Comic Book Reviews for August 9, 2017
It was another big week of comics as the industry moved deeper into August. DC debuted the long-awaited Mister Miracle from the always excellent creative team of Tom King and Mitch Gerads. Marvel delivered another critical chapter of Secret Empire and continued the Generations maxi-series with a team-up between Jean Grey and Phoenix. IDW launched their new Hasbro-verse crossover event, First Strike. And Dynamite kicked off the latest incarnation of The Shadow.
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
Gran Turismo Sport Will Not Feature Microtransactions
Series producer Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed that the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport will not feature microtransactions,
As reported by GTPlanet, speaking at the PlayStation Experience event in Malaysia, Yamauchi responded to a question from Youtube user Gema Show Indo and confirmed that there will be online updates in the form of new cars and tracks - but that microtransactions are definitely off the table this time round.
It's a change of pace from previous release GT6, which featured credits-for-cash for the first time in the series. Although these were optional, they weren't totally popular, with critical gamers pointing out the hefty £120 price-tag for the most expensive car in the game (the Jaguar XJ13). Of course, the car could be obtained for free through some committed in-game grinding, but fans still found the expensive, 'easy' option hard to stomach.
Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics Heading to PS4 and Xbox One
Hi-Rez studios announced it's bringing its Smite-based card battling game to Xbox One and PS4.
Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics is currently in open beta on PC. The move from closed to open beta was marked with a 70 card "Venus Competitor's Pack."
Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics is a turn-based strategy game in which players construct decks and use them to "wage war in competitive multiplayer matches or single-player adventures."
The game was originally announced back in October 2016, and entered open beta on PC early last month.
Hi-Rez says the PS4 and Xbox One versions are "coming soon," but sign ups for the closed console alpha are live right now.
Netflix Buying Millarworld Opens the Door to a New Comic Cinematic Universe
Netflix just made its first-ever acquisition, purchasing Millarworld, the comic book company housing all original works by renowned writer Mark Millar and his artistic partners. The day after that was announced, Disney revealed plans to pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming service by 2019. But despite this loss, Netflix certainly has the means to make up for it with its ever-increasing slate of original content, and adaptations of Millar’s work have the potential to play a big part in that.
IGN’s Favorite Knights of the Frozen Throne Cards
With the release of the new Hearthstone expansion, Knights of the Frozen Throne, IGN's resident card experts weigh in on the new set. Check out the gallery below to see which cards are our favorites, which we think will disappoint, what our experts found overpowered and finally, what cards we think will reshape the meta. For the Lich King!
What are your favorite cards of the new expansion? Let us know in the comments section.
StarCraft 2 Being Used For AI Research
Deepmind - a leading researcher into artificial intelligence and its potential for positive use - has just announced a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, using classic strategy game StarCraft 2 as a basis for improved AI learning.
The pair have created a set of tools - known as SC2LE - to accelerate AI research specifically within StarCraft 2. In addition to a machine-learning API to allow both researchers and developers access to the game, Blizzard is also providing a dataset of anonymised game replays - currently at 65,000, this will increase to 'more than half a million' in the next few weeks.
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Battlegrounds: First-Person Servers Now Available in All Modes
By popular demand, first-person only servers have hit Battlegrounds full force.
Announced on the game's Twitter account, first-person only servers are now available in all modes on North American, European and Asian servers, with leaderboards to follow at a later time.
Players, first-person only servers are now available in ALL game modes on NA, EU and ASIA servers. Leaderboards will be added later. pic.twitter.com/us8IuDJ6PP
— PLAY BATTLEGROUNDS (@PUBATTLEGROUNDS) August 10, 2017
Westworld Casts Vikings’ Floki, More for Season 2
Westworld is adding some more faces for the sci-fi breakout's second season.
Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Gustaf Skarsgard - Vikings' Floki, and another member of the genre-friendly Skarsgard clan - will be joining the series as a regular, playing the part of Karl Strand, a "white-collar guy comfortable in the field".
He's joined by Fares Fares (Tyrant), who will be playing Antoine Costa - a "tech expert with an objective perspective". In addition, Betty Gabriel (Good Girls Revolt) will be joining in a recurring capacity, playing Maling, about whom not much is known other than that she's trying to "restore order on the ground".
The Evil Within 2: Shinji Mikami on His Input on the Sequel
At this year's E3, Bethesda's Vice President of VP and Marketing Pete Hines told us that although original Evil Within director and founder of Tango Gameworks Shinji Mikami wouldn't be directing the sequel, the horror legend's hands would nonetheless "be all over it." We got in touch via email with Mikami and The Evil Within 2's director, John Johanas, to talk about the exact nature of Mikami's involvement, the direction of the sequel, and more. Read on for the full interview!
Shinji Mikami, courtesy of Bethesda.