Wasteland 3’s Giant Car is My Favorite Party Member
Trading in the dusty barrens of Arizona and the like for the snow-swept passages of Colorado, Wasteland 3's apocalyptic vision may not be the prettiest looking role-playing tactical game out there, but it is looking a whole lot sleeker and more detailed than its predecessor. Instead of moving a dot on a line across a barren map, I was able to snowplow an armored transport vehicle through winding sleet-heavy roads before finding the target of my objective: an old resort turned into a base filled with drugged up psychopaths. My job was to find their leader - Victory Buchanan - and take him out.
In my first combat experience going hands-on with Wasteland 3's demo that went out to backers this week (the full experience should arrive sometime in Spring 2020), I was given four different characters to control: My main character, Banshee the sniper, Doc Nails the medic, and Scotchmo the shotgun-toting alcoholic. Each had a specialized role to fill that made them instantly unique from the others, like Scotchmo's shotgun displaying a large cone of fire instead of targeting single opponents. The overhead view of the arena seamlessly transitioned from exploration into a grid-based map featuring a much more slick and streamlined interface than we've seen in Wasteland 2. I was a bit sloppy entering the fight, and had to rush to find cover after taking fire that felt very reminiscent of X-COM's tactical battles (even featuring their own version of ambushing overwatch strikes that could activate during an enemy's movement). I appreciated all the clever visual cues - like being able to see my movement range with different colored borders marking how far I could run and still have action points leftover to shoot. I was also happy to find that you could swap between characters on the fly during your turn, rather than having to fully complete a character's action one after other, which meant new strategic opportunities for setting up attacks.
Kylo Ren Still Has Darth Vader’s Helmet in New Footage From Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
During the Disney Legends ceremony at D23 Expo 2019, a sizzle reel of upcoming Disney projects showed off some new footage from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The footage starts with a shot from the initial teaser of Kylo Ren giving a Rock Bottom to a black-garbed figure in a forest. Then we get our first new bit of footage as Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron repels from atop a spaceship inside a large hangar, followed by a shot of him inside a command center.
We see another shot from the first teaser, this time of Daisy Ridley’s Rey standing in the desert. Then we get a quick cut to John Boyega’s Finn standing inside a structure with daylight shining in from above as Rey tell him, “It’s too dangerous.” Then we see the pair talking in the same shot and Rey continues and says, “I have to go alone.”
Watch SpongBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated Gameplay
THQ Nordic has unveiled the first in-depth look at its upcoming remake SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated at Gamescom 2019.
Watch the gameplay video above to see the Rehydrated title in action, including some of SpongBob's platforming prowess, his combat abilities, and a showdown with King Jellyfish. The footage is from a pre-alpha demo build of the game, so details and design are subject to change.
You can also check out some screenshot stills from the demo below.
THQ Nordic announced SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated just ahead of E3 2019, revealing that a new horde multiplayer mode will be added to the remake. And content cut from the original game has been restored and brought into the remake, like the Robo Squidward boss battle.
Snake-Eyes: G.I. Joe Spin-Off Casts its Storm Shadow
The new G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes movie has its villain. TheWrap reports that Andrew Koji (Netflix's Warrior) has been cast as Storm Shadow.
This news comes shortly after the announcement that Crazy Rich Asians' Henry Golding is in talks to star as the silent ninja hero Snake Eyes. Storm Shadow is Snake Eyes' arch-enemy and a fellow member of the Arashikage Clan. With the movie serving as an origin story for Golding's Snake Eyes, we'll likely see the two characters train together before ultimately falling apart and becoming bitter rivals.
FIFA 20: 11-Minutes of the New, Stylish Volta Story Mode
FIFA 20 is shaking things up this year by introducing Volta, and we have 11-minutes of gameplay from the Volta Story Mode straight from Gamescom.
You can watch the beginning of the Volta story mode in the video above and see how an ambitious young squad comes together in a quest to become street football champions.
What is Volta?
Volta is a new mode in FIFA 20 set in the streets. This isn’t FIFA Street, however. Instead, EA is looking to approach the staples of street football with a realistic approach. So, while there won’t be any arcade-like elements, Volta will have a faster pace, stylish goals, and better fashion.
Joker Rated R for “Strong Bloody Violence, Disturbing Behavior”
Director Todd Phillips' Joker has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America, the film's official site confirmed.
According to the film's site, Joker has been rated R for "strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images."
In other Joker news, Todd Phillips and Joker star Joaquin Phoenix spoke to Total Film, which also scored some exclusive photos from the DC standalone movie.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau Reunite at D23 Disney Legends Awards
Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau reunited at the kick-off to D23 Expo 2019, the Disney Legends panel, where they both received the Disney Legends Awards from Disney's Bob Iger.
Both Downey and Favreau have worked on numerous Disney projects over the years, but both most notably worked together to kick off the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008's Iron Man. The legacy of the MCU was a powerful throughline throughout the Legends panel, which also honored the likes of Hans Zimmer, Ming-Na Wen, Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Bette Midler and more.
50 Incredible Costumes From Disney’s Heroes & Villains Exhibit
At the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Disney unveiled an impressive display of costumes from its fabled Walt Disney Archives.
Per Disney, "The 12,000-square-foot exhibit, which includes costumes from some of Hollywood’s preeminent designers, past and present, including Academy Award-winners Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell, and Tony Walton, as well as Emmy winner Ellen Mirojnick and Emmy nominees Eduardo Castro and Penny Rose, is a must-see stop for fans who appreciate the passion, dedication, and imagination of the world’s top costume designers who help bring filmed entertainment to life."
Ming-Na Wen Joins the Cast of Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Ming-Na Wen is set to become part of yet another major Disney franchise. At D23 today, Disney CEO Bob Iger just revealed that Wen has joined the cast of the upcoming Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
Wen's character wasn't revealed. Her previous Disney history includes voicing the title character in 1998's Mulan and Agent Melinda May in the long-running Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. With a Star Wars role now under her belt, Wen has basically scored the Disney hat trick.
Way acknowledged the news during her acceptance speech at the Disney Legends awards ceremony, noting how glad she is that Disney keeps acquiring major properties in which she can star, saying she "hit every bucket list" thanks to the studio.
The Biggest Differences Between The Boys TV Series and Comics
Amazon's The Boys manages a delicate balance between staying faithful to the original comic book series while also charting its own course. The premise may be the same, but the show goes in some very different directions over the course of Season 1.
From gender-swapped characters to Homelander's big reveal to a conspicuously absent pooch, here are the biggest changes between the comic and the show. Check out our slideshow below or scroll down for more. And obviously, beware of spoilers for both the show and the comic!
The Tone
