20 Movies That Made Gamers Play for Real
Since the earliest days of cinema, movies have invited audiences to vicariously live out their fantasies, and for centuries, games have allowed us to do the very same thing. So it comes as no surprise that many films throughout the years have brought games to life in one form or another, but there's more than one way to do that.
Some movies take games and adapt their stories to the screen, like Clue or Tomb Raider, and some movies take the act of playing games very, very, VERY seriously.
The new film Game Night is just the latest in a long line of motion pictures about people playing a game who discover - through magic or sci-fi or unlikely circumstances - that they're playing for real, and that their lives are actually on the line. For the characters, it's not "fun" anymore, but for the audience it sure as heck is. Or at least, it's supposed to be, if the movie is good enough.
Comic Book Reviews for February 21, 2018
It was another big week for the comic book industry. DC kicked off anew Poison Ivy-focused story arc in Batman while also debuting a tie-in to the Telltale Batman games. Marvel launched Infinity Countdown and the Doctor Strange: Damnation crossover. Image debuted their new Hit-Girl series, and Boom set the stage for the Shattered Grid crossover in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
DC COMICS
Loot Box Debate Raged Inside Hi-Rez Studios – Report
The Paladins Cards Unbound update back in November was a controversial one, to say the least. It made major changes to the way the game's stat-boosting cards are obtained and used, angering many of its players -- and according to one source within developer Hi-Rez Studios (who reached out to me under the condition that they remain anonymous), the update was just as controversial within the studio as well. Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris confirmed to IGN that this claim has truth to it, but also said that the studio is ultimately confident in the decision that was made.
Destiny 2: Bungie Delays Several Scheduled New Features
Bungie has revealed a new Destiny 2 roadmap, to reflect delays for several new features.
The next update is still scheduled for February 27, but a few items scheduled to be released have been delayed to ensure they meet the "sufficiently high quality bar," said Bungie.
Specifically, the Nightfall Strike Unique Weapons, which were planned to roll out next week, have been delayed to give the artists extra time to "make sure they are... super cool".
Final Fantasy 15 PC: Demo, Half-Life Pack Announced
In some expected news, Final Fantasy XV is getting a PC demo. In less expected news, buying the game early lets you dress up Noctis as Gordon Freeman from Half-Life.
Announced on the Square Enix blog, a demo will be coming to Steam, Origin and the Windows Store on Monday, February 26, and includes the game's entire first chapter.
Buying the game on Steam before May 1 also unlocks the Half-Life pack, giving players access to Gordon Freeman's HEV suit, crowbar weapon and glasses. Both lead character Noctis, and your Comrades multiplayer avatar can equip the items.
Captain America Does What Superman Couldn’t
Marvel turned quite a few heads when they revealed the direction of their post-Secret Empire Captain America comic last year. Not just because that series boasted the superstar creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee, but also because Waid and Samnee's pitch sounded more than a little reminiscent of 2010's Superman: Grounded. In both cases, you have an iconic superhero brought low after a major crossover event and who chooses to embark on a cross-country journey in order to reconnect with the ordinary people of America. But with Waid and Samnee now four issues into their Captain America run, it's already clear that Cap is succeeding where Superman failed eight years ago.
Fortnite Patch Brings the Game Up to 60 FPS on Console
Season 3 of Fortnite is underway now that patch v.3.0.0 is live, adding 60 frames per second support for PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, and Xbox One X.
The update is live now and brings the Season 3 Battle Pass with it. 60 FPS will be the new standard on all console versions, but the patch notes do make clear that you can choose to switch back to 30 FPS in return for higher quality visuals.
Alongside that, building is getting some improvements to be faster and easier, and the Hand Cannon weapon is coming to Battle Royale and Save the World mode.
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Warcraft 3 Gets Major Patch Amid Remaster Rumours
Warcraft 3 is getting a major new patch as rumours of a remaster abound.
The update is already live in Warcraft 3's public test realm, and includes hero balancing, widescreen support, and 24-player lobbies for custom games.
The patch notes also say that this is the "last version to support Windows XP" suggesting bigger changes might be planned for the future.
Rumours of a remaster for both Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 were sparked last year after a couple of Blizzard job listings hinted at overhauls for the two titles.
Mark Hamill to Receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
40 years since the release of Star Wars, Mark Hamill is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Revealed by Variety, Hamill's will be the 2,630th star on the 2km stretch, and his presentation will be co-hosted by George Lucas and Harrison Ford.
Hamill began his career with small roles on the likes of General Hospital, but shot to fame with the release of Star Wars in 1977. Since then, he has become a prolific voice actor, most prominently playing The Joker in various Batman TV shows, movies, and video games.
This year, Hamill will co-star with Gary Oldman and Gillian Anderson in Squadron 42, the space combat spin-off from the unbelievably successful Star Citizen project.