn on any map or round within your match of Outbreak, arriving as early as round 2. The creature is actually pretty chill, and you can avoid a fight completely if you prefer. Orda only attacks once you get really close or instigate a fight–shoot a couple bullets its way, and Orda is instantly going to target you. Zombies also spawn with it, so this can be quite an annoying encounter.

Best Orda Field Upgrades, Perks, And Equipment

This fight is difficult even in rounds as early as 5 or 6, so you want to make sure you’re well-equipped before upsetting the zombie giant. For starters, you’ll want to equip the best field upgrade for any potential Orda encounters. Ring of Fire is highly recommended, which activates a ring of ethereal fire that boosts damage for players, and normal enemies who enter the ring gain a burning effect that deals fire damage, and it lasts for 15 seconds. If you’re in a full squad it might be helpful to have one person equip Healing Aura instead, so you have a healer to instantly revive any downed teammates and prevent the loss of all your perks.

Speaking of perks, you obviously want to be perked up with all the essentials like Juggernog, Quick Revive, and Speed Cola. It might be useful to run through some Trials missions to earn perks and get Pack-A-Punched weapons faster. If you get Fury Crystal events, you can use them to earn the Aether Tool, so you can level your gun rarity faster. The ray gun is very useful here, but there are ways to get the D.I.E. Shockwave upgraded fast, if you prefer it.

I also recommend using equipment like monkey bombs or decoys to help with crowd control, as zombies indefinitely spawn during this fight. Scorestreaks are also helpful for either damage to Orda or zombie crowd control.

Orda Boss Fight Strategy

Orda is best attacked from a distance with ranged weapons, otherwise the creature will knock you back with a stomp or club you with his boulder-like fists. There are a few different attacks to avoid here, and this is going to be different from the boss fight on Firebase Z. Orda’s ranged attacks consist of fireballs, swarms of flies, and hellhounds it spits out from its fists. So, just stand back and take out the hounds.

You don’t want to get too far away though, as Orda will regain some health in the downtime. This also seems to create an even more aggressive spawn of zombies, so you really get punished for trying to retreat. Just stay in the fight, and go for critical shots at the head.

Also, watch out for Orda’s health regeneration move. It slams both fists into the ground, creating a purple ring around the creature. During this time you want to shoot at the fists to stop the healing. Otherwise, you’re in for a very long boss fight.

Defeating Orda will earn you a nice drop of rewards. You’ll get a max ammo power-up, but then the rest of the rewards are random and depend on the difficulty of the round. Defeating Orda on round two only gave me epic rarity weapons that weren’t Pack-A-Punched, whereas later rounds grant you items like Pack-A-Punched guns or a Wonder Weapon. I’m not sure what else could be a valuable reward for killing such a powerful creature, but it’s unfortunate because I feel like you already need some hefty firepower to take Orda down in those higher rounds. Maybe you’ll get lucky and get something a little more rare like the RAI K-84 wonder weapon. Or go for an Orda fight in early rounds with a semi-decent weapon in hopes of getting something more powerful for the later rounds.

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Frostpunk Mobile Development Update Comes Via A Letter To “The Captain”

In a letter to the “Captain” posted on the game’s official Twitter, Frostpunk’s mobile adaptation has received a lengthy update in FAQ form.

Developer NetEase Games ran down a few key features coming to Frostpunk Mobile ranging from microtransactions to the different ways to play. Regarding microtransactions, the letter confirms that only the simpler Serenity mode will have them–with the more difficult Endurance mode foregoing them entirely–but even then the offerings are “mainly architectural appearances” that can also be earned in-game.

The letter also confirms that the game will launch with a single scenario different from the PC version, although the mobile game’s scenario does also feature snow and a single central generator. Outside of that, the team is “working hard to try to optimize and put in more and more interesting features.”

The letter ends with the confirmation of a closed alpha test planned for the near-future, but it does clarify that “testing time[s] in different countries and regions will be different.” The update does not specify what regions will be first to access the alpha.

Frostpunk Mobile is coming to iOS and Android devices later this year and is a partnership between the game’s developer 11-bit Studios and NetEase Games, developers of Crusaders of Light and the upcoming Diablo Immortal. GameSpot’s Frostpunk review called it “among the best overall takes on the survival city builder,” saying its “theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times.”

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Chris Pratt’s Band From Parks And Rec Just Released A Music Video

Chris Pratt’s character on Parks and Recreation, Andy Dwyer, is in a band called Mouse Rat. That band has now released a real music video for one of the group’s most famous songs, while the in-universe band revealed plans to release an actual full-length album.

Mouse Rat has debuted the music video for “5,000 Candles In The Wind (Bye Bye Li’l Sebastian),” which is dedicated to Pawnee’s favorite little horse who passed away 10 years ago. The song features such memorable lyrics as, “Maybe someday we’ll saddle up again / And I know I’ll always miss my horsiest friend / Spread your wings and fly.”

According to Spin, this song will be featured on the upcoming Mouse Rat album, The Awesome Album, which has 15 tracks and will debut on August 27. It’ll apparently be available on vinyl, CD, and cassette.

The tracklist also reveals that one Duke Silver, the stage name that Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson uses for his jazz saxophone career, will be featured on the album. The album is being released by Dualtone Music Group and Entertainment 720, the fictional company created by Aziz Ansari’s Parks and Rec character, Tom Haverford.

“Any creative business coming out of Pawnee is tied to Haverford,” Dualtone president Paul Roper said in a statement (via EW). “From Rent-a-Swag to Tommy Fresh cologne and Tom’s Bistro, not to mention his business ideas not yet formed like the scented phone, talking tissues, contact lenses that display text messages, and the glitter-infused laundry detergent Sparkle Suds, partnering with Entertainment 720’s hype machine was essential. The man is an idea factory.”

The album also features performances by Scott Tanner of the Parks and Rec band Land Ho!. Tanner is played by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy on the TV show.

The Awesome Album

5,000 Candles in the Wind (Bye, Bye Lil Sebastian)
The Pit
Sex Hair
Catch Your Dream (feat. Duke Silver)
Two Birds Holding Hands
Ann Song
The Way You Look Tonight
Menace Ball
Remember
I Get A Kick Out Of You
Lovely Tonight
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
I Only Have Eyes For You
Pickled Ginger (*performed by Land Ho!)
Cold Water (*Scott Tanner feat. Duke Silver)

PUBG: New State Closed Alpha Pre-Registration Dropping Onto US Android Phones Soon

Battle royale and PUBG fans will soon be able to drop into a whole new experience. Krafton Inc. has released a new trailer announcing pre-registrations for upcoming battle royale game PUBG: New State’s closed alpha.

The minute-long trailer confirms that pre-registration for the closed alpha will begin “in just a few days.” The closed alpha will be available only for Android users in the United States, though the trailer does mention that pre-registrations for the full game will begin on iOS “very soon.”

PUBG: New State was first revealed in February 2021 as a “a free-to-play experience on Android and iOS in 2021.” Within a week pre-registrations for the game reached the five million milestone on Android alone, per a press release from publisher Krafton Inc. All pre-registrations at the game’s official website will receive a free vehicle skin that has yet to be unveiled.

PUBG was first released in 2017 and pioneered the battle royale genre further popularized by Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone among others. The game has since expanded into a PUBG Universe with multiple new games, including the upcoming survival horror game The Callisto Protocol that was announced at the Game Awards 2020 in December.

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HBO’s No Sudden Move Teaser Reveals Incredible Cast And July 1 Release Date

The first teaser for No Sudden Move has been released. The new period thriller from director Steven Soderberg stars Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro, and it hits HBO Max on July 1.

The teaser doesn’t actually reveal any footage–it just shows stylised images of the cast with some intriguing voiceovers. But the cast alone makes the movie a must-see when it arrives–the actors also include David Harbour (Stranger Things), Jon Hamm (Baby Driver), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Amy Seimetz (Alien Covenant), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Brendan Fraser (The Mummy), and Julia Fox (Uncut Gems). Check it out below:

No Sudden Move is set in Detroit in 1955, and focuses on a gang of small-time criminals who plan what should be the simple robbery of a single document. But inevitably it all goes wrong, and they set out trying to find out who hired them–and why.

The movie sees a return to thriller territory for Soderbergh, who also directed the Oceans trilogy, Out of Sight, Traffic, and Erin Brockovich. The film is written by Ed Solomon, who co-created the Bill and Ted series as well as writing the first Men in Black movie. The film will premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in June ahead of its streaming debut.

For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to the biggest upcoming movies of 2021 and beyond.

What’s New On Netflix In June 2021? Sweet Tooth, Too Hot To Handle, And More

Netflix has plenty of movies, TV shows, and original content headed to its streaming service for June 2021. This includes classic movies you’ll want to watch again, an adaptation of a beloved comic book, and a second season of a reality show where attractive people aren’t allowed to have sex.

Arriving on June 4 is the adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s Vertigo–a DC imprint–series Sweet Tooth, and we got to see the first full trailer for it recently. The upcoming show follows a world where part-human, part-animals are born, and they are hunted by humans. One hybrid named Gus befriends an adult named Jepperd, and the two try to learn more about Gus’s origins. The show looks interesting and unique, and you can check out the first trailer below.

On June 23, one of the weirdest Netflix original series comes back for a second season. Too Hot to Handle is a show featuring a bunch of very attractive people on a beautiful island. And they can win a boatload of money, as long as they don’t have sex with each other–or themselves. Yep, it’s a show about abstinence–in the hopes these singles can make meaningful romantic connections without getting physical. Mostly, it’s amusing to watch these people not to struggle to do things like “kiss someone you met 30 seconds ago.”

Finally, on June 25, the Netflix original movie The Ice Road arrives. The film follows Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne as ice road truckers in Canada who have to deliver a piece of equipment to a diamond mind. On their icy journey, they are sabotaged and only have 30 hours to travel 300 miles on the roads that are the most slippy.

Below, you’ll find everything coming to Netflix for the month of June.

New on Netflix in June 2021:

June 1

American Outlaws
Bad Teacher
Cocomelon: a Sunny Day for Play
Fools Rush In
Happy Endings: Seasons 1-3
Love Jones
Million Dollar Baby
Stand By Me
The Best Man
The Big Lebowski
The Wedding Guest
What Women Want

June 2

Carnaval
Alone: Season 7
Kim’s Convenience: Season 5

June 3

Summertime: Season 2
Dancing Queens
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie: Parts 1 & 2

June 4

Feel Good: Season 2
Sweet Tooth
Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

June 5

Kitty Love: An Homage to Cats

June 7

Vampire Academy

June 9

Fresh, Fried & Crispy
Awake
Tragic Jungle
L.A.’s Finest: Season 2

June 11

Lupin: Part 2
Skater Girl
Trese
Wish Dragon

June 14

Elite Short Stories

June 15

Workin’ Moms: Season 5
Unwind Your Mind

June 16

Penguin Town

June 17

Black Summer: Season 2
Katla
The Gift: Season 3
Silver Linings Playbook

June 18

Elite: Season 4
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals
Fatherhood

June 22

This is Pop

June 23

Too Hot To Handle: Season 2
Good on Paper
The House of Flowers: The Movie
Murder by the Coast

June 24

The Naked Director: Season 2
Godzilla Singular Point
Sisters on Track
The Seventh Day

June 25

Sex/Life
The A List: Season 2
The Ice Road

June 28

The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement
Killing Them Softly

June 30

America: The Motion Picture
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork

Fortnite Gets Bouncy For Wild Weeks 3

Epic is always adding something to Fortnite, like more licensed skins, more LTMs, and more weapons. But this week, Fortnite is losing something: gravity. With Wild Weeks 3 now live, Fortnite players will find themselves bouncing around with the decreased gravity of abundant Hop Floppers and Shockwave Grenades for one week only.

After previous Wild Weeks made the game fire-happy and fishier, this week’s theme focuses on getting players hopping around, which should change many combat encounters along the way. Players will want to practice their aim a bit more as things are going to get more vertical.

In addition to Hop Flopper fish being caught more often, Shockwave Grenades and Shockwave Bows will also be lying about in floor loot and within chests at increased rates, giving everyone a chance to jump around. On top of those, Bouncers are unvaulted for one week only. If you missed them in previous seasons, Bouncers are inflated launch pads that can break one’s fall–or send an opponent straight into the air.

The latest Fortnite Wild Week puts a bounce in your step.

The advent of more bouncy items also ties directly into this week’s Legendary Quest, which asks players to accumulate airtime from Hop Floppers and Shockwaves. Those looking to maximize their XP earnings this week will need to eventually rack up 500 total seconds of airtime to complete the five-part Legendary Quest as part of the Week 10 challenges. Our suggestion: Head into Team Rumble, build up huge ramps, then shockwave yourself off of them. You’ll earn five or more seconds each time, and since it’s a Legendary Quest, your Squad can contribute to totals as well.

The “Bouncing Off The Walls” Wild Weeks theme will remain in the game until next Thursday, May 27, at which time it will be replaced by the next theme. If you’ve already completed this week’s challenges, don’t miss the new LTM, Impossible Escape.

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Snag A Monster Hunter Stories 2 Steam Preorder For $10 Off

Capcom’s upcoming Monster Hunter spin-off, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, releases July 9, and anyone planning to pick it up can now take advantage of a great preorder deal available only for Steam. Right now, Fanatical is slashing nearly $10 off the price of Monster Hunter Stories 2 Steam keys, dropping the preorder price to $51 instead of $60.

Anyone who preorders Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will also get a Kamura Maiden Outfit for Ena. If you pick up your preorder from Fanatical keep in mind that you’ll get your Steam key for the game via email closer to its launch. Note that only the standard edition of the game is being discounted by Fanatical.

On Steam, customers can pick up a Deluxe Edition of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin that comes with more outfits for players, Ena, and Navirou as well as some sticker sets. See our Monster Hunter Stories 2 preorder guide for more details on the game’s editions and bonuses.

In Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, players fill the role of a Monster Rider tasked with protecting Ena, a mysterious girl traveling with an egg containing a legendary Rathalos with enough power to destroy the world. The game’s story starts with the mysterious disappearance of all Rathalos, leading your character on an adventure to discover what happened to the species.

Rather than tackle creatures with massive hammers or insect glaives head-on in open-field fights, combat in Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will be turn-based. Creatures can be found all over the game’s overworld, and running into them will start a fight, similar to Dragon Quest’s system.

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Black Voices In Gaming Releases New Artwork Featuring 14 Games

The MIX Black Voices in Gaming organization is celebrating this year’s Black Voices in Gaming event and upcoming games from Black developers with a new piece of art.

The promotional art is called The Black Voices in Gaming Freshman Class, and you can see the artwork embedded below. It features illustrations for 14 different titles that are part of the campaign. The full list is available below.

There are 14 games in all represented in the artwork, all of which are planned to launch in the next year across platforms. Some of these titles include Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl Arcade Edition from Interbang Entertainment, She Dreams Elsewhere from Davionne, and Run Die Run Again from Retro Ninja Games. You can see the full list of titles below.

Black Voices In Gaming Artwork Details:

Kindfolx – Pizza Cat Games
Aerial Knight’s: Never Yield – Neil Jones
Treachery in Beatdown City – Nuchallenger
Nour – Terrifying Jellyfish
Kena – Ember Lab
Onsen Master – Waking Oni Games
Run Die Run Again – Retro Ninja Games
She Dreams Elsewhere – Davionne
Grid Force – Playtra Games
Protodroid Delta – Adam Kareem
Coreupt – Jesse Wright
Super Space Club – Graham of Legend
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl Arcade Edition – Interabang Entertainment
An Airport For Aliens Currently Run by Dogs – Strange Scaffold

The first Black Voices in Gaming event took place in June 2020, and GameSpot was one of the partners for the showcase. The event put a special focus on highlighting Black voices in the gaming industry, covering games made by Black developers and titles with Black protagonists. The event also featured discussions with the game developers themselves.

Media Indie Exchange co-founder Justin Woodward and Aerial Knights: Never Yield creator Neil Jones launched the showcase to help support Black game developers.