Wrestling: Why Samoa Joe is the Perfect Foe for Brock
After taking a brief break from wrapping up wrestling last week, I realized "Hey, it's been a while since I've NOT wrapped up wrestling." Now I'm a bit thrown. Now I'm all "How do I even wrap up all the wrestling?" I'm sure I'll figure it out as we move along here, but this may be a bumpy flight.
Basically, not much has changed in a week, which shouldn't be big of a surprise to anyone. My headline this week is - shocker! - pretty much the same as it was going to be last Wednesday.
Last week, I would have gone more into depth about Joe's amazing segment with Heyman and that close intimate threat of physical pain followed by the actual physical pain and how awesome that was and how I really, REALLY wanted it to become a hallmark for Joe. As in, from now until Great Balls, I wanted Joe to have squash matches with jobbers that would start with him backing them into a corner and then explaining, in detail, all the horrible things he was about to do to them. That was my heart's fondest wish.
Crackdown 3: Microsoft Clarifies Terry Crews’ Role
Crackdown 3's new trailer definitely included Terry Crews, but it wasn't entirely clear if he would be in the game. Thankfully, he officially is, and he will be a playable character in some form.
Speaking to IGN, design director Garett Wilson said, "He's a playable character. I think I'm OK to tell you that. I probably shouldn't say any more. He definitely is a playable character, and he's a character in the narrative, so he's in the opening cutscene and things like that."
It's unclear whether Crews' character, Commander Jaxon will be playable in the campaign (he did not appear to be pickable in the E3 campaign hands-on), or would be playable in the game's multiplayer modes. Wilson did confirm that both the actor's voice and likeness would be used.
Yoshi Switch Developed With Unreal Engine 4
Nintendo's upcoming Yoshi game for Switch is being developed with Unreal Engine 4.
Epic Games senior marketing manager Dana Cowley shared the news in a post on Twitter.
The adorable platformer is one of many upcoming Switch games being developed with Unreal Engine 4. In fact, Epic Games Japan rep Takayuki Kawasaki told Automaton (translation via Gematsu) that "in Japan, there are about 20 titles being developed that use Unreal Engine."
X-Men: Chastain May Play Dark Phoenix’s Antagonist
Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (Interstellar, The Martian) is reportedly in negotiations to portray the antagonist of X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
The Hollywood Reporter claims Chastain, whose deal has not been sealed, is up for the role of "Lilandra, the empress of an alien empire called the Shi’ar, who leads the quest to imprison and execute Dark Phoenix
, leading her into conflict with the X-Men. (She also commands an alien super-team named the Imperial Guard but it is unclear if that group will be featured in the movie.)"
In the Marvel Comics, Lilandra Neramani is the Princess-Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire, a humanoid species with avian-like attributes. She also became a longtime love interest of Professor Charles Xavier.
Metroid: Samus Returns Is Not Metroid Dread
Metroid: Samus Returns might be a re-imagining of Metroid II on Game Boy, but it's definitely not linked to the rumored Metroid Dread on Nintendo DS.
Yoshio Sakamoto, who's the co-creator of Metroid and a longtime series producer, shot down the connection in an interview with IGN. "I think it’s better to say that this is a remake, remastering of Metroid II, a powered-up version of that, and not something to do with the other project," he said.
For those unfamiliar, Metroid Dread was on an official internal Nintendo software list back in 2005 that IGN saw. On top of that, Metroid Prime 3 hinted at Metroid Dread, saying it was "nearing the final stages of completion."
Call of Duty: WW2 Hands-Off Single-Player Impressions
Call of Duty: WW2’s return to its historical roots is not just a sudden change of scenery for the more recently high-tech franchise — it’s also a return to a more grounded kind of shooter in general. The advanced weaponry and enhanced mobility mechanics of the series’ last handful of games are obviously gone in favor of period-appropriate firearms and movement that doesn’t get much fancier than vaulting over cover.
But Call of Duty: WW2 seems to be doing a bit more to magnify your character’s vulnerability in its single-player campaign, based on the 15-20 minute hands-off preview I saw at E3 2017. Those looking for the type of power fantasy offered by Advanced Warfare might not get the same kick out of crawling through the mud and having bell towers crumble down on you and your teammates, but it seems there are still plenty of big, cinematic set pieces to keep the experience as thrilling — just in new ways. Whether or not that’s compatible with the “authentic” World War experience its creative directors seem to be aiming for is another story. Then again, how many of us are looking for a touching, meaningful meditation on war’s atrocities from a series known for its action flick-style bombast?
Fargo Creator on Nikki, Gloria, and Legion: Season 2
Warning: Spoilers follow for the first eight episodes of Fargo: Season 3 and Legion: Season 1...
Last week on Fargo, we saw Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Nikki find a fortunate ally in the form of Season 1's Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) as she once again evaded certain death after a brutal battle in the snowy woods. We'll have to see what fate awaits Nikki, now that the story's jumped ahead by three months, in Wednesday's new episode, the penultimate Season 3 episode, "Aporia," when it airs at 10/9c on FX.
I had the chance to speak to Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley at the ATX Television Festival this week, where I asked him all about tenacious Nikki's tendency to cheat death, Gloria's lost and adrift nature, the supernatural elements that we experienced in the bowling alley last week, and - finally - a little bit about what David Haller's journey will be like in Legion: Season 2.
E3 2017: Metal Gear Survive Delayed
Metal Gear Survive has been delayed and will now release in early 2018 for PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One.
The four-player survival co-op game was previously due for release sometime in late 2017. Konami representatives confirmed to Polygon that the team behind Metal Gear Survive needs more time to polish the game and, as a result, it has been "pushed back a few months."
Announced by Konami last year, Metal Gear Survive is set within the Metal Gear universe and takes place directly after the events of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Players will be tasked with fighting off zombie-like enemies with a slew of brand new weaponry.
Bungie Confirms Destiny 2 Is 30FPS on Xbox One X
Xbox One X won't run Destiny 2 at 60 frames per second, Bungie has confirmed.
Luke Smith, the design director for Bungie's upcoming shared-world shooter, confirmed to Geoff Keighley during YouTube Live at E3 that, much like PlayStation 4 Pro, Destiny 2 will run at 30 frames per second on Xbox One X.
Bungie did not provide any specific details regarding why Destiny 2 won't run at 60 frames per second on Microsoft's upcoming $499 console.
Walking Dead Coming to VR in Multiple New Games
The terrifying world of The Walking Dead will be coming to a VR headset near you thanks to a new partnership between Robert Kirkman and David Alpert's Skybound Entertainment and David Ellison's Skydance Interactive.
During E3 2017, the two companies announced a new partnership to develop multiple original virtual reality titles set within the universe of The Walking Dead. The inaugural title developed through this partnership will be a Walking Dead VR game featuring a new setting and cast of characters, "which players will experience through an innovative contextual interaction system."
The Walking Dead continues to dominate the pop culture space with the success of Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's comics and the AMC drama remains the top-rated show on TV. The companion series, Fear the Walking Dead, recently returned for its third season, while The Walking Dead Telltale Games helped carve out a new subgenre of video games with their ongoing, episodic storytelling. So it only makes sense that Skybound would look to expand the zombie-filled world to virtual reality.