Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Wants to Make You Uncomfortable
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is probably going to upset people, perhaps by design. The reboot, which brings familiar characters like Captain Price into modern-day, “ripped from the headlines” missions but is otherwise not connected to the previous entries in the brand’s best-known subfranchise, brings with it all of the expected technical upgrades: ray tracing, multi-layer shading, spectral rendering, 4K resolution, HDR, etc. But it’s the renewed focus on realism and the single-player campaign, which was so unimportant to Call of Duty in last year’s Black Ops 4 that it literally didn’t have one, that’s going to help Modern Warfare leave its mark.
As in previous Modern Warfares, the campaign is split between multiple perspectives. Here, it’s the Tier 1 Operators – the highly trained military experts with cutting-edge tech – and the rebel factions who fight terrorism with guerilla tactics and improvised weapons like Molotov cocktails and IEDs. I saw a slice from each side. Both were incredibly dark; literally in the case of the Tier 1 Operators, and figuratively for the rebels.
Iron Maiden Sues 3D Realms Over Ion Maiden
Iron Maiden, the English heavy metal band, is suing developer 3D Realms for $2 million over its game Ion Maiden, a first-person shooter that harkens back to Duke Nukem 3D.
The lawsuit, Iron Maiden Holdings Limited v. 3D Realms Entertainment, is a civil complaint over trademark infringement and unfair competition and was filed in California on May 28. Iron Maiden claims 3D Realms “... is using Ion Maiden, a confusingly similar version of the Iron Maiden trademark without authorization and is attempting to take advantage of Iron Maiden’s worldwide recognition to sell Defendant’s products and services.”
Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan Discovers the DC Metaverse
Forget everything you thought you knew about the DC multiverse. Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan has just discovered something called the metaverse.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Doomsday Clock #10!
The latest chapter of Doomsday Clock provides a comprehensive account of what happened to Doctor Manhattan after the end of Watchmen. Manhattan ventures into the multiverse and soon finds himself in the DCU circa-1938. He's perplexed by this strange new world and its emerging lineup of heroes, finding that even ordinary people like struggling actor Carver Colman have a selfless, heroic streak completely unlike anything in the Watchmen universe.
Marvel’s Avengers Will Feature Hero Customisation, Single and Multiplayer
Marvel's Avengers only got an official title yesterday, but seems to have mistakenly gotten some early gameplay details soon after.
As spotted by Evan Filarca on Twitter (via PC Gamer) a since-revised E3 Coliseum show listing for the game seemed to reveal elements of what's in store from the Crystal Dynamics game. Here's that original description in full:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Labo VR Mode Now Available
UPDATE (5/30/19) - Nintendo has released Version 3.1.0 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and it does bring VR to Smash via the Toy-Con VR Goggles from the Nintendo Labo: VR Kit.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can be played in VR in limited, timed, and offline battles and can be accessed via the Games & More menu. Players can look around "dozens of maps" and watch CPU fighters battle it out. Additionally, solo players can battle the CPU in VR, but no multiplayer whatsoever is supported.
The update also brings the additional amiibo functionality as outlined below and certain fixes and changes to fighters that can be found here.
Death Stranding: Special Guest Directors Don’t Play Their Own Characters
Yesterday's Death Stranding trailer confirmed the appearances of both Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn in Hideo Kojima's next game. But they really are, quite literally, just that: appearances.
In a tweet, Kojima explained that Winding Refn has had his face and body scanned for the game's Heartman character, but that another actor is responsible for animating and voicing him. The same process has been applied to del Toro.
I asked my bestie, Nicolas, to be “HEARTMAN” in DS as special guest. We 3D scanned his head, body, and facial expressions to make his 3D model, but his acting and voice are done by a different performer, same as with Guillermo. pic.twitter.com/wOGt0LfX89
Marvel Disney+ Shows Will ‘Directly Affect’ the MCU
Unlike Netflix's Marvel shows, Disney+'s new series, including Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and WandaVision, will "directly affect the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some very real ways."
Speaking to Comicbook.com, Captain Marvel producer Mary Livanos and writer Kelly Sue DeConnick spoke about these upcoming MCU series and how serious Disney and Marvel are taking them.
"They will directly affect the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some very real ways," Livanos said. "That’s what makes the opportunity to segue into the streaming space so attractive to us at Marvel Studios. You can really tell, like a full comic book event, like a multi-issue story from the point of storytelling."
Microsoft Announces Game Pass for PC, More Games Coming to Steam
Microsoft has announced that a version of Xbox Game Pass will be coming to PCs, and that more Microsoft Store exclusives titles will be available on Steam.
In a blog post by Phil Spencer, Microsoft's EVP of Gaming and Head of Xbox, he admitted that the software giant has "not always lived up to our aspiration" when it comes to meeting players needs on PC, and would be taking steps to improve the gaming experience on Windows.
"We believe the player should be at the center of their gaming experience and be able to harness the unique benefits of the devices they choose to play on," Spencer said. "As the creators of Windows, we have a unique responsibility to ensure we’re investing in experiences that benefit players everywhere, while respecting the PC community’s preference for an open, highly customizable platform."
The Moto Z4 Joins the Growing Pack of $499 Android Phones
Between the Google Pixel 3a and Asus Zenfone 6, we’re getting a good clutch of affordable Android phones, and now the latest handset to join the club is the Moto Z4.
The Moto Z4 introduces a bigger 6.4-inch screen—up from last year's 6.01-inch Moto Z3—with a teardrop notch for the selfie camera. The nearly bezel-less display also ups the screen resolution to 1,080 x 2,340 while further widening the aspect ratio to 19:9, as opposed to its 1,080 x 2,160 pixel and 18:9 predecessor.
Death Stranding: Everything We Know So Far
Kojima Productions released a new gameplay trailer for Death Stranding, along with its release date of the game for late 2019.
We wanted to make sure you had a source for all of the information that's trickled out since the game was first revealed in 2016. To that end, here is everything we know so far about the upcoming action game from Hideo Kojima, from its unique landscape with an intricate narrative.
Death Stranding Release Date
Following a leak shortly before the official announcement, Death Stranding will be released on PlayStation 4 on November 8, 2019. Revealed in a new gameplay trailer, the release date comes nearly three years after Kojima announced the game at Sony's E3 2016 press conference.